Before we move on, I need to come clean! Last week, I spouted off that the secret to passing the NMLS tests is Hard Work. Relentless application to study… sacrificing family, gym and movie nights… incessant note taking, outlining and highlighting ad nauseum.
Well... I lied! Not about the highlighting…about the hard work. Learning about mortgage lending isn’t difficult. Remember…this isn’t the proverbial “rocket science”…it’s more like hearing a new song and trying to sing along with it the next couple of times you hear it. Parts of it you learn immediately, other parts you need to hear a couple of times before you get it down.
So, if it’s simply a matter of getting it off the page, into your brain and keeping it there, how do you do that? Easy! There’s a little “set-up” time involved to get started, but it’s well worth it:
Study Tip #3
Get everything you need into a comfortable place where you’re unlikely to be interrupted. Make sure you’ve printed out the lesson, the applicable NMLS Test Content Outline and have pens or pencils, a notepad, highlighters and sticky notes nearby. And I can't emphasize enough that good lighting, room to spread things out and something cold to drink will make this feel a whole lot less like detention!
Study Tip #4
Study for no more than 20-30 minutes at a time. After that, our brains no longer take in new information efficiently. Get up, do a jig, feed the dog, refill the drink. Give yourself a few minutes to wake up and then get back to the material when you feel refreshed. Start up where you left off and review that material again before you start on anything new and you'll be much more likely to retain it.
This stuff really works. Check back next week for more NMLS Test Study Tips from ProSchools.