It’s something of a long story (what of my stories AREN’T long, though?), but I took a practice SAT test last Friday, and I found out today I got exactly the same math score I got as a high school junior.
I take this both as an achievement — I haven’t regressed! — and a failure. Namely, I was meant to score in the 95th percentile, and I sadly didn’t quite make it. The only consolation? My verbal score was dramatically improved… but probably only because the SAT people have eliminated the analogies and antonyms sections.
Anyway, this all came about because I am applying for a job with a major test prep company as a test-prep tutor (think: SAT, ACT, etc.). They require their tutors to have 95th-percentile scores in order to qualify for the job, and those scores must be < 5 years old. Mine are 10+ years old, so I had to retake the test. Thankfully, for free -- and it wasn't even (really) timed. I had less than 24 hours to prepare, and given how much geometry and algebra I’d forgotten, I think my math score was pretty remarkable. They haven’t given up on me yet, though; I’m going to take the ACT (whose butt I repeatedly kicked in high school) to see if that one turns out better. I have every confidence it will, and hopefully by the end of the week I’ll be a confirmed new tutor with said test prep company, ready for training in early July. In other news, I AM SWAMPED with reading for school. I know this doesn’t sound earth-shattering to you all, faithful blog readers, as you have listened to me complain about the enormous amount of reading I’ve had to do in the past. However, it’s summertime, dammit, and I was really hoping for a lighter load. Granted, I’m not in class nearly as much or as often nowadays, but my reading load is probably greater this summer than it’s been any of the two previous semesters at UTD, and that’s mostly because I’m finally working on stuff that is in my “major” field and also designed to help me narrow down dissertation topics. I’m enjoying the stuff, don’t get me wrong, I’m just quickly become extremely worried and — yes, I’ll admit it — stressed out about how I’m going to get all this crap done in < 1 month. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! There. I feel better. 🙂