I just received my NMAT score. I won't post my score. Suffice to say that I reached my target. I won't be taking the NMAT again(yeyness!). And, I am very happy with my score.

NMAT was yesterday. It was all right. I managed to finish both parts ahead of the alloted time. I was lucky because the Biology part didn't contain many plant biology questions and there were questions about Microbiology and Parasitology. Social science and Physics were harder but I managed to make some intelligent guesses. Part I was time-consuming. Boredom didn't became a problem but I do not plan to take the NMAT again because Part I was so tedious and I really hate doing those tests. At least I am sure of most of my answers unlike some of my batchmates. Exam mode(my super power) really helped in the Math and Verbal part because the extra time I gained was used up in Perceptual Acuity.

So what's my prediction? I'll just keep it to myself; I don't want to eat my words later.

Bukas na NMAT. Hindi ko alam kung handa na ba ako. Ang nararamdaman ko ngayon ay parang nararamdaman ko tuwing may long test kami sa Micro.
Parang ganito: Alam ko naman nabasa ko na ang dapat mabasa at may onte pang sobra pero parang kapag tinanong mo ngayon ako wala akong masasagot. Pero alam ko kapag exam na may masasagot na ako. Siguro depende na lang sa mga tanong kung nasasakop ba siya ng alam ko o hindi.
Ang malungkot lang dito ay kadalasan mababa ang nakukuha kong score sa exam sa Micro kapag ganito ang pakiramdam ko. Crap.

NMAT update:

I just took the practice NMAT. My performance in the Physics and Social Science sucked. I did really well in Chemistry and, surprisingly, in the Abstract Reasoning part(the tests which involved looking for mirror images, hidden figures and deviations from the original sentence). My Biology score was actually lower than my Physics score(surprisingly). My Reading Comprehension and Analogy was sub-par according to my standards even though I did get a good enough score. I didn't finish the Quantitative reasoning; it was too boring. My reserves were already sucked dry by the pattern recognition part(A B C D, What comes next? etc).

Comments on the practice test: I was disappointed that they didn't ask any Genetics or Microbiology questions(subjects which I think are more relevant to the field of Medicine than Plant Biology and Ecology). In addition, they could have picked "better" numbers for their problem solving questions because the numbers they gave suck. It was very tedious doing manual computations. I almost gave up on the Chemistry test because of the horrendous values they chose. I gave up on the Numerical reasoning part due to boredom and frustration over the repetitive tasks that I have to do. The Physics part was the worst because I do not even know HOW to solve the problems. Who knew they'd give Electromagnetism priority over Mechanics and Hydraulics?!

Overall, I think I'll survive the NMAT. I just need to study more on certain problem areas like Electromagnetism and Plant Biology.I do not know if I'll achieve my target grade. Hopefully, I will because I'd hate to spend more money to take this stupid test. And more importantly, I do not want to suffer through it again.

Rant time, why do they(CEM, NMAT) keep using Normality instead of Molarity? See this(got it from Wikipedia):

"... normality is no longer used to represent the concentration of a solution .... Instead, a solution should be labeled according to its molarity, and it is then possible to calculate the normality for a particular titration using the equation above. NIST has also stipulated that this unit is obsolete and recommends discontinuing its use." (emphases mine)

I repeat... Normality is obsolete. It may be practical to use during titrations but it is theoretically faulty. Not all compounds completely ionize in solution. Take sulfuric acid(H2SO4(aq)). It releases its 1st proton easily but it holds on to its 2nd one pretty tightly. Besides, in most acid-base titrations that I know, acids or bases which release or accept only one proton(usually the strong acids and bases like HCl and NaOH) are preferrably used because if you use the other acids or bases, you only make the situation in the flask more complicated and their goes practicality. And there is the part involving the need to know what is the reaction is in the flask in order to compute for the normality. Use molarity and you don't need all that fuss.

To answer my rhetorical question, they probably keep on using normality because they're either too lazy to change the questions or want to make sure that the new breed of doctors continue on with obsolete traditions and units in science. Way to go CEM! (I can do this without destroying my chances of getting into any med school in this country, right?)

Still studying for the NMAT...

Found this very stupid thing in my reviewer. Worse, this reviewer probably came from those "all-UP" review centers. Have they no sociologists in these centers?!

"Witchcraft - is the exercise of evil through an immanent power"
"It(witchcraft) is invariably evil." (emphases mine)

Huwaat?! That's BS! Witchcraft is more on manipulation of people through the use of spells or magic. It is not necessarily evil(though, one could argue that manipulation of an individual for personal gain is unethical). This reeks of Christian bias towards shamanic and pagan cultures. And to think that this part appeared after cultural relativism and ethnocentrism was mentioned.

I have a strong suspicion that this is the definition that the CEM(the group responsible for the NMAT) uses. Therefore, I must follow it even though I know it is wrong. Crap.

Arrived from Lucap, Pangasinan yesterday. We went to the Hundred Islands. Pictures will be uploaded later as I need to study for the f*ckin' NMAT. I'm annoyed because I HAVE to study plant biology, psychology, sociology and anthropology. Not that I hate these topics; I love reading on these topics especially evolution and behavior experiments. I just don't understand how knowing stuff about the vascular system of plants or who Comte is will prove that I am ready to go to med school. And I now feel that the NMAT was made to give all those BS Biology students a huge advantage over us, paramedical students.