Getting put to the test
Tests and I have never had a good relationship. I think it all started back in elementary school when we would spend days on standardized tests, filling in tiny ovals on slips of paper to answer questions about a short story or to solve a math problem. These standardized tests were never any fun. I always thought the stories in the reading portions were bland and math was never my favorite subject. To top it all off, the tests were distributed from a company in some mid-western state such as Iowa, a region I always pictured as being plain and dull.
It didn't get any better in high school when I was reuinted with the bubble answer sheets and test booklets for the SAT and ACT. To add to my displeasure these tests did not give me the luxury of a few days to complete - instead the test time was shaved down to a few hours. Timed tests, I discovered, are not my fortay.
When I finished school, I merrily waved goodbye to tests and figured this was a final farewell. I was wrong. My new job required me to take a timed-test. My stomach did twist into a few knots when I received the news and unease settled into my stomach when I heard the test needed to be completed in a certain amount of time. "The SAT and ACT have returned to haunt me," I thought as I sat down to start the test.
My disdain and prejudice toward test-taking were questioned that day. The exam wasn't bad - especailly since it was generous enough to be open-book. Still, when I was finished and I waited for my score, it was as though I had transported back to my high school classroom, waiting for the teacher to return a graded test. I felt nervous and anxious. I was dying to see how I did and extremely reluctant to see my score at the same time.
I learned a few things from this particular exam but one piece of wisdom I picked up was you can throw your nose in the air and pretend certain things are insignificant but the truth is there will always be a time when your skills and your wits will be put to the test.
It didn't get any better in high school when I was reuinted with the bubble answer sheets and test booklets for the SAT and ACT. To add to my displeasure these tests did not give me the luxury of a few days to complete - instead the test time was shaved down to a few hours. Timed tests, I discovered, are not my fortay.
When I finished school, I merrily waved goodbye to tests and figured this was a final farewell. I was wrong. My new job required me to take a timed-test. My stomach did twist into a few knots when I received the news and unease settled into my stomach when I heard the test needed to be completed in a certain amount of time. "The SAT and ACT have returned to haunt me," I thought as I sat down to start the test.
My disdain and prejudice toward test-taking were questioned that day. The exam wasn't bad - especailly since it was generous enough to be open-book. Still, when I was finished and I waited for my score, it was as though I had transported back to my high school classroom, waiting for the teacher to return a graded test. I felt nervous and anxious. I was dying to see how I did and extremely reluctant to see my score at the same time.
I learned a few things from this particular exam but one piece of wisdom I picked up was you can throw your nose in the air and pretend certain things are insignificant but the truth is there will always be a time when your skills and your wits will be put to the test.
Comments
Post a Comment