Cramming

So I have been out of college for . . .8 years now.  Wow, I must be a grown up now.  So its been a while since I have had to study for much of anything.  Occasionally for things at work; but its not really a test situation--just new methods, rules, etc.  There was an exception last week as I found out I would be getting some insurance licensing in a hurry.  There was a miscommunication with some outside people; and they thought everyone attending this meeting/starting this new area was already insured.  So I needed to study about 500 pages of material and pass 2 standardized tests at a test center in Bismarck so I would be able to proceed.  My superior told his boss how this wasn't terribly fair and he responded that I would do just fine, he was sure of it.  So the pressure was on, gulp.  So starting with the evening of Thankgiving I started cramming.  I went through 2 highlighters, one stack of index cards that I made notes on, and hours spent at the computer doing practice tests.  I had to take the tests on Tuesday; and on Monday I had yet to really pass a practice test.  Wasn't looking too good.  Plus I had been ignoring my family all weekend, and my job duties as I holed up to cram.  Poor Paige just wanted to put up the tree, and told me "Mom, we still have turkeys up, can't we get the Christmas tree up?"  I felt like a bad mom, but told her we were getting a new one when Mommy was gone most of this week up in Bismarck.  Tuesday morning came, and at 6am I was on the road trying not to let my test anxiety get to me.  I arrived with time to cram for about an hour and a half.  I don't know if it helped; but I passed both tests! Yay.  Pressure gone.  I learned two major things (other than all the insurance jargon).  1.  I don't know how people have children in college and manage to be students and parents--major kudos to those people.  2.  I can still fall asleep on textbooks after a mere 5 minutes of reading ;)