WARNING: Long post, I know. But I'm sorry. This is therapeutic.
But today... (or, by now, yesterday)
I got up early and headed to school for a marathon study session. I should say, another marathon study session. Yesterday I spent 5 hours at the same table in the Science Center studying with an FA friend. 5 straight hours. We went right through the book. And a random stranger sitting three tables down overheard us and came to help us out. Like I've said before, I love strangers at the University. They're never strangers for long.
I started out here:
I made it through about 5 chapters here. Out of 13. I started, while still fresh, in the back with the auditory system and hearing impairments/disorders. Maybe that's why I found this more fascinating than the speech-related information in the front. Or maybe it's because a certified audiologist is required to have a clinical doctorate, and that justifies the years I want to spend in school in the future. Right....
During one of my breaks, I meandered down the hall to refill my water bottle. Someone else was coming the other way, and I had one of those awkward "to look or not to look" moments that I so rarely suffer from. I glanced up at the guy, then away, and then did a double take. It was HIM!! We both said hello in passing. When I looked back, he had disappeared. I remembered hearing a door shutting moments before, and wondered if he'd gone into a professor's office. Most professors weren't available for office hours on the last day of finals, which left two options: he was a T.A. or graduate/research assistant, or he was a professor himself. I'm hoping it's the former.
I made it back to my comfy chair and ideal view with no further incident. Then the couple next to me became unbearable (really, they were. The girl playing hard to get was really distracting as I kept trying to analyze her behavior, and then their relationship), so I packed up and walked to here:
Somehow I snagged the couch next to the south 4th floor picture window that I've been waiting all semester to get. I guess that's what the last day of finals will do for you. It was beautiful, and I was sorely distracted by the view, that's for sure. The super-high back of the couch afforded a lot of privacy, so I studied, ate my lunch, and napped in peace, save for the clanking from the utility closet housing the elevator machinery which was right next to my study haven.
I was burning out quickly after another 4 (LONG) chapters, and then a 17 yr. old Freshman initiated a French final study session with a boy that her voice said she was interested in on the couch across the hallway and behind me. It was almost too much, and as her pitch climbed and she complained about the stress of last-minute studying, my ears and my sympathetic stress level had had enough.
I left and tried to finish out my studying by the library, but a family of ants and a family of students with 4 little kids arrived at the same time. I gave up and headed to Subway for dinner, where the student working behind the counter asked me if I was done with finals yet. Little did he know...
Long and short of it, I finally got done studying and headed to the testing center. To my horror, I met with a line that stretched all the way to the covered walkway between the Science Center and the "other" science center. Luckily for me, this was a line to THE testing center, not the makeshift one I was headed to. Unfortunately for them, that added another 150 yards or so to their line.
But the makeshift testing center had its own line:
Wow. I spent half an hour in that line, which was just enough for me to go through the glossary again and review most of my notes. And hear the sad story of the girl who had gone through The Testing Center line for two hours only to find that she was in the wrong place. Poor kids.
Got my test and entered the auditorium only to find that every available surface was covered with bodies. Every aisle, seat, and stage area. Even the backstage areas. I picked my way through the crowd to a spot on the stage, front and center. I even had a handy little outlet plate to place my scantron against.
I finished in less than an hour. Hardly even more time than it took me to get the test in the first place. I was pretty mad when I saw that my teacher (purposely, I'm sure) inserted this pattern: 5 D's, then 4 A's, followed by 3 C's and 2 B's. Is that evil or what?
Turns out I aced it. And it was way easier than it should have been. I probably only needed one of those exhaustive study days. Oh well. Go figure. At least I remember all this stuff now.
No comments:
Post a Comment