I was so excited to get to sit down with one of my past students (and now fabulous RD) Danielle to chat with her more about her experience taking the exam!
Tell me about yourself!
I’m Danielle, I’m originally from Central New Jersey; after discovering how I could combine my passion for nutrition, food and medicine with helping people in the field of dietetics, I attended SUNY Oneonta to receive my Bachelors in Dietetics, with a double minor in Spanish and Chemistry, and then continued on to complete my combined Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics/internship program. I currently am interested in acute/clinical nutrition and integrating and fostering more MNT knowledge with regards to nutrition support, trauma patients, as well as exploring more in the gut health and food allergy/intolerance areas!…but that could change as well!:)
What made you want to work with a tutor to study for the exam?
I chose to seek a tutor because I realized I do not only learn in one way; I am a kinesthetic learner; audio, visual as well as kinesthetic approaches appeal to me. And having a credentialed RD who has been a tutor professional, who knows the business, hold me accountable, is what I needed. I was not on a strict schedule the first time around for my exam and I needed some additional structure, accountability and support.
For students interested in using a tutor, what do you recommend they do to help find a tutor that fits their needs best?
I recommend that students do some research on tutors’ websites and social media platforms, as well as speak to the tutors and students one on one who have used specific tutors’ services in order to get more of a sense of how the tutor operates, the attributes that align with the student’s needs. I also believe that attending a group class could help students get a sense of how the tutor runs things and if the students’ learning styles are catered to by the tutor (on a group tutor class level).
What do you wish you knew before you started studying for the exam that you know now?
In a way, I wish I knew that being on a strict schedule, or a schedule with more structure, as well as accountability, is critical; on the other hand, if I did not barely miss the mark on my exam the first time around I would not have been able to network and meet/utilize Danas services!
What are your tips for studying for students who work full time?
I recommend, if you’re working full time, first be transparent with your boss. Regardless of if your boss knows about the exam already, you should be transparent with your boss in regards to the importance of the exam so that they can hopefully be flexible and work with your schedule because your exam IS a priority!! If you made a study schedule and it is not working for you and you still feel burnt out, and if there is an option for you to temporarily drop down to a part time schedule i.e. 3 days per week, go for it! I did that and it helped me! But do what is best for you; whether that is getting to bed early and waking up at 5am to study for 3 hours before work, or taking group classes and studying in the evenings, etc., find out what types of studying and what study schedule is most optimal for YOU for active learning. Dana taught me about the importance of active learning and challenging yourself, versus just reading or rereading Jean Inman materials and not absorbing or retaining the information appropriately.
What are your tips for a student who has recently failed their exam?
If you failed your exam, IT IS OKAY, IT IS GOING TO BE OKAY, AND YOU are STILL AMAZING, AND YOU CAN STILL PASS THIS EXAM!!!! Standardized tests, board exams and certification exams can be nerve wracking and stressful! We live in a society in which there are unspoken expectations and not many things are private (everything is on social media and social media is everywhere everyday!) so it can be discouraging when we do not succeed or did not have an outcome that we expected. However that does not signify that we are any less valid, less intelligent, less capable or less ready to succeed!! I believe in the phrase, to an extent, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”; if we fail, we have the ability to get back up, take a step back, look at things from another angle, analyze, see what works and what does not work for us, try something different (change is good!!), work smarter, efficiently, stay focused, NOT burn out and gain CONFIDENCE that you can PASS THAT EXAM, and YOU WILL!!
Comparing the 2021 and 2022 exam did you notice the difference in breakdown?
I personally did not see a difference in breakdown between the 2021 and 2022 exams, however I did appreciate how I had a variety of questions from all domains on my 2022 exam! It was well rounded and I felt comfortable and relatively confident with my timing, knowledge, abilities and answers :)
If you are looking for extra support be sure to join my free Facebook Group and check out my tutoring options!
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