To You, Working Hard on Your Certification Studies

I am a 42-year-old Labor and Social Security Attorney, Career Consultant, Industrial Counselor, and Coaching Coach in my 18th year of practice. Through support in labor relations, careers, and mental health, I share information on building better relationships between employees and companies.

The period leading up to my second attempt at the Labor and Social Security Attorney exam 18 years ago was incredibly tough.
I was struck by an indescribable anxiety, woke up from dreams of failing, and even broke out in hives...

But even so, I kept facing the process of solving past exam questions, reviewing the parts I got wrong by looking at the textbook, memorizing, forgetting, and memorizing again.

I was truly happy when I passed, and my life has truly changed since then.
I felt from the bottom of my heart that I was glad I studied.
Since then, I have continued as a certification instructor for 17 years, and I have listened to many stories from students who felt the same way.

I know this is a difficult time for you, right before the exam.
To you, I say this:

The pain you feel is proof that you are taking the exam seriously.

When you continue studying for a certification exam, there are times when you might suddenly feel like giving up.

"No matter how many times I read it, I can't remember it."

"I keep getting questions wrong even after solving them."

"Everyone around me seems to be doing well, but I feel like I'm the only one falling behind."

"Will I really be able to pass?"

If you are studying while working, simply finding the time is not easy.

Sitting at your desk after coming home tired.
Opening your textbook after your family has gone to sleep.
Adjusting your schedule on your days off to take mock exams or attend lectures.

There must be days when you really just want to rest.

There must be days when you want to go out and have fun, or just sleep without thinking about anything.

Even so, you continue to study.

First of all, please praise yourself more for that.

Instead of saying "it's not enough yet," say "I have come this far."

People studying for certification exams tend to be hard on themselves.

When you learn one thing, you worry about the ten things you haven't learned yet.
Even if you get one question right, you only notice the ones you got wrong.

"I was only able to study for two hours today."

There are days when you might think that way.

However, if you change your perspective, you studied for two whole hours in the middle of a busy day.

Even if it was just twenty minutes, you opened your textbook and took one step forward from yesterday.

To those who aren't challenging themselves with a certification exam, the fact that you are continuing is already impressive enough.

But when you study every day, you start to take it for granted.

Effort that has become a matter of course becomes hard to see for yourself.

That is precisely why you need to consciously praise yourself.

"I sat at my desk again today."

"I was tired, but I solved one problem."

"I was able to understand a problem I got wrong before."

Small things are fine.

Effort does not only have value once results appear.
The days you spend building toward a result already have value.

The pain is proof that you are facing it seriously

When studying is painful, you might think, "Maybe this isn't for me."

However, feeling that it is painful is also proof that you are facing the exam with such seriousness.

Because you want to pass, it is frustrating when your scores don't improve.
Because you want to understand, it is painful when you don't know something.
Because you want to change your life, you feel anxious.

If it were something that didn't matter, you wouldn't be worrying about it at all.

Anxiety and impatience do not stem solely from your weaknesses.

"I want to pass."

"I want to use this qualification in my work."

"I want to change who I am now."

It is precisely because you have such earnest thoughts that your heart wavers.

Of course, there is no need to keep enduring the pain.

If you find yourself unable to sleep, lacking appetite, or unable to shake off intense anxiety no matter what you do, you need to rest or consult with those around you.

Taking a break does not mean giving up on your studies.

To keep running for the long haul, stopping to catch your breath is also an important action toward passing.

Do not judge yourself solely by the "days you couldn't do it."

In studying for certification exams, there are days when things do not go as planned.

A day when there was trouble at work.
A day when you prioritized family errands.
A day when you were not feeling well.
A day when you couldn't concentrate and read the same sentence over and over.

Looking only at that one day,

"I have a weak will."

"I couldn't keep it up again."

Please do not jump to such conclusions.

Not being able to study for one day and you lacking ability are completely different matters.

Even in career support or counseling settings, people sometimes direct harsher words toward themselves than the facts warrant.

If someone else were in the same situation,

"It couldn't be helped since work was busy."

"Take it easy today, and let's start again tomorrow."

Even though we can say this to others, it is hard to say the same words to ourselves.

This is not about being easy on yourself.

It means not blaming yourself until you are unable to recover.

Certification exams are not decided by a single day.

Even if you have a day that didn't go well, you can just come back the next day.

It is okay to have positive self-suggestion.

"You shouldn't think you can pass without any basis."

Some people might think that way.

However, I believe it is okay to have words that are a little convenient for yourself in order to continue studying for the exam.

When you get one question right,

"I've memorized it!"

