adventures in testing
Mar. 15th, 2009 08:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ontologyIt seems that I have sorely underestimated the sheer level of my separation from normal teenage culture.
The SATs were... strange. In a number of ways. One of the strange things was that I kind of enjoyed the experience -- getting up early, though contrary to my nature, tends to energise me? Maybe it's the morning shot of caffeine; although it is nice to get up and have so much day ahead of you. And the sunrise! The pale dawn with clouds blooming like roses over the highway! It's very lovely -- and strange, as I never see it. I get up before the sun for a) Christmas, and b) early-start roadtrips (on which I promptly return to my sleeping). And the SATs, I suppose. Dad was working in Brookville, so he dropped me at the high-school where the testing was being held. I'm always curious about public schools, because of course I've never really been to them -- a few times I've gone to pick someone up for something, I think? when I was little?, and I've been to a church or two held in schools, and the occasional event, and I spent one day shadowing the daughter of people I was staying with for one day of high-school, but otherwise, I know about public schools from books and films, sort of like romance, England, and the 1960s. The testing was in the cafeteria, half of which was very welcoming, because one whole wall was window, but the rest was utterly dreary, made of those ugly white plaster bricks that seem only to exist in public schools and dreary '60s and '70s churches. It was lovely to be able to look outside, though, even if it was only the parking lot and the highway and a few stragglinwg trees -- but sky, too! And natural light, which made up for the flourescent lights.
I had dressed partially for comfort, but mostly for confidence -- pretty clothes (and shoes with heels that go click) tend to make me feel a little more alert, sit up a little straighter, feel a little better about what I'm doing. And... when I wear my brightly-coloured cotton gypsy dress, with beads sewn to the front panel, and my striped stockings, and my sleek black granny boots, and my ankle-length orange sweater-coat, and my cameo necklace and peacock-feather earrings to work, or while wandering about downtown, I look a little eccentric, but not... wacky? I might stand out a bit, but not like... I don't know, a cat at the beach. But once in the high-school, surrounded by my age-mates, I discovered that not only was I the only girl wearing a skirt or dress at all, I was also the only girl not wearing a sweatshirt of some kind. I was also in the minority in having brushed my hair before coming, apparently. (I'm not even a morning person!) And then I felt really weird, because the sheer not-like-anybody-else-ness of my appearance must have made me seem very unapproachable, and that combined with my terminal shyness might have made people think I was a bit of a snob. I smiled at everybody, though! I like smiling at people! It's the bit where I make words with my mouth that I can't quite get right! (To quote Willow, "Usually I can make a few vowel sounds... and then I have to go away.")
(Seriously, though. I expected to see someone wearing something that wasn't depressing, unnattractive grunge-wear. Teenage girls are supposed to be obsessed with their appearances! It doesn't take long to put on something attractive! What about a cute t-shirt and jeans and a pair of Converses or pretty flats? I just... don't understand. Wouldn't you feel better and more confident if you presented yourself in an alert, attractive ways?)
And then to cement my status as Geeky Madwoman, I found that I sort of enjoyed the test. Sort of. There's something very pleasing and orderly about answering questions and putting pieces together and making everything right. The mathematics section wasn't quite so fun, but it was sort of satisfying, I suppose, although I skipped a lot of questions I couldn't answer -- in contrast, I didn't skip a single one of the English questions, finished every section with time to spare, and am ninety-eight percent certain that I answered everything correctly. (I'm not being cocky, either. They really weren't very difficult. And also enjoyable and relaxing. I wish I had a website of "choose the most fitting pair of words" problems, and "find the grammar mistake" problems; there's a nice steady rhythm, so it's relaxing and stimulating at the same time.)
The essay I am nervous about, but reasonably satisfied, given my track record with flash essays (which is not so great). I managed to cite about three things from my 'reading, experiences, studies, et cetera', and I think my position was reasonably supported and established, and I took perhaps a different angle on the prompt than a lot of other people might.
It was four hours, and by the end I was very sore, and ravenous, but very awake (...well, I was then), and very intellectually stimulated; it was sort of like the mental equivalent of bicycling to work. Strenuous, but sharpening. I really wasn't expecting that. I also wasn't expecting my successful concentration; my mind rarely drifted very far when I was meant to be answering problems, and I was able to force myself to think things through that tend to make me panic. (I... forgot my calculator. But I managed surprisingly well without it, and am sort of pleased at my mental math abilities.)
And then Mum came to collect me, with the entire set of siblings in tow, and we acquired KFC on the way home. And I rewarded myself with Dollhouse. A few hours later, sleep overwhelmed me rather abruptly.
