The Written Exam

I wake at 5 am. Immediately I am aware that today is the written exam. I get ready and wander toward the exam room (the Alumni Room near the small chapel), wondering if the buildings are still locked this early in the morning. I prefer to just sit in the hall until time arrives.

It is eerie sitting there alone. The sanctuary is being renovated and the hall is populated with chairs and pews and a few small tables, all cordoned off with yellow caution tape. The door to the room is locked, but the small chapel is open and I go in and say a quick prayer. I know I have done what I could to prepare, and the results are in God's hands. Half of me is sure I will do OK, the other half in a panic that I will forget important things. Overall though, I know I am a better church musician because of my studies here, so no matter today's results, I am content.

A few minutes before 8 Dr. Doebele comes with laptop and flash drive and paperwork. I am instructed that I have only 3 hours to complete all sections. I should allot only about a half hour per section. When I am done, save my work to the flash drive and turn it in at the office. OK. Begin!

The clock is ticking. I complete the first section on Handbells. That goes OK. Then on the the next sections. Somewhere along the line, I feel as if I should just fill in the basics so I have longer for the analyses (choral and theory), and I decide that I will come back and augment and make my answers "prettier." The theory part takes me longer than I expected. I am slow about that stuff. I finally tell myself to move on. Time is flying away.

I love the conductor score preparation part and type furiously. I complete the Passion history section and have now worked through everything. I will go back now and redo the sections I skimped a bit on. But wait! I have only 1 minute of my precious 3 hours left! My heart sinks. Sigh. Well, I know what will be on my orals tomorrow. I save carefully, wrap everything up, and head out the door.

Passing, but not my usual quality of work. What was I thinking scheduling this so soon after a chemo treatment??? 5 weeks is not enough recovery time. Well, no matter. What is done is done. Best to bone up on the weak sections and move on.