Written by Illia Solano
Here we go, it’s go time. The day has come and I am ready. The ACT is the only standardized test that I still had to take. This was the day I met Lady Freedom and her loving true peace.
It was only for a day. But it was a sweet relief.
Well… this only happened after I went through about four hours of intense ACT testing. But hey, you are reading this which means I survived the ordeal. If I survived you will too, because no one had a worse day than me that day.
Being Prepared
Since I knew I had the test on Saturday, I sharpened all four- yes four- of my pencils the night before. One can never be too prepared when it comes to having pencils. One could get lost, another one could break, then another one could and can be less sharp than the other ones. In the end, you will be left with one.
That is just me and my overthinking, but it had me ready.
I made sure my ID was in my bag as well as my admission ticket. Then I went over to get my TI calculator, only to realize after checking theACT’s website that my calculator wasn’t allowed. My BCF, my amigo, my pal wasn’t allowed to come with me in my hours of need.
*A single tear falls.*
So I had to make do. I went to my closet and foraged for the only other calculator that I have ever owned. My scientific calculator from seventh grade. Lo and behold, it appeared… and it worked!
I knew how to use it but it didn’t give me the comfort of my other calculator. This is a PSA: make sure you are comfortable and trust your calculator, please.
The Morning Before
Anyway, that was all for that night. I woke up around five to prepare myself mentally before actually getting up. Just like with the SAT. Then I prepared myself physically. Though it needs to be kept in mind that the latter part just took thirty minutes while the former took a little longer. Not that much.
Now it was seven and I had just finished my two waffles, which were to die for.
I quickly packed some Ritz cookies for later and went to the testing site. It was about five minutes away so I wasn’t that worried about arriving late. Besides, I left at 7:20.
But I guess that arriving early this time wasn’t as good as an idea. It was wintertime and I had to wait with a bunch of other kids outside in the freezing cold outside place. When we finally entered the school is when I finally started feeling my fingers.
But it was cool, it was chill. This test had nothing on me.
At the Test Site
I checked for my name on the ACT with the Essay roster. I am extra and I do not know why. So I went to my room and checked in with my ID and admission ticket. I get to my seat and start preparing, only to start full-on panicking at the moment. Why, you might ask? Because I left all f o u r of my recently sharpened pencils on the countertop instead of my bag.
I guess I’ll just perish. Thanks!
But I didn’t, I wasn’t not going to take the test for a little mild and minuscule inconvenience. My parents paid money for this, and I also studied a lot for it, so I took it without being bothered.
I breezed through all of the first parts without even thinking about something-that-cannot-be-named. ‘Twas the past.
Check that Comfort Resources are in Check
Though I was really glad when we got to the break. I was starving and couldn’t wait to eat my cheesy Ritz. I LOVE cheesy Ritz. I opened the bag, popped a mouthful in my mouth, and stared in horror at the brick wall.
These weren’t cheesy Ritz. Oh, no they weren’t.
These were peanut butter Ritz.
C’est la vie.
In conclusion, things were not going well. But I powered through. I went through all the math and science parts, the essay, and made it. The ACT and my incredible day, done.
I have to say, the experience was wild from the beginning. I realized that this test was much different from my SAT experience. It had more math and science, and the format felt different. But because of my day, I wasn’t as worried about the end results. I studied, did my part, and hoped for the best.
I could always retake it, but I had to trust my work for the day.
Like my post? Read more from me:
How to be Confident without Being Confident: A Guide of a Kind-of-Confident Person