Now to wait for scores. :/
The SATs were... strange. In a number of ways. One of the strange things was that I kind of enjoyed the experience -- getting up early, though contrary to my nature, tends to energise me? Maybe it's the morning shot of caffeine; although it is nice to get up and have so much day ahead of you. And the sunrise! The pale dawn with clouds blooming like roses over the highway! It's very lovely -- and strange, as I never see it. I get up before the sun for a) Christmas, and b) early-start roadtrips (on which I promptly return to my sleeping). And the SATs, I suppose. Dad was working in Brookville, so he dropped me at the high-school where the testing was being held. I'm always curious about public schools, because of course I've never really been to them -- a few times I've gone to pick someone up for something, I think? when I was little?, and I've been to a church or two held in schools, and the occasional event, and I spent one day shadowing the daughter of people I was staying with for one day of high-school, but otherwise, I know about public schools from books and films, sort of like romance, England, and the 1960s. The testing was in the cafeteria, half of which was very welcoming, because one whole wall was window, but the rest was utterly dreary, made of those ugly white plaster bricks that seem only to exist in public schools and dreary '60s and '70s churches. It was lovely to be able to look outside, though, even if it was only the parking lot and the highway and a few stragglinwg trees -- but sky, too! And natural light, which made up for the flourescent lights.
I had dressed partially for comfort, but mostly for confidence -- pretty clothes (and shoes with heels that go click) tend to make me feel a little more alert, sit up a little straighter, feel a little better about what I'm doing. And... when I wear my brightly-coloured cotton gypsy dress, with beads sewn to the front panel, and my striped stockings, and my sleek black granny boots, and my ankle-length orange sweater-coat, and my cameo necklace and peacock-feather earrings to work, or while wandering about downtown, I look a little eccentric, but not... wacky? I might stand out a bit, but not like... I don't know, a cat at the beach. But once in the high-school, surrounded by my age-mates, I discovered that not only was I the only girl wearing a skirt or dress at all, I was also the only girl not wearing a sweatshirt of some kind. I was also in the minority in having brushed my hair before coming, apparently. (I'm not even a morning person!) And then I felt really weird, because the sheer not-like-anybody-else-ness of my appearance must have made me seem very unapproachable, and that combined with my terminal shyness might have made people think I was a bit of a snob. I smiled at everybody, though! I like smiling at people! It's the bit where I make words with my mouth that I can't quite get right! (To quote Willow, "Usually I can make a few vowel sounds... and then I have to go away.")
(Seriously, though. I expected to see someone wearing something that wasn't depressing, unnattractive grunge-wear. Teenage girls are supposed to be obsessed with their appearances! It doesn't take long to put on something attractive! What about a cute t-shirt and jeans and a pair of Converses or pretty flats? I just... don't understand. Wouldn't you feel better and more confident if you presented yourself in an alert, attractive ways?)
And then to cement my status as Geeky Madwoman, I found that I sort of enjoyed the test. Sort of. There's something very pleasing and orderly about answering questions and putting pieces together and making everything right. The mathematics section wasn't quite so fun, but it was sort of satisfying, I suppose, although I skipped a lot of questions I couldn't answer -- in contrast, I didn't skip a single one of the English questions, finished every section with time to spare, and am ninety-eight percent certain that I answered everything correctly. (I'm not being cocky, either. They really weren't very difficult. And also enjoyable and relaxing. I wish I had a website of "choose the most fitting pair of words" problems, and "find the grammar mistake" problems; there's a nice steady rhythm, so it's relaxing and stimulating at the same time.)
The essay I am nervous about, but reasonably satisfied, given my track record with flash essays (which is not so great). I managed to cite about three things from my 'reading, experiences, studies, et cetera', and I think my position was reasonably supported and established, and I took perhaps a different angle on the prompt than a lot of other people might.
It was four hours, and by the end I was very sore, and ravenous, but very awake (...well, I was then), and very intellectually stimulated; it was sort of like the mental equivalent of bicycling to work. Strenuous, but sharpening. I really wasn't expecting that. I also wasn't expecting my successful concentration; my mind rarely drifted very far when I was meant to be answering problems, and I was able to force myself to think things through that tend to make me panic. (I... forgot my calculator. But I managed surprisingly well without it, and am sort of pleased at my mental math abilities.)
And then Mum came to collect me, with the entire set of siblings in tow, and we acquired KFC on the way home. And I rewarded myself with Dollhouse. A few hours later, sleep overwhelmed me rather abruptly.
Now to wait for scores. :/
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 01:37 am (UTC)*tosses confetti, plays "Hail the conquering hero comes" on a jew's-harp*
*wonders if that is the politically correct name these days*
(Oh, and by the way: this whole post? = why you are awesome.
but otherwise, I know about public schools from books and films, sort of like romance, England, and the 1960s
heee. I golled. (giggled out loud ;-)
Wouldn't you feel better and more confident if you presented yourself in an alert, attractive ways?
Exactly. This is precisely my point about why sub fusc helps with exams. Well, precisely one of my many points about why sub fusc helps with exams, at any rate.)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 02:31 am (UTC)I think that most people don't bother to dress up for exams any more just because there are so many of them. I've had exam period before where you're essentially sitting in a chair for six hours a day, five days a week, and that tends to make you not even want to shower when you get up in the mornings, never mind dress up nicely.
