SHE wanted to be on top of her class but she did not even graduate cum laude.
"I was supposed to graduate Magna Cum Laude according to my teachers; and I was deeply depressed because I did well in college,” said 21-year-old Pharmacist Kimberly Tan Lomantas.
Having failed to get Latin honors in college, she worked hard to make it at the top in the September 2017 Pharmacy Licensure Exam instead, and this time, she made it to No. 2.
“Naging goal ko siya kasi hindi ako grumaduate bilang cum laude," she said.
She attributed this to her being a transferee at the University of Immaculate Concepcion after quitting Accountancy at Ateneo de Davao University. She completed just one semester in Accountancy when she found wanting to learn more in the laboratory.
“Naisip ko na may board exam pa naman pwede rin naman akong bumawi in a way that I can get a grade of 85 and above, or somehow place among the topnotchers kahit tenth place okay na yun sa akin,” she said.
She prepared by imposing self-discipline and sticking to a fixed schedule because she did not enroll for review classes.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. she was reviewing the lectures in class that she recorded, during which she also scanned her notes, read a chapter more, and practiced solving problems.
“During the self-study I manage to get up early between 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. and then after that I will do my personal stuff and by 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. the next day that is my entire time of studying with breaks in between,” she said.
Lomantas said her review period started from November 2016 until the second week of August.
She said the struggle to be on top did not come easy for her because during the pre-board exam wherein students are rated nationwide, she ranked 39th.
“I was depressed for maybe two days, but I was already motivated after that because of the encouragement of my roommates in the dormitory and my own self because sabi ko sa sarili ko hindi pa naman actual na board (because I told myself it’s still not the actual board exam), baka naman (maybe) sa actual board mas nakabawi na talaga ako (I will be able to catch up),” she said.
Lomantas said she was overjoyed when she received the results. And she was not alone. Her mother, Ma. Rosalinda Tan-Lomantas, who was widowed April last year after her dad died, shared the same joy.
“She was very happy and proud of me (and) when we got home after surfing the internet, she kept telling my dad, while looking at his picture at the altar, that she is thankful that he helped me during the board and for getting what I really wanted,” Lomantas said.
She also credited her success with the proper usage of gadgets.
“I would advise students since marami high tech gadgets ngayon instead of using them for social media or playing the games, I think it will be better if they use their mobile phones in recording their lectures during class. But in case the teacher won’t allow them it would be just as nice to write down notes and of course read their notes if they have time at school or at home,” she said.
“If they can do both the recording and the writing down of the lecture, it’s okay. I think it helped me a lot during my self-study to listen to my recording and at the same time going through my notes, because if I do both, I am able to write the things that I missed while I was writing my notes,” she said.
The 21-year-old young lady also said another tip is to practice answering possible exam questions either from the review materials or through the internet. She said since pharmacy is filled with computations many students fear this. Her advice: practice problem solving.
Most board exams are filled with situational questions.
She underscored that time management is also key to passing the board.
“It is wiser to spend equal attention to each module because you will have more chances of doing well in the whole board exam,” she said.
During the exams, most of the items really formed part of what she learned during four years of college.
“Majority of the questions I encountered were the concepts I learned during my four years in studying pharmacy. There were a few questions that I can remember that were discussed by the teacher while I was sitting inside the classroom and listening to her,” she said.
She added it doesn’t take to be a genius to be a licensure topnotcher.
The key to memorizing, she said, is repetition.
“Repetition is the key when it comes to memorizing as most of my teachers told me in the past. And I think that is true because I am not like the other geniuses in the world who have telegraphic memories. For me, it’s more of making it a habit,” she said.
Lomantas added if one finds it difficult to memorize by reading or repetition, then he or she can try composing his/her own mnemonic.
“Form your own mnemonics that will work best for you,” she said.
The topnotcher said throughout her journey to pass the board and in the future, she lives by the motto: “To be optimistic and not overconfident, to hope for the best but expect the unexpected.”
Third year Pharmacy students will experience the teaching expertise of Lomantas soon, as she was tapped by the University of Immaculate Conception to teach Quality Control 1.
She is still contemplating whether she will study Medicine.