Personal update

In previous posts I have referenced a school issue I was having.

My school uses a third party to proctor tests. I understand the need for them to have ways of making sure that no other software is running and to see the whole room so they can guard against cheating. Getting through that and the identity verification with whoever comes up in a large center is a stressful process even when it works, but it frequently doesn't work, which seems to be strongly related to luck.

I have been very unlucky. 

It is also not really their fault that webcams are often a kind of flimsy technology, but still, if you meet the stated technical requirements... getting into everything wrong with that would be a kind of long tangent. I think I am going to want to submit some detailed feedback soon, though.

Anyway, I started school in July, almost a year ago.

It's a process getting back into being a student. I agonized too much over assignments and time management and figuring things out.

As I was starting to hit my stride, I had a scheduled test and could not connect. That happened in December.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of it was that was going to be my last proctored test. Everything else is going to be papers or presentations or submissions like that. 

I could not get this test done.

I got various suggestions about what the problem might be, but none of them really worked. I kept getting different answers about my options.

Technically the classes are sequential, so it would have been easy for me to not progress at all. I was allowed to take some other classes, but it was never guaranteed. There was one alternative option that was only allowed to students near graduation, so the question of whether I was going to be able to get closer to graduation was a big one.

Even with the opportunity to take additional classes, I could never only think about that class; there was always the test issue and scheduling the next attempt and failing and growing ever more frantic and discouraged.

Yesterday I was able to connect through the alternate service and I passed the test.

Previously I had been sure I could pass, but I was so stressed out yesterday I started having doubts. I was afraid to (and therefore did not) scratch an itch, just in case that would mess something up.

Having it done is a huge relief.

It is also not the end of the frustration. 

Now I can concentrate on moving forward, but I am behind schedule by two classes. There is a good chance I will not graduate when I intended, even though my original intention was at a slightly accelerated pace.

On the other hand, if I have actually hit my stride and I now have a clear path forward, who knows what I can do? 

Onward!