I laugh in the face of 'danger'! Hahahaha!

"The count down begins at zero..."

That's right my friends, the State Board countdown has ended. Last Saturday, 11/13, I woke up earlier than my normal Saturday earliness and ventured to UHart with my mother. There I met with the 100 other cosmetology students waiting to take the boards. We were the first wave of Board takers that day, waiting for 8:00 to come so we could start. I wasn't really nervous that morning, more excited, and anxious for it to be over. Most of my nerves came out the day before when I pretty much had a breakdown in my theory room and was told to put all my flashcards and study papers away and just relax.

Of course sleep was really just a bad joke. It's not like I really thought of the test I would be taking the next morning. Actually, I was thinking of cutting techniques and color designs and people I could do them on...which was random.

I was pleased to find that not only was I joined by 4 other students from IIC, but 2 or 3 from our plainville branch. Seeing familiar faces puts me in a calmer place. At 8:00 we all sat down and waited for the last few stragglers to find their way in. At about a quarter after we opened our booklets and started to fill in all the little bubbles.

My heart was racing as I examined what I was facing, random facts and questions running through my brain as I tried to remember all my studying from the past 6 weeks. I looked down at the first two pages, each page had only four questions each. Ok, that's not too overwhelming. I read the first question and a smile appeared on my face. I know that!!!

I continued on through the test pausing for only two or three of the questions. Before we had started, one of the proctors had explained how the test was to be filled out, how it was graded, yada-yada-yada. The same sort of spiel that they give before any sort of multiple choice test. They had explained that we had two whole hours to finish, and they would set a timer to go off every hour. "By the time the first alarm rings, you should be on at least question 44. This way you are about half way done."

'Hurried' isn't the word I would use to describe my pace. I made it through the questions very quickly, not rushing. I was able to read the question and have the answer already in my head before I looked at my options. A grin graced my face all throughout the period I was there, a few chuckles even escaped my lips -the proctors probably thought I was crazy, or on drugs...

I had made it to question #1o1 and glanced at my neighbor sitting to the right of me, some dude I'd never seen before. There he sat, leaning over his test, clenching his pencil....staring...

My eyes followed his unwavering gaze, right to question #45.

I looked back at my test.

102.

103.

104...

105.

SEE YA DUDE!

I glanced quickly at all my little bubbles, making sure I had filled them all in, got up and brought my sheets to the front of the room where I handed them in and signed out. I was done!!! and before the first timer went off, before 9:00. I walked out of the room, smiling that I was the third one finished, but only by a minute or two.

The next hour was spent finding our way back to school...we got lost in Hartford...all parts. Then got stuck in the drivethru in a DD just down the road from my school...

My teachers laughed at me when I told them how simple the test had been. "I don't know why I was so worried yesterday!" They know I'm OCD about tests.

Now I wait. I've been told that the results should come on Tuesday or Wednesday. DUNDUNdun...