I remember it like it was yesterday...I spent six hours in the car driving up to Albany, the corner of the state they send all of us non-New Yorkers. I sat in the room, trying to watch something mindless to keep my thoughts elsewhere. I gave up around 9.
Panic gripped my insides. I had to pack for the next day. Grabbing my gallon-sized ziploc, I carefully filled it with the essentials: tissues, admissions ticket, license, lunch money, a bottle of water and a bottle of soda, a small package of skittles as a snack. What was I forgetting?
Holy shit! I have no fucking pencils! Where are my damn pencils?
I tore my hotel room apart trying to find them. Twenty minutes later, my search met with success and the box of #2 pencils were located. I emptied them out on the floor.
Fuuuuuuuuck!
No points. None of the things were sharpened. Another frenzied search turned up my sharpener. I looked at the clock and cringed, knowing that my neighbors were probably as frantic as me, if not worse, and might try to kill me if I interrupted their last second studying (or worse, sleeping) with the sounds of my sharpener.
I debated a few more minutes, finally deciding the sharpener would be less offensive at 9:30 pm than 6 am. I had brought two of my pencils to a fine point when *boom* *boom* *boom*
My door almost came off the hinges from the force of someone's fist pounding. Tentatively I opened the door to find a very pissed off looking guy, eyes frantic and blood shot. "Did I hear a pencil sharpener in there?" He demanded.
"I am so sorry!" I stammered. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll stop!"
The big guy broke into a huge toothy grin as he brought forward a fist of unsharpened #2s. "I've been looking for a sharpener! No one has one. Please? Can I please come in and use yours?" He asked sheepishly.
I opened my door to him, and about twenty other people that night, figuring I could use all the good karma I could get...
The next morning, we cautiously stepped into our own respective hells, armed with our wits, plastic baggies and #2 pencils, to take day 1 of the bar exam.
__________
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24 comments:
I can't remember the last time I used a pencil. I think they're only good for kids, and for taking tests.
Oh I had days like those too. I'm actually missing my University days. =)
I enjoyed reading this :)
I was sweating right along with you! Great Magpie!
ha. i love to write in pencil...and i keep my pocket knife handy just in case it gets dull...yikes on the bar!
Obviously, you passed.
well written, at first I thought it was anecdotal which, perhaps it was?
Tests plus sharpened pencils and a load of good karma can almost always make a decent day. :)
Ohhhhh exams. I remember now!
LMBO! It was good of you to share though.
Haha nice. I don't think I've used a pencil since my shorthand days but always had a handful just in case.
What a great story. I remember writing lots of final exams with click pencils. And my RN exam- 8 hours of pure hell (esp since I had a bad cold!).
Hmmm...
I love the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil in the morning...
no.. wait... that's napalm...
My bad... :oD
~shoes~
PS: this thing as a word verify of 'deheuvi'... that sounds like something my Hindu friend, KP, would say to me...
:oD
Damn, that guy had ears like a mule!
clever you! I enjoyed this.
I don't think I'd be able to use ziploc baggies for at least a year either!!
grinding detail..almost ran out of nails before you found those pencils!
the only thing i associate pencils with is the LSAT and the impending doom of the bar. no good will ever come of a non-mechanical pencil.
Nice magpie! I was immediately drawn in to your frenzy.
I had friends who took the bar and it really did sound like hell! Are you a lawyer by chance? You wrote about the pain so perfectly.Great Magpie!
LSATS, SATS, MCATS .... pencils and more pencils! Loved your Magpie.
Great Magpie! I enjoyed it tremendously.
Good Lord, Girl. My stomach is in knots just reading this post.
My students are now in the midst of their state exams...the testing is endless...almost abusive. I feel sorry for them because they're only in junior high school.
I love that your snack of choice was skittles.
While reading this I kept thinking, is this woman completely mad?
Well done, well done!
Love it! Sometimes I miss school, sometimes I don't.... but I mostly DON'T miss the exams!
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