Nothing starts out a blog post like alliteration!
I pretty much checked out of my own life for last few days leading into this weekend. My wife was wonderful, and my bosses seem to understand. I had to prepare for my final comprehensive examinations for my Masters program. You're thinking: what are those like?
Well, around Christmas time me and the other victims were given 10 questions to prepare our answers for. The questions are not yes-no, but are multiple questions that wind around each other that are wrapped in a riddle confused in a conundrum. In other words, the answers are not necessarily obvious and I had to spend many hours finding in the answers in the notes that I saved from the last year and a half of graduate work. I spent hours studying my answers to the questions and the feedback I had recieved from professors regarding my answers that they had reviewed.
On Saturday I showed up and took the test on campus in a computer lab. I was given three of the questions to complete in 3 hours, lunch hour, and then 2 more questions to complete in the last two hours. It was probably the most intense five hours of my life, and made me glad that I am not moving on for more exams, more research defenses which I have heard can be much more nasty.
Being done with the exams was the best part about them. I felt quite energized and happy, and I drove to Kansas City that same night to spend the weekend with the Crane's and our friend Matt Wilson. He's going on a mission and enters the MTC Wednesday. I personally am very proud to call Matt my friend. We wish him nothing but the best on his church mission in Macon, GA.
Back to my tests- I feel somewhat confident I passed, and if I did not, Carrie informs me that she will divorce me. I told her that that did not help my nerves, and she retorted that she was just so confident in me. When I get that nervous I start to shake. It happened when I would play math Around the World in second grade. It happened when I took timed multiplications table tests in third grade (Which I dominated and bragged about). It happened in plays in high school. It happens when speak in church. It definitely happened when I asked Carrie to marry me. I can't stop shaking for awhile.
I can't wait until I enter the real world of no exams.
I, too, have often thought, "Man, I can't wait until I never have to do [insert dreaded activity here] again." It never happens. There is always something else waiting to scare the pants off of you just around the next corner. Sorry to burst your bubble.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I was so happy to see that last set of tests be over when I finished my Master's degree as well... except 20 years later I had to sit and take the "Massachusetts physics teachers test" in order to get a license to teach here in Belmont. And my brain wasn't nearly as "nimble" as in my 20's when I took my Master's tests. Take those tests while you are young!
ReplyDeleteSoon all of those tests will be a distant memory & you'll find yourself wishing for a way to show off just how smart you are! As for Carrie's comment, I can almost picture her saying it...
ReplyDeleteI am still laughing about Carrie saying she would divorce you if you didn't pass! She must be very confident in you, b/c I can't imagine she would ever do that. Brandon's very jealous you are almost done...way to go!
ReplyDeleteI AM very confidant in him. It was hard for me to put into words just HOW confidant I was, he just took it the wrong way (I'll blame it on the stress).
ReplyDeleteYou got it, buddy! I know you passed!
ReplyDelete-Graham
oh, whatever. Carrie threatened to divorce you because she needs a sugar daddy. A Daddy Warbucks, if you will. But we've already started calling YOU that, so it might be a difficult switch. I'm sure you will pass.
ReplyDelete