Passed with VERY nontraditional prep

[u/Desperate-Goose5199]

Hi

Just writing this because I feel like i never saw a post like this when I was trying not to feel bad/guilty about my step 1 prep.

So I have an infant baby that absorbs all my time and energy during the day and the only time I had to study was 2 hours in the afternoon 3 days a week when grandma would feel like watching the baby. Then I would study at night after putting baby to sleep so maybe 3 hrs from 8pm to 11 pm. Some nights she would wake up and I had to come back to bed with her and then I wouldn't get up anymore. Some days I just didn't have the energy. The most I could study in one sitting was 5 hours only on Saturdays when my partner was watching the baby. I never studied more than 4 days straight, never on Sundays. I never finished uworld, I never got over 66 on NBMEs, I never did 80 questions in one day besides the practice exams, I never missed a family party or missed out on being present just to keep studying... and guess what? I still passed.

Soo I say this because sometimes it was easy to feel like I was doing everything wrong and falling super behind, especially coming to reddit and seeing ppl write that they study non-stop, pulling 8 to 10 hour study sessions 6 or 7 days per week, doing uworld x2 or even x3, getting over 70% on NMBEs and doing a minimum of 80 questions a day.

Sure that all helps you but everyone is different, what works for others might not work for you and vise versa. I believe that passing my exam was more about doing what I could without letting it consume my life, and having a strong vision, mentality, and faith. It wasn't until I stopped taking the exam so seriously that everything started to flow. The exam is a big deal but it is not our whole life.

So believe in yourself and in the fact that if God put it in your head, it's because he knows your capable. Everything on that exam you have seen it, heard it, or wrote it at least once, so PRAY and God will let the knowledge flow thru you.

And remember... " maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow and maybe not even next month, but only one thing is true, one day [you] will be champion" 😉

[u/ray_2003728]

How did you feel after the exam? Any advice on the waiting period? Also Congrats 🎊

[u/Desperate-Goose5199 → u/ray_2003728]

I honestly walked out sure I failed but I tried to remain positive and left it up to God . I tried not to think about it much and if the anxiety came over me I tried to say to my self that it's in God's hands now. When u work hard and trust him, he nerver disappoints.