Better Late Than Never

This may seem really trivial to some people, but it’s a huge step and accomplishment for me.

23.5 years after graduating high school (a year early, I might add), I finally worked up the courage to take the TSI Placement Test. Yes, you read that correctly. TSI. After all these years, I finally, finally did it!!

You have no idea how badly that stupid test held me back. I never started actual college (I only attended Kaplan College, which was one of those private trade schools) because I raised the babies and then I felt like I had completely forgotten all the math I’d ever learned in my life and I was afraid to fail. I considered starting school numerous times throughout the years, but that test always stopped me in my tracks. Thanks to encouragement from my kiddos, Sally, coworkers and one very special man: I was able to set my pride and fears aside and started studying math. I literally had to relearn everything since pre-algebra. I reached out to Sally and she put me in touch with an advisor and I started studying in October.

The irony was that I had already started studying last year, in October as well, and then I broke my foot and put everything on hold. Again. The last time before that that I was going to start was in 2019, right before they put me on antidepressants that were all wrong for me and caused me to feel even more lethargic.

I digress. So I studied and set the goal to test in late November, early December. I took several practice tests online and bombed every single one. But I had already asked my advisor and he said as long as I made the attempt to take the exams, even if I failed, then I would take remedial courses and can start college. So no matter what, I was going to take it. I scheduled the test for December 3rd and there was no going back.

I studied as much as time allowed and I even studied in the morning, before the test. I made my coffee and my keto waffles and I was good to go.

They told me to set aside 9 hours for the exam, but everyone told me it wouldn’t take that long. I really wasn’t sure what to expect.

It was nerve wracking, setting everything up. Since I was taking an online test, I had a proctor watching me the entire time. I had to take a 360 degree scan of my bedroom, count the blank sheets of paper I’d be using and presented the front and back to the proctor and then counted them at the end, showing them to the proctor and ripping the used ones up.

Then, leave it to Alaethia to barge in and she was a deer in headlights when I asked her what she needed for. The proctor was NOT happy. She made me do the entire room scan again.

Needless to say, since I studied algebra the most I did great in that. But I still managed to get a 938, when passing is 945-990. The reading/writing part was so much easier. But I got it over and done with. It was such a relief. I immediately sent the screenshot to my advisor and hopefully he’ll get back to me about what the next steps are. If everything goes well, I’ll start school in January!