I agree that there's something in that "dress for success" saying, though. Was no one wearing anything half-decent?! I apologise on behalf of the whole public school population for this awful misrepresentation. :(
Yay yesterday's Dollhouse! I dislike Eliza Dushku but I found her okay in yesterday's episode, & several other characters are starting to approach awesome.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 04:56 am (UTC)mmm. i visited my friend at princeton last weekend, and realized that over this last year—in which i've been working, rather than going to school—my wardrobe's diverged dramatically from that of my peers. (i had on a fun cream-and-red patterned sundress, albeit with boots & a sweater over to make it more winter-y, and between the dress and the color...)
I expected to see someone wearing something that wasn't depressing, unattractive grunge-wear
i think if you'd been there on a normal school day, your expectations might have been met a little bit better: as i recall, comfort clothing is a pretty common response to standardized testing. i think the theory is that it'll help alleviate the pain. ;)
(for the record, i tend to be more of your mind: but then i'm a bit of an oddball myself.)
I didn't skip a single one of the English questions, finished every section with time to spare, and am ninety-eight percent certain that I answered everything correctly. (I'm not being cocky, either. They really weren't very difficult.
yeah, that was pretty much how i felt, so i think i can safely say you'll do damn well. (which i suppose is a little cocky on my part—but hey, i didn't get grades in hs, i'm pretty attached to the one quantitative assessment i can parade! *g*)
so yeah, congratulations—and now forget about it, if you can! i know that's a little like telling you to ignore the elephant in the room, but it's really the only thing you can do to make the months go faster. (mine came out almost a month late, as i recall, because they wanted to double-check them after some fuss about wrongly scored ones. i thought i was going to die.)
in conclusion, you are awesome. ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-03-21 01:25 am (UTC)(Of course, I also find towering heels not unpleasant...)
I am panicking, through, because I mixed up Timothy Geithner with Bernard Madoff in my essay! and I feel really stupid. If only I'd been able to look things up at all I wouldn't have made such a silly mistake! *facepallllllm*
no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 05:52 am (UTC)Waking up earlyish is a Very Good Habit, btw. In your case, I would recommend it with particular strength. Such little disciplines strengthen the mind and improve general contentment and outlook on life.
And good luck on your SATs. I'm confident you did well, if you prepared as hard as you seemed to be. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 12:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 01:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 02:07 pm (UTC)Boo waiting. Hope time passes quickly for you. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-21 01:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 11:20 pm (UTC)And I'm certain you did well...being prepared is half the battle :)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-17 02:21 am (UTC)I actually would like to propose a collaboration on a mix I want to work on, one only you would appreciate: Wings of Desire. I have the initial cover-art idea, and ONE song (http://www.mediafire.com/?zl4mfhnzymu) and one alone for the tracklist (but this one song, the Craig Armstrong remix of "Stay!" is worth an entire mix). I'd love to pick your brain, because you have the loveliest music taste!
no subject
Date: 2009-03-17 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 03:40 am (UTC)I have another song that might work, "Sir Real" by The Hermit. I'll have an upload for you soon so you can have a listen and tell me what you think.
I love the idea of classical pieces in there. Very appropriate. What Vienna Teng song did you have in mind?
no subject
Date: 2009-03-19 03:30 am (UTC)I had a thought this evening -- perhaps we could split the mix into either two or three parts? Because the film sort of organically separates itself into several parts anyway, and perhaps that way we can explore the themes better? Originally I thought two parts -- the first part being more abstract songs exploring city-ness and the thoughts and imaginations and little stories of people, maybe stream-of-consciousness? -- I'm not sure what songs, yet, but possibly something like Vienna Teng's 'Love Turns 40'... or 'Decade and One'... Richard Shindell's 'Confession' just came to mind as an inner-thoughts-of-ordinary-people song; I'll have to upload it. And then another part would be Damiel falling in love with Marion, of course, and perhaps another part for becoming human, or those two might combine well -- but perhaps we oughtn't leave out poor Cassiel? Hmm. This might be coming out too complicated, but it's intriguing, anyway. Thoughts, ideas?
no subject
Date: 2009-03-19 03:40 am (UTC)I had my mp3 player on shuffle today, and "Nothing Without You" came on, and I thought, THAT'S IT, but I'm open to your suggestion!
Anyway, here is "Sir Real" by The Hermit (). I did a desperate Google search for the lyrics and came up dry, so I did my best to decipher them as much as I could:
When you find yourself
You're not even there
Your presence is outside
Your voices seem to glide
It's alright
It's alright
When your life takes flight
From water into light
You want to show your face
And enter into space
It's alright
It's alright
?
?
Now I see your face
What a boy, I say
This moment is surreal
This moment is for real
It's alright
It's alright
?
?
I will get back to you on the question marked parts.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-22 04:40 pm (UTC)When you find yourself
You’re not even there
Your presence is outside
Voices seem to fly
It’s alright
It’s alright
When your life takes flight
From water into light
You want to show your face
And enter into space
It’s alright
It’s alright
It’s a boy
He’s the bomb
Now I see your face
What a boy I say
This moment is surreal
This moment is for real
It’s alright
It’s alright
It’s a boy
He’s the bomb
Your thoughts? You're probably in class right now....
no subject
Date: 2009-03-17 03:35 am (UTC)/completely unsolicited rambling
But yay you! Here's to your scores arriving quickly.