When you understand something you didn't know yesterday,

"I did it!"

When you feel anxious,

"I can pass!"

Try saying these things out loud.

Words alone won't solve everything.

However, depending on what words you say to yourself, your focus and your next actions will change.

If you keep saying "It's impossible anyway," you will find it easier to see only the reasons why you can't do it.

On the other hand,

"I am remembering things little by little"

"I am further ahead than I was yesterday"

"I am continuing to take actions to pass"

If you say these things to yourself, it becomes easier to notice the progress you are making.

Positive words are not magic that allows you to pass without effort.

They are words that support your heart as you continue your efforts.

Every day, you are facing not only exam questions but also your own anxieties.

That is precisely why I want you to have words that move you forward, not just words that push you too hard.

About what comes next

From here on, I will introduce "self-talk" you can use on days when you feel like losing confidence in your studies, and a reflection method to make your efforts visible.

This content is not just for reading, but for incorporating into your actual exam preparation.

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Three phrases you can use on days when you feel like losing confidence

1. "I remembered it!"

Use this not only for things you learned anew, but also for things you were able to recall.

"Today, I remembered one article of the Labor Standards Act"

"I was able to explain the reason for the option I got wrong yesterday"

Try saying it out loud along with specific facts like these.

In exam preparation, it is easy to focus on what you cannot do, so you need to consciously confirm what you have accomplished.

Before finishing your study session, it is also effective to write down just one thing you learned today in your notebook.

2. "I did it!"

This is not a phrase to be used only when you get a perfect score.

You sat at your desk. You read the planned material. You looked up a problem you didn't understand. You were able to come back to it after taking a break from studying.
You read the planned material.
You looked up a problem you didn't understand.
You were able to come back to it after taking a break from studying.

These are all "things you did."

What supports your journey to passing is the accumulation of these small successes.

3. "I can pass!"

This does not mean "I must never fail."

It is a phrase to confirm your intention that:

"I am taking action aimed at passing."

"I will not give up on the possibility of passing."

Do not wait for your anxiety to disappear before studying; move forward one page even while carrying that anxiety.

That accumulation will lead you to passing.

Three-line reflection at the end of the day

When you finish studying, please try writing down the following three things.

□ What I learned today
□ What I did today
□ What I will work on tomorrow

For example, it can be as simple as the following:

"I learned one requirement for annual paid leave."

"I solved ten past exam questions."

"Tomorrow, I will review the three questions I got wrong."

There is no need to write a long list of reflections.

The purpose of reflection is not to blame yourself, but to confirm your current position and your next step.

A checklist to review on days when you feel like giving up

□ Are you getting enough sleep?
□ Are you skipping meals?
□ Are you comparing your progress too much with others?
□ Is your schedule too packed?
□ Are you evaluating yourself only by the questions you got wrong?
□ Are you bottling up your anxiety alone?
□ Have you forgotten why you started studying?

When many of these items apply, it might be better to adjust your study methods or daily rhythm rather than trying to force yourself to work harder.

Just like labor management, exam preparation requires sustainability.

Even if you temporarily push yourself to increase study hours, if you compromise your physical or mental health and cannot continue long-term, it may end up being a detour.

Asking yourself after passing the exam

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself after you have passed.

Then, ask yourself from the future the following questions:

"How did you overcome the most difficult period?"

"When you were about to give up, what supported you?"

"What words would you like to say to yourself today?"

In coaching, we draw out the thoughts and possibilities within you through questioning.

It is okay if you do not have an answer right away.

Just try to focus on "how you can continue" rather than only thinking about "reasons why you cannot."

What I want to tell you today

Not many people remain full of confidence until the day the exam results are announced.

People feel anxious, get discouraged, and doubt their own abilities, yet they continue to study anyway.

You do not continue because you are confident.

The fact that you have kept going will gradually turn into confidence.

Even if you couldn't study as planned today, it doesn't mean your efforts up to this point have disappeared.

Just because you got one question wrong doesn't mean it's decided that you won't pass.

Please, do not end your day by only saying harsh words to yourself.

Please tell yourself this, for having worked hard again today:

"I learned it!"

"I did it!"

"I can pass!"

Your efforts as you seriously face your certification exam are more precious than you realize.

Beyond just the result of passing, the knowledge, habits, patience, and the experience of facing yourself that you have gained in the process will become the strength that supports your future career.

On tough days, it is okay to take a little break.

Even if you stop, you can just start walking again.

Please be the one who recognizes the time you have accumulated so far more than anyone else.

You have truly worked very hard up until today.

And tomorrow, too, let's continue to believe in yourself and take small steps forward.