Career Step: Honors Graduate.

God is so good... and merciful.

Friday noon I got the email from the school. My grades are in: HONORS LEVEL

Here is the breakdown of the scoring per exam section:

Objective: 99%

Transcription: 93%

Editing: 94%

Combined Transcription and Editing scores: 93%

The combined score is the one they use to determine your graduation standing. A score of 95% would have been High Honors, so I missed it by 2%.

I immediately emailed both my training program contact and my potential job contact. If the job contact required higher scoring prior to hiring, I would not hesitate to try again. However, she told me she thought the scores were "great" and to not "retake the exam" on her account.

I was quite happy to reply to the school's email to let them know that I would not be retaking the exam. [This way they could go ahead and process my certificate of graduation, which should get to me in 2-3 weeks.]

Personally, Honors level seems to be a more than respectable place from which to launch a career (especially when simply graduating is in itself a hallmark for respect), and it would prevent me from having to go through the exam non-submission problems that we just dealt with. [That is a meat-grinder that I am grateful to avoid.] Furthermore, it would allow me to focus on getting job-ready for entering the workforce rather than delaying it another 2 weeks.

Many thanks for your prayers!

On a funny note, a relative sent me the following photo in Facebook and told me to tell people that the 2% was "occupying the fridge". I got a HUGE laugh out of it and loved the photo! [Here shown. Photo credit unknown.]

[Side note: As this photo pertains to the ongoing unrest calling itself "Occupy Wall Street," I will simply say two things: 1.) I believe that people have the right to keep/use/enjoy what they earn. 2.) I have NEVER gotten a paycheck from a poor person/company.]

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God bless & Godspeed

Done... again. Waiting again.

Well, it's done...hopefully.

Good news: I got the same questions, and all my answers were still there. [I did, however, verify each of them.]

Bad news: Internet Explorer 8 still would not allow the send-button to send the exam to the grading team.

Solution: The support person said that Firefox 3.6 "should" work (nothing newer)... (just like IE8 "should" work).
...
Luck: I had Firefox 3.6 on my computer from when I used it at my old workplace. I quit using it because it didn't function with some of the stuff I was using, and the school course said that IE8 would work. [Well, for everything but the Final Exam, it did.]

Good news: It seems to have worked. The support staff checked their viewers and they could see answers, where before there was nothing. At this point, I can do nothing further, but they told me they would call if any other issues arise. [I made a point of telling the lady that I answered all of the questions, so if any show no answer -- CALL ME.]
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At the same time, I just received a call from Mr. Squirrel. He passed his exam and is now a licensed bus driver! [Yippee!]

Unfortunately, the transportation director was not allowed to tell him if he got the job or not, so that call is still pending and still scheduled for some time today.

And so... we wait.

[See comments for updates.]

OK... so it's not done.

I never would have imagined it. At least, I am no longer in the grips of panic. I am no longer shaking like a leaf with the adrenaline-dump. My head hurts, but I've taken some Excedrin for it.  [I also ate some lunch, which ended up quite late because food did not sound like a good idea while dealing with the issues.]

Some 3 hours or so ago, I got an email from the school. Somehow, the Objective portion of my Final Exam has vanished.  Poof! Gone!

It was suggested by the school that I submitted the exam using Internet Explorer 9, which their system does not support. However, and I explained as much, I have Internet Explorer 8.  The larger mystery being, once they returned my call and could answer my questions directly, that the transcription and editing portions of the exam were "somehow" saved.

Their explanation: "It sometimes happens. Sorry."

Confession: "Sorry" is not cutting the mustard for me, although feeling that way doesn't change or help the situation in any way, shape, or form.  Once I got past the anger, fear and outright panic (not to mention tears), I started processing  the details and the mysteries, so I recognize that 1.) this isn't my fault. 2.) This isn't the fault of the person who had to inform me of the event. 3.) Where electronics exist... sometimes data gets corrupted or lost.

So, I will prepare to take the Objective portion of the exam again. The staff member asked me if I could take it today, but I was honest and said "no." [Please -- after a shock like that you expect me to have a brain?]  She did give me a phone number to call when I'm ready to take it. Most likely I'll shoot for 9am tomorrow morning.  [I am also planning to call them after submitting the exam...again... to make sure that it submitted PROPERLY this time.

Interesting synchronicity to the Squirrel household:

Mr. Squirrel has a small portion of his driving test to retake tomorrow morning as well.  [He got excellent scores on his skills and road testing, but because he didn't verbally explain his pre-trip checking to the satisfaction of the examiner... he has to take that part again.]

And so... it continues.
All prayers still appreciated
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God bless & Godspeed

Done... now, we wait.

At 8:30am this morning, I turned in my Final Exam for grading. I now will be in limbo for the next 7-14 days until I receive an email from the school informing me of my scores.

Whew! I've got a surplus of twitchy energy now, so I am planning on some house cleaning today -- it REALLY needs it!

Exam as bad as expected? About equal. The exam was very intense & comprehensive, but the 48-hour window really helped. I had a good amount of time to research, verify, and review before hitting the submission-for-grading button at the end of the exam.

Bad speakers/recordings? 3 out of 6, but none were the REALLY bad guy whom I was dreading -- thank God -- and no mumblers! My randomly chosen transcription/editing reports ended up with just 2 ESL speakers (one sounded like Dr. Ruth). I did have one very speedy English speaker where the recording could not be slowed without demonic distortion of the voice (it happens sometimes, nothing you can do).

