Oh my God, you ladies are SO SWEET!
I've missed you all, too!! :
:
Actually, I took the GRE a few weeks ago, but you were right that I needed well wishes on an exam. I took my comprehensive examinations (comps for short) on Monday and Tuesday...and they were dreadful! Remember how this whole summer I was reading all kinds of literature, teaching myself Middle English, and everything? Well, I was doing that for the comps. So. These past few weeks have been relentless, especially the last week leading up to comps. I was getting up at 5 every morning after staying up until 1, just so I could get more study time in.
I had three exams: Renaissance English lit., Medieval English lit., and Rhetoric/Composition Theory (teaching stuff). I was really lucky because none of my examiners asked me identification questions. Instead, all of my exams were pretty much in the same format: they gave me several questions and I had to answer two in essay form within 90 minutes (per exam). So, ultimately I wrote 7 pages for my Renaissance exam in 90 minutes, 7 pages for my Medieval exam in 90 minutes, and 10 pages for my Rhetoric exam in 90 minutes.
I've been mentally exhausted, but I'm recovering. I attempted going to class last night, but I just pretty much sat there like a zombie. My professor is amazing, though, and he completely forgave me. During our mid-class break, he asked me how I was faring after comps, and when I just kind of smiled feebly at him, he said, "Well I'm glad you were able to make it to class. Just try to absorb what you can tonight." Such a nice man.
But, despite the mental and emotional exhaustion, I feel so...happy. Just free. I don't even know or care if I passed or not (I'll find out in two weeks). At this point, all I know is that I wrote the best essays I could, I answered the questions as carefully, thoughtfully, and thoroughly as I could. It's out of my hands now. No need to panic anymore, right?
So I'm just taking it easy. I just got back from working out with my trainer--we just had a session of cardio since I've not been able to make it to the gym just for cardio for the past couple of weeks. It was so nice. Makes me feel so much better.
Good news, though: I got my GRE scores back yesterday in the mail and I received a 640 verbal (most PhD programs want at least a 600) and a 5.5 out of a possible 6.0 on my writing. So I'm thrilled!
My verbal went up 150 points since the very first time I took it (a 30% point increase...I can hardly believe it). My writing went down half a point, unfortunately--I scored a perfect 6.0 the first time I took it and I was so proud of that. But according to my advisor (the lady I've been butting heads with...not my favorite professor), most PhD programs are very excited to see a 5.5. So I guess I'm okay.
So, how have you ladies been lately??? I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!
Thank you so much for the warm wishes and for all the support! I can't wait to get back into the swing of things and start supporting y'all again!
Much, MUCH love!!
~Amanda
SHE'S
BACK!!
Good Luck, Amanda!!!
