The Wait Ends!

I woke up this morning to the most wonderful e-mail I could have ever received. I passed the FSOT!

My score breakdown for those who care or are wondering is as folows:

Bio: 64.95
EE:  52.05
JK:  49.2
Total Multiple Choice: 166.2

Essay: 8

I am elated and EXTREMELY relieved today. I now have about 3 weeks to submit my Personal Narratives to the QEP. They are due no later than November 21st. After looking at the questions, I completely understand why they give you 3 weeks to submit them. It is a LOT of work in a small amount of space and the questions cover a variety of qualities that the Foreign Service values in a new Officer and will take a lot of racking my brain to pick the best examples to make me shine.

Wish me luck!

Counting Down

I know it's early to start thinking about test results, but I'm already getting anxious. Truthfully, I am thankful to have a job, but right now I'm mentally checked out because I truly hate the work that I do. When you hate the work you do, it is damn near impossible to give it your all. Being an attorney is really a customer service based job. And lately, my customers have been a real pain in the ass. I'm used to being lied to regularly by my clients, but as of late, the lying has tripled and it is starting to make me look bad in court. I don't like looking bad in front of the judge, so my tolerance level of putting up with bad behavior has decreased to about zero.

I know that my current job is not what I was meant to be doing, but it pays the bills and it is what I went to school for...so the nearing of results has me on edge...and, quite frankly, I'm just mentally preparing to learn that I failed and will have to try again next year. *Sigh* I guess you could say that I'm expecting the worst, but still hoping for the best.

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

It has been 4 days since the FSOT and I am still digesting my experience. I was surprised at how quickly I worked through the test. As you know, I was worried about finishing in time due to my slow-ass typing caused by my disfunctional stroke-affected left hand.But, I was astonished that I finished almost an hour early! I found that I felt truly prepared for the test and I feel good about how I did. I was also very pleased with the essay topic. It was like the stars aligned for me because the essay concerned a topic that is very near and dear to my heart and I had no trouble coming up with examples on the fly to support my position.

Of course, even though I feel good about how I did, there is always the possibility that I failed miserably. But, if that does turn out to be the case, at least I can't say I didn't try and I can always try again next year.

So, for the next 3 weeks, I'll just be working my ass off at my current day job and waiting, while hoping and praying that my results come back with an invitation to submit PNQs.

Today is THE Day

I'm up and ready to head to Port Charlotte this morning. It feels like I have already been on this journey forever, but yet, I am merely just beginning.

Im pretty nervous this morning, but I"m sure I'll feel better in about 7 hours. I took the Study Guide Pracice test last night as a spot check of whether I've improved since starting this journey. I was surprised that I did very well, only missing a few questions (and the ones I missed were ones that I questioned my answer at the time I was doing the test). I've seen some Yahoo Group gripes about bugs in the test. Hopefully they aren't too bad and I can pull through them. I guess I'll find out in about 2.5 hours.

Ok, time to get my behind out the door. Have a great weekend everyone!

Unexpected Snafu

So, I was totally ready for the FSOT tomorrow morning.....and then I get a call from PearsonVue late this afternoon informing me that they cannot accommodate my test tomorrow morning and they need to reschedule my exam. The next available date is on October 11 at 8am in Port Charlotte...which is about a 2 hour drive away! I'm NOT happy, but you know what? I will just go with the flow. At least I'm a morning person, so the early start time won't bother me.

I look at this inconvenience as a test of my ability to be flexible and roll with the punches that I will likely face in the foreign service. It' a small price to pay for my dream career.

Good luck to all of my fellow test-takers in the coming days.