In my opinion, foreign language is like a key without key teeth, thus it needs to be matched with another profession, such as translation, management, or marketing skills etc., to make the key useful. This is the reason why I decided to minor in occupational safety and health when sophomore. However, without any related background, it was very hard for me to study OSH related courses such as epidemiology, industrial ventilation, and risk assessment etc. Nevertheless, in order to enhance self-worth and competitiveness, I started to meet friends from the same department as soon as possible, and study together on a daily basis. I was responsible for the English translation and the other was responsible for helping me establish the foundation. In the end, not only did I graduate on time and all pass, but after two years of hard work, I finally passed the exam and got the certificate.
Preparing for the certificate is not an easy task. The passing rate is not high and requires a lot of knowledge in different fields. In addition to law, basic physical chemistry and biological understanding are indispensable. Here, I provide some suggestions:
- Find friends and classmates with the same goal or different fields, and study together, which can not only increase the efficiency, but also understand the problem from different perspectives
- Keep memorizing the regulations and law, and can also try to observe when you walk pass construction machinery or construction sites. For example: One day I was walking on the road before the test and saw a stacker, so I started memorizing every structure of the stacker.
3. Continue to pay attention to the news related to occupational safety. Not only it might help you with the exam, but it may even be helpful for future workplace and
your own safety.