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rethinking resolutions: june and july (and a five year flashback)

Posted on June 3, 2014June 10, 2014 by thirdstoryies

We’re a couple of days into a new month and I should probably talk a little about my goal for this month. Brace yourself, it’s not very thrilling. 

I’m actually combining June and July together because the next six weeks are going to be a bit of a blur. I’ve long, long, long procrastinated on taking some professional exams because I got married, gutted a house, had a kid, hung out with the kid, had another kid, and hung out with her as well. I’m not saying it wasn’t possible to take the tests while juggling any of those other things – it just wasn’t my choice. When the girls were little, I worked and they went to daycare. When the end of the workday came around, it was our time – not study time. Same thing for the weekends, which are particularly important to me because of the amount of time I spend at work during the week.

But we’re just a few weeks away from writing out that final daycare check (can you hear the heavenly chorus singing?), my family still needs me but can spare me for awhile occasionally, and quite frankly, I’m veering towards forty at a rapid pace these days, and goshdarnit, I’m going to finish this before that day.There are seven exams and they are fairly intense, all-day events (anything over five hours in a testing center cubicle qualifies as all-day to me). I’m planning a very condensed run at them all, partly because I’m sick of procrastinating, and partly because I know myself well enough to realize that if I give myself a month to study, I’ll really just buckle down during that final week.

I’m essentially tackling one every two weeks or so for the next six weeks, then I’ll crash on a tropical beach somewhere to recover. I plan to take off the month of August to recover a bit around the house and help the girls transition (both of them) to new schools. And then I’ll be back at it – taking the other four in two week increments if the test scheduling all aligns. If I have to slide a bit into November I will, but I want to be done by the middle of the month, catch my breath, and relax through the holidays.
If I fail any of them, I won’t be able to take those sections again for six months – you know, right around my fortieth birthday. So I’m not planning on failing them, and that seems like birthday present enough for me.

This means that third story(ies) posting is going to be a little light, I’m afraid. I’ll still try to pop in a few times a week, but probably no more than that. Hopefully some of those posts will include some bold texted “I PASSED!” notes. The last major exam I took was the LEED exam, exactly five years ago – and I looked like THIS:

090605_1
Four hour exam, eight months pregnant, sixteen bathroom breaks, and one severe case of pregnancy brain and I still passed it. Let’s hope that bowling ball underneath my shirt wasn’t my only good luck charm in the arsenal.

How I want to feel at the end of July? Accomplished, confident (as I wait for the mail), and relaxed (by the ocean). I can do this. Wish me luck.

(Lay it on me, what was the hardest test you ever took?)

14 thoughts on “rethinking resolutions: june and july (and a five year flashback)”

  1. Laura says:
    June 3, 2014 at 8:36 pm

    Professional engineering exam 8 months pregnant. I clearly remember everyone watching me walk out of the room when I took my bathroom breaks. Hubby and 1st born picked me up at the end and we had to wait an hour for one pizza because they had a to go order of 22 pizzas in front of us. A very memorable day to say the least. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Kristin says:
      June 3, 2014 at 10:25 pm

      Then we are officially members of the same club. (Crazy pregnant lady testers.) I remember being ravenous when I was done, and I went down the street and ordered a sandwich which tasted divine, and two people told me I was the cutest pregnant lady ever. After that day, the only comments I got were “oh, honey, you look ready.”

      Reply
      1. LAURA L says:
        June 6, 2014 at 7:03 am

        I’m part o the crazy pregnant testers, too! For some reason, I decided to gear up for the tests when I found out I was pregnant with Audrey. Did a 3-full-day structures prep session in my first trimester – sick and completely overwhelmed. I did a few of my tests on maternity leave in a sleep-deprived state. Not sure how I ever passed them.

        Reply
  2. Laura says:
    June 3, 2014 at 8:40 pm

    P.S. Good luck on your tests.

    Reply
  3. Catherine says:
    June 3, 2014 at 8:51 pm

    The NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualification) exam was the hardest and most stressful test I’ve ever taken. When I got that envelope in the mail that said I passed was like a weight lifted!

    Good luck!

    Reply
    1. Kristin says:
      June 3, 2014 at 10:28 pm

      Waiting for the mail is going to be tough. The LEED exam tells you right away. So you sit there at the final screen and try to get the nerve up to hit the DONE button and they flash up PASS or FAIL right there. I watched two people leave in tears. It was awful. But at least I didn’t have to wait.

      Reply
  4. Brooke says:
    June 3, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    You look super cute pregnant! Cute round bowling ball. I wore a green shirt today and totally looked like a watermelon. Wishing you lots of luck on these exams. If you ever want study company at a coffee shop, let me know.
    Brooke recently posted…23 Months & Party PlanningMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Kristin says:
      June 3, 2014 at 10:29 pm

      Hey thanks. I might take you up on that. You know all the good spots.

      Reply
  5. sue j. says:
    June 5, 2014 at 7:25 am

    I have no doubt you will crush it. Good luck!

    Reply
  6. Becky says:
    June 5, 2014 at 6:58 pm

    OMG that is the cutest bump selfie…love it!!! And while I cannot even imagine going back to school or studying for a test (or 7), I’m sure you will knock them all out of the park!!
    Becky recently posted…What’s New in Trimester TwoMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Pam Hipp says:
    June 10, 2014 at 11:56 am

    This is belated, but GOOD LUCK with the exams…and with the prep leading up to it! You can do it!
    Pam Hipp recently posted…ADOPT Quilt No. 04My Profile

    Reply
  8. liz says:
    June 13, 2014 at 11:46 am

    Also belated, but good luck with all the exams! I haven’t taken a professional exam pregnant… wowzers! The most difficult exam I took would have to be the Lighting Certification (LC) Exam… I’m actually thinking of doing the LEED thing… but alas, it’s been 8 years since the last time I had to study for anything, and I fear that I wouldn’t know how to study any more. Two kids later… my brain just doesn’t work the same way. I give you MAJOR kudos for doing this now, post-kids! 🙂 Best of Luck!
    liz recently posted…Gavin’s 2nd Birthday Party!My Profile

    Reply
  9. Sara says:
    June 25, 2014 at 4:51 pm

    Just catching up with your blog now (whew, start of summer caught me offguard!) and I’m cheering you on from Chicago! I took my CTFA (Certified Trust and Financial Advisor) exam in January and it was SO HARD. Testing as an adult is no joke. But I passed and got to add a few professional letters behind my last name.

    YOU CAN DO IT!

    Reply
    1. Kristin says:
      June 26, 2014 at 9:17 am

      I remember when you were studying and testing. Thanks for the pep talk. I’m a walking zombie today and wondering if I made the right choice on scheduling these back to back.

      Reply

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