I will confess that I almost fainted at the get-go when I read the instructions: “The objective portion of the exam is open book. You may not use any resources, including human assistance, during the exam.”

When I contacted the Help Support for some questions on how to save my work when I exit (not really set up clearly for my brain at the time) I asked about the above instructions. They told me to copy the page and send it to Support for editing. [It is open book and we are allowed to use any resource EXCEPT human.]

Hmmm. I guess they could use an editor ;-)

Personally, I'll be glad for the next people in line not to feel their stomachs hit the floor like mind did :D

On another note: Mr. Squirrel is also taking an exam today. He's taking his driving test with the school's transportation director as well as the DOT driving exam. He was also told that they plan to hire someone by the end of the day on Friday of this week. 

As such, I am praying for "high honors" scoring for the entire Squirrel family today.

[See comments for updates.]
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God bless & Godspeed to one and all.

Prayers... Just prayers

The 48-hour window for the Final Exam will begin Monday morning around 10am.

It is said to only take 9 or 10 hours to complete, but we are given extra time for review, correction, and verification.

I'll see you on the other side of it.

Prayers... Flight? or Fall?

We've reached the point where it is time to face the cliff... and jump.

October has launched into a flurry of events that have my mind reeling, sleep patterns disrupted, and work hours and output increasing. God is moving in our lives in a big way, but we do not yet have a clear idea of where He is pointing us.

Firstly, allow me to be grateful for the prayer warriors out there.  Thank you! Secondly, allow me to ask that you please continue!  Although there is a lot of detail that I would like to share, at the moment there is no time. So, here is the 'Reader's Digest' version of the most recent events and specific prayer requests:

For Mr Squirrel:

After 2 months of zero replies from that "perfect local job" Mr. Squirrel was hoping for, he got the call (9/29 late afternoon) -- no warm up, no preamble, but a sense of urgency was implied. The job, by the way, is school bus driver.  The perfection, in part, being steady employment with large chunks of the day free for sermon preparation and study.

My heart wants to soar! With that single phone call, he was fast-tracked into (what I would call) the hiring process. Since then, he has been scrambling to fill in any elements not previously accounted for, and jumping through the hiring hoops (background checks, medical stuff, etc.). Unfortunately, he has hit stumbling blocks and governmental delays at nearly every turn. [Why can't people provide ALL of the information and requirements that you need... at the beginning? Or are we always required to run in circles, back-track, and redo as part of the process?] 

This is where my heart falters: Even with all the initial preparation, I've not heard any specific "you got the job" words.  In my mind, without those words, this is all still up in the air and an uncertainty as to where it will all come down.  However, I also know from personal experience that some jobs begin by hitting the ground running: You go in prepared for an interview, and they put you to work... without the interview. My most satisfying jobs started without really having a starting point.

Specific prayer request: That the path to Mr. Squirrel's employment would be smoothed and the obstacles removed or provision given to overcome them.

For myself:

School has launched into over-drive. I have gone through the pre-final consultation (10/3) and, like Mr. Squirrel, I was suddenly given "new information" that would have been more helpful at the beginning of the course.  [Yes, I have circles to run around in, too.]

For the most part, there were 2 surprises that have put me into a situation that will either catch me full-in-the-face, or it won't be a problem at all.

• The good surprise: If we pass the final exam on the first try (i.e. 85% or better), it does not matter if our course expires. We are allowed to take the remaining two exam opportunities to better our scores anytime we choose so long as it is done within 6 months. [Though I would never wait that long.]
• The bad surprise: If we do not pass the final exam, we are required to wait an additional 2 weeks’ time after receiving notification of our failed scores BEFORE they will let us retake the exam. That is a total of 4 weeks before you can take it again... and another 2 weeks after that before you get your results back. [Note: The extra 2 weeks is supposedly for the student’s benefit so as to “not repeat the same mistakes” while participating in an “active plan for practice” that is done hand-in-hand with a member of the staff.]

And here lies my situation: If I pass the first time – no worries. If I don’t pass, the required delays will put me beyond my expiration date (November 15th) and I would be required to get an extension before I could retake the exam.  [Personally, if I had known the information sooner, I could have better planned a few Sundays here and there to get further ahead and leave a solid 2-month block of time at the end of the course... strictly reserved for the final exam process... and any worst case scenarios.]

I did immediately report all of this to my training program contact so she would know what was ahead of us.  [God is soooooooo good.] She replied the next day telling me that the program would cover me if I should need the extension.  [It made me want to cry that the program would be willing to make yet another investment in me.] Of course, it is still my intention to "leap for the top bar" successfully, the first time, but it is an amazing comfort to know that I'm still working over a net... just in case.

Specific prayer request: That when it comes time to take the final exam, that God would grant me focus, attentiveness, a lack of distractions, and the patience to be careful of mistakes (stupid or otherwise).

The Bonus Blessing: I do not know where this will lead, but I have had my first potential job contact (9/28). The transcription company sounds like a small one, but it has been in business for 20+ years.  One of my relatives who has been following my saga came across the opportunity and forwarded it to me. I have had one introductory email with the owner who wanted to know more about the completion dates for my training.  I have not yet received a reply back.

*Whew*

That brings you into the front lines of the battlefield.  I don't imagine that I will have time to post again until after the submission of the final exam. At that point, I'll have 14 days to wait for the scores... and should be able to get at least one post done ;-)

[See comments for updates.]
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God bless & Godspeed to you all.