Saturday, 16 December 2006

Exam Week Recap

This has to be one of the more interesting Exam Weeks I've had. They're all horrible, great, depressing, and fun, but this one really had it all.

Monday
8:00 exam for Form & Analysis; Dr. Hodson gives us a real beast of an exam and then lets us work until 10:00; bidding farewell to undergraduate music theory, Tyler skips out of the room and celebrates by spending most of the day practicing. On his way to the music building, Dr. Richmond greeted Tyler while walking his black German Shepherd, Cuthbert. Tyler, enjoying furry animals, knelt down to say hello and is rewarded with a very enthusiastic greeting/invitation to play and is nearly flattened by the friendly dog. The big huge Music Lit paper is also turned in to Dr. Randel with Tyler heard saying, "PLEASE take it!" That afternoon, he passes out after practicing, wakes up shortly before 6, and finishes what's hopefully his final evening class, Secondary Choral Methods.
Evening: The night ends with the Up All Night Study Breakfast, shared with Nate, Brandon, and co. Frustrated with practicing, Tyler goes to bed and hopes that sleep will help prep him for tomorrow.

Tuesday
12:30 jury turns into the biggest or maybe second-biggest disaster since beginning voice lessons. Tyler redeems himself by singing "Pietà, Signore!" with some credibility and then proceeds to thoroughly botch "Die Forelle." Despairing in the Kletz, Tyler discovers that Noah also had a rough jury and decides that he shouldn't feel so sorry for himself. In passing, Gloria offers some sympathy and an invite to a fondue party. A fondue party? Hmm. Tyler returns to the music department, still dazed from his jury experience, and sets to work on the final self-analysis for Conducting Techniques. In digging for his music to "Veni Sancte Spiritus" out of the locker for reference, Dr. Richmond literally smacks Tyler in the head with his jury forms and said, "Let's talk now about these," somehow knowing how horrified Tyler was at his own performance. Tyler learns that the jury wasn't nearly the disaster he thought, but Dr. Richmond does say that it was a good dousing of cold water in preparation for the junior recital. After getting some reassurance from his teacher, Tyler finishes the analysis and begins preparation for Bib Lit exam.
Evening: Second night of breakfast-still dressed in his jury clothes and church window tie, the Bible Studs make an exodus to iHOP. Refer to previous post about Matt and Jon jumping over Tyler. After disappearing from the others and mysteriously turning up back at Hope with Matt & Jon, Tyler names his car "The Phantom" and cranks out 3 pages of paper and then goes to sleep.

Wednesday
Another 8:00 exam, this time for Instruments of the Band and Orchestra. To our dismay, Prof. Leach has changed the exam from the study guide and left us confused. Maintenance also chooses to do things to the ductwork near Snow and make tons of racket between dragging ladders and running airdrills. Tyler describes his annoyance to his friend Emily, saying "You'd think if they had half a brain like any sensible chimpanzee, they'd have waited till after Exam Week ended." Dr. Richmond is apparently listening in passing and says out loud to himself, "Sensible chimpanzee...?" Tyler then completes work on paper for Bib Lit, does some editing, prints it, and takes the exam at 2:00.
Evening: After his exam, Tyler joins his colleagues in the Music Library, which has filled with intensely focused juniors all trying to cram for the Music Lit exam. After an hour and a half, Tyler goes off to the Kletz for dