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This was it; final exam time. My nerves were on edge.
“The test will begin the minute you access the exam link. Remember it is a timed-test. You must complete the entire exam. You may reference your textbook and notes. Don’t forget to submit the required course work exercises along with your written exam. Good Luck!”
I could almost see the instructor staring at me; hear the heels of her shoes as she walked around the room. Except this was a virtual course, taken online. My first time at such an experience.
For those who have done this before, maybe it comes easier with experience. I found it difficult to pay attention to online lectures, with my mind drifting to a million other things.
Like, “Why is she wearing that dress; it’s sort of formal?” and “What kind of plant is that in the background?”
Now it was the “Final Frontier”; the exam. I began sweating profusely. My throat was dry; my hand shook as I clicked “Begin” on my computer.
Not sure why this test was giving me the heebie-jeebies.
Let’s see: could it be that it’s been years since I’ve taken a test? That this is the FIRST and ONLY test for the course? That my 3-ring binder with the course materials measured 4” thick?
Did I mention that there were close to 100 questions, all of them essay or short answer?
Augh! The pressure!
Panic set in as a read the first question and tried to answer it without referring to the text.
Like a stubborn toddler I kept thinking, “I can do this myself”.
It only took a few minutes for me to see the beauty of referencing the text and I was off and running. Suddenly I relaxed and it was like I was back in college doing what I have always succeeded at: taking classes and passing exams. Learning.
Yes, I enjoy taking classes and learning new things. Once I get the hang of it, I don’t even mind the testing. Well, I’d rather not but it comes with the territory.
I’m not gonna lie; the exam was intense. It took several full days to complete, and another to review my answers.
I returned my exam and the required course work before the deadline, confident in my answers.
Like I said, it had been years since I had taken an exam, much less taken a course. This was long-overdue. My guess is that it’s been a long time since many of you have taken a course to learn something new.
How many of us stop learning when we leave school? How many excuses do we have?
- “I’m too busy with work”
- “It costs money to take classes”
- “I’ve already learned what I need to know”
- “If the company wants me to learn something, they can provide training”
- “I’M TOO OLD”
We should never stop learning. Why limit ourselves? Learning is good for our brains; it’s stimulating; it can add credentials to our resume. If we attend classes at a local college we might even meet new people to add to our network.
In my case, I wanted to get formal training in a new discipline and earn the necessary credentials.
Did I pass the exam? Keep your fingers crossed. We’ll soon find out, won’t we?
Like Tami, I was terminated once (By my best friend, BTW – he is now on the board of the agency I lead, so I got him back – ha!), but you don’t have to be unemployed to learn something from this book. 
