10.17.2014

the standardized test | I took the PSAT

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Standardized tests: the ACT, SAT and the PSAT can cause a bit of apprehension for the test taker - even if she has been properly preparing for the past 1.5 months and is excited to take it/them. :) Yup, I took the PSAT on Wednesday, and. . .sadly, have no extremely dramatic or exciting stories to tell. (except that I almost forget how to write in cursive. *ahem*) The lead in my pencils didn't break, I didn't forget my calculator. . .and my calculator did work through the entire math section. ;)
 
I will admit that I was excited to take the PSAT  (because, well, maybe I'm just weird like that. . .) and so I was looking forward to Wednesday. I'd prepared, and for the most part felt like I was ready to take it. (But I think that  two days before the test everyone has that  "I'm-so-unprepared-but-I've-been-preparing-forever feeling, despite their previous feeling of preparedness)
 
 The *big day* dawned rainy and dark, and despite my proposed plan of not feeling nervous, I did feel a just a touch nervousness - although it was nothing like the I-can't-even-eat-breakfast-nervous! I experienced the morning of my last cross country meet - and in no time, I was on my way to the high school.
 
High schools usually scare me. Just a leetle-weetle bit. However, due to my joining the cross country team, and going to the high school everyday, I know my way around CHS better than I normally would. ;) So I made it to the class room for the test (aka the commons, or lunch room) on time and without wandering around the halls; in fact, I was in sitting in the dark "commons" room for ten minutes with a bunch of random people still eating their breakfast.
 
The test administrator came and finally turned the lights on, and after waiting for what seemed a REALLY long time, we began the test. Actually, we began filling out the information about ourselves paperwork. (I really dislike those little "fill in the bubble" things; when you have a last name with ten letters in it, it seems to take an eternity to fill in all those little bubbles!) Finally, when it came time to sign the "I certify that. . ." sentence, I almost forgot how to write in cursive. It was a little frightening, feeling like you've forgotten how to do something so simple as that, but thankfully I recovered and was able to write a respectable cursive sentence. ;)
 
After reading the rules and regulations, we began the test. And. You'd never guess. It was just like taking a practice PSAT test at home. I guess all the vocab, math prep etc. really paid off!
 
In the end, aside from getting a headache from the fluorescent lights, the test went very well. I think that I did well on it, and am excited to get my scores, which will be in December. *groans*  Anyway.
 
Truth is: the PSAT/other "standardized tests" really aren't that scary or "hard". If you have prepared you'll do fine, and you won't have to worry about it. :)

2 comments:

Bethany d said...

The CHS sounds more chummy than the Shawano high school. I just about flipped the first time I took the PSAT. (aren't those fill-in-the-bubble things just horrible?!??)

But yeah, headaches, ridiculously long waits for the test administrators, and awkward watching-people-eat-breakfast sound way too familiar. ;)

Hey - I saw Anna yesterday at The Living Room. Mom was just gushing about how beautiful and grown-up she is. Ah. And most helpful when it came to cup sizes. ;D Tell her I'm still jealous of her hair. And her job. But since jealously is bad, I'll just end that it was like AMAZING to see her! =)

Unknown said...

The wait for the results is the worst part! Besides the 'day of' jitters, of course.

I'm glad it went well for you! I was absolutely terrified before I took the PSAT, but standardized tests get easier and more relaxing (if you could ever call a standardized test relaxing) the more of them that you take.