CBEST/ORELA --- Cross your fingers!

Well... it's all done! Talk about a long day!!!

I fell asleep at 4am, woke up 6am, flooded the bathroom at 7am, Colleen picked me up at 7:10am, and I ate breakfast in the backseat of her car on the way there.... See what I mean!!!!!!

We got to UP at 7:30, and I went inside, checked in, and handed over my cell phone (yep, we had to "check" them in and leave them downstairs). At 8:00, the doors opened to our testing room (there were 20 testing rooms, 25 people per room). We sat down, checked in with the Proctor, got fingerprint ID'ed... and weren't allowed to leave the room from that moment until ALL directions were given. We were only allowed to have our ID, pencils, eraser, test booklet and answer booklet out (not bad if the desk had been bigger than 7"x7"). The first test I had was the CBEST (the easier of the two, per the practice tests). We got started at 9:00 and I was done by around 11:30. Piece of cake, although I'm not saying that on the record until I get the results back. The CBEST, as I said before, is general knowledge one would learn in K-12... but it's more broad and basic math, reading and writing. Pretty simple!

I spent the next hour and half in the student union eating lunch (and staying warm). All I can say is holy crap!!! UP is a private Catholic University. I'm thinking that is what it must be like at BYU... nice, neat, clean, new, landscaped, upgraded, etc... NOTHING LIKE PSU!!! I mean come on... Flat Screen TV in the cafeteria... we don't even have a TV in ours. Couches and lounge chairs in the lounge... we have the floor, and some hard benches... AND they have a fireplace in their student store... Now come on??? Seriously?!?!

Ok, back to the tests. At 1:00, we checked in for the ORELA. Same rules applied, but had a much more laid back Proctor (AKA: she actually smiled). Also, I was in a different room, with MUCH larger desks (tables to be more accurate). We got started at 2, and had till 6. So, how did I do? Let's just put it this way... if I pass this on the first try, it'll be an act of divine intervention! This was also knowledge aquired in K-12... but it's MUCH more specific. Instead of broad knowledge in reading/writing, the ORELA includes chemistry, astronomy, physical science, geometry, shakespeare, poetry, writing styles, art, music, PE, health, American/European/World/State history, government, economics... you name it... it was there!!! It was practically impossible to study for a test like this. It's just too much information and just too broad of subject matter. I'm using this first try as a practice test. Now I know I need to brush up on government, systems in the body, Civil War, Oregon State Geography, writing styles, and scientific theories. Crazy, huh!!!! The one plus is that the ORELA is split into 2 subtests: Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Art AND Math, Science, PE, Health. If I pass one subtest, and not the other... I only have to retake the one that I didn't pass. So... that leaves me a little hope out!!!!

So, results on the CBEST come back on October 22nd.... and the ORELA comes back on November 1st. If I don't pass either/both of them, then I have one more time to retake them in order to get the results back in time for my graduate school application due date. I'm hoping I at least pass one... if not both this first time, because if I don't, the pressure will really be on for the next time (and the timing couldn't be worse... the retake is immediately before finals week). Oh well... maybe I'll do better than I think I did!

Keep those fingers crossed, and keep me in your prayers... I REALLY need them!!!