First, I want to say: I'm really journaling about all this to keep myself motivated, and to have a written accounting to look back on, in case I want to see how I was doing in which subjects at any particular point. I'm sure you guys are sick of reading it! Sorry!

So I took all the real pretests in class tonight. (Well, I took Reading last week, Science, Social Studies, Math and Writing tonight.) All my scores were high enough to qualify for taking the actual GED testing. Unfortunately I have to have 12 hours in class before I can register for that. So I've done everything I can/was supposed to do, and finished it in 9 hours. I still - in order to ensure that I get credit for the 12 hours so I can take the dang final test - have to sit in class Thursday night, for another 3 hours, doing nothing.

THEN, on Aug. 2nd I PRE-register for the GED tests (wtf is their fascination with those three letters? PRE... pretests, more pretests, then a post test, then... a GED pretest, then, pre-registration... *sigh* I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere cuz I'm still in the "pre" stage!)

And then sometime after 8/21, I'll actually get to take the GED tests. I have to wait WEEEEKS for something I had pretty much finished in 9 hours.

Have I mentioned that patience is not my strong suit?

So anyway - actual in-class pretest scores, which DO count (and must be a 500 or more to qualify for pre-registration) are as follows:

Math: 520 (yeah... not the greatest, but on the GED test, I can score as low as a 410, so I'm safe.)

Social Studies: 610 (Carla made a 750! YOU GO GIRL!)

Science: 680

Reading: 690 (I'm actually disappointed with this score... I can do better.)

Writing:  I took the multiple choice part, and the actual score is impossible to calculate because of the essay that we don't write/get scored in class, but at this point, with just the score from the multiple choice portion, Mr. Johnson said even if I score the lowest possible score on the essay part, I still meet the 500 point requirement. Thank you Mrs. Myra Helms for being the most awesome senior English-Lit teacher ever! (For those who make fun of my spelling/grammar issue... Ha! See, it does serve a purpose!)

Now if only I had a dollar for every point I scored on my tests, my life might not fall apart. I can't wait till the end of August to take the real thing!

Want to hear something funny? Obviously, I never graduated high school. Class of '89 walked without me. That never bothered me - the 'not walking' part anyway. But when Carla and I finish these classes and actually have our GEDs, we get to walk in the SPCC GED graduation ceremony in May 2008. I didn't think that would be that big of a deal to me, but I'm kind of excited at the idea.

Took all the pretests online

*sigh* I've done more tests for my GED than I've taken pregnancy tests... and consider who you're talking to, that's a lot!

Now keep in mind that these don't actually count - they're like practice tests so *I* can gauge where I'd stand on the actual GED tests right now if I were to take them.

I have to earn both a minimum score of 410 on each test and an average score of at least 450 on all the tests with a minimum total score of 2,250 and no single test score below 410. Make sense?

So, my online scores were:

Science: 620
Reading: 600
Social Studies: 580
Writing: between 550 & 650 (my best estimate because there's an essay part that effects the actual grade here, and obviously, I don't know how the instructor will grade my essay)
Math: 480
Giving me a total of (using the lowest Writing grade) 2830 points, and an overall average of 566, which meets all the minimum requirements plus some.

I'm happy with that :)

I'm still going to study the math more, and brush up on my essay writing skills, but for now, I'm content.

Wednesday Observations

Osmosis doesn't work, for the record - not for learning anyway. I literally fell asleep IN the math book, face first on the couch last night. Then, this morning, I did the math preGED test online. Didn't score quite high enough... missed one too many. More studying is in order :)

Took 2 language/reading pretests in class. Aced them.

Working on Social Studies now. I learned something - I suck at charts, but not as bad as I suck at Trig so I can deal.

The instructor is pretty cool with letting us handle it as we see fit, as far as what subjects we do, and when, and with the timing of the tests. So I'm going to do the Social Studies preGED in class Tuesday, then head for the Science. Once I score high enough on those, I can totally concentrate on Math, and I can study my ass off over the break and be ship shape for the actual testing when we start the Fall semester.

I have to sleep though. The couple hours I've been getting (because I'm up all night studying) isn't helping any. Sleeping brain cells are simply not absorbant.

1st day of class

The instructor was late. Ha! He's a funny one I tell ya. Not so great at explaining concepts, but hey, we weren't bored!

A girl I went to HS with is in my class - she's not getting her GED, she's what they call Pre-D... no idea, don't ask.

So anyway, class. He let us each decide which subject we wanted to start with. He suggested we start with the ones we are best in, to get the out of the way. Did I listen? Of course not - had to start with math.  So I took the (yet another) mathematics pretest, and BOMBED - I am telling you, the other one was graded wrong, seriously. But, you know what? I brought home the book and I've been studying all night, well, since I got home at 9 anyway.

The book explains a concept, gives you several examples, shows the work and the right answer etc... Then there's a practice exercise. You answer the Q's then check the answers in the back. I'm really getting it, because the answer key explains WHY the answer is what it is. 

Hell, I even did square roots for the first time ever tonight lol. And it doesn't suck too bad.

So I'll study and practice some more tomorrow and Thursday and then go back to class on Thursday night and try another pretest. I actually think I could do a LOT better already. With a couple more days I'm sure it won't be an issue. I just wish this is how high school math class had worked!

I'm really psyched about this whole thing. I'm going to hate the summer break! Next Thursday is the last class until August 21st, and that'll suck!

Anyway, I'm sleeping with the book on my head and hoping for osmosis! Night all!