The Accidental Test

I just finished taking my first exam for my Economics class.  I took it entirely by accident and wasn't at all prepared!  I was checking my blackboard class site to see if the test needed to be taken at the testing center or at home when I accidentally clicked on the "begin assessment" button. The exam window popped up and there was no turning back.  I had one hour and if I closed the window I wouldn't be able to take the exam again.  I would be lying if I didn't say that a little part of me freaked out just a bit. 
And, of course, when I'm about half way through, the kids start arguing with each other in the other room.  It got to the point where I knew I had to intervene.  So, my kiddos spent the remainder of my test in time out. 
The test was mostly true or false questions with a few essay questions at the end.  I ended up with a grade of 88% on the portion that has been graded.  Not bad for not even having read the last chapter.  The test was closed book, which I honored.  Sometimes it can be very tempting to just open that textbook when these tests are at home.  Especially when you didn't mean to take the test.  I guess I'll have to be more careful about my clicking from here on out. 

Pulled Apart

Lately I feel like I'm being pulled in so many different directions all at once. With school, I have a midterm this week, two exams next week, and a major project due next Friday. At home, I've got all the usual responsibilities such as laundry, meals, cleaning, entertaining the kids, grocery shopping, paying the bills, etc.  Then I also have church responsibilities.  I was asked to speak in sacrament meeting this Sunday.  I'm on the Relief Society activities committee and we're trying to plan an event that will take place in a couple weeks.  I have cub scouts every week. This week we have our pinewood derby which I have to make a few dozen cookies for and then be there all Saturday morning for the event.  We're also planning our blue and gold banquet which is coming up in  two weeks. I did co-op at my daughter's preschool this morning.  I just feel exhausted. I have way too much going on and I'm not the type of person who can just cut something out or do a barely passing job on one thing so that I can get everything else done.
Some days I wonder if adding school into the mix of everything I already have going on was a good idea. It's become such a give and take, such a balancing act.  It really wears me out sometimes. Like today.  There are dishes in the sink, there's clutter on my kitchen table, clean laundry waiting to be folded, children asking for a snack, dinner to be made, textbooks to be read, and a statistics midterm to take this afternoon and all I want to do is curl up into a ball in my bed and take a nap.  If only I could.

Exam #1 at the Testing Center

All of my classes this semester are requiring exams to be proctored.  Luckily, USU has an education center in Salt Lake City.  They do distance education classes there and have a testing center.  Last Friday I took my first exam of the semester.  It was for my adult development and aging class. 
I've always been a fast test taker.  If I don't know the answer,then I don't know the answer.  I'm not one to sit and stew over it thinking I'll figure it out.  This test was mostly multiple choice with a few short answer questions thrown in.  I had studied the exam guide the professor had given us and felt pretty ready.
I was allotted 2 hours to take the exam.  I was in and out in about 20 minutes.  I felt pretty good about most of it, but was pretty sure I'd gotten my eye diseases mixed up.  The lady running the testing center was surprised I was done so soon and gave me a sort of "there's no way you finished that fast and did well" kind of a look. 
I got my score yesterday.  Can you say 96%?!  Sorry, but I'm a little excited.  Taking such a long break from school really put some doubts into my head about how well I would do.  So that 96% just made my day and gave me the nudge that I needed to keep moving forward.  I guess being a mommy hasn't sucked out ALL my brain cells yet.  It just goes to show that you can store all the lyrics to several Backyardigans episodes and knowledge about the biopsychosocial perspective on aging in the same brain. 

Too Much?

I woke up this morning feeling overwhelmed.  Actually I spent most of last night not sleeping because I was feeling overwhelmed and couldn't get my brain to just shut up and let me sleep.  It's only about a month into the semester and it seems like eternity!  I think that taking three classes was not a good idea.  I'm doing well in my classes, keeping up with the work and pulling good grades on everything, but I feel like it's totally consuming  my life.  I spend most of my days reading textbooks, watching lectures, or doing assignments.  I feel like a total slacker in the cooking and cleaning department.  I haven't been doing much real cooking lately and it took me a week to fold three loads of laundry and get them put away. 
I keep telling myself to take it one day at a time, but some days it's just hard to put all the daunting thoughts of how much needs to be done in the back of my head instead of in the front. 
Maybe next semester I should just stick to two classes.  Although, I did the math, and if I do three classes per semester I could be done in three more semesters.  Whereas if I only do two, it will take four or five.  I guess I'll see how the rest of this semester plays out.  I'm just not sure if finishing a couple semesters sooner is worth the stress and loss of sanity that I'm experiencing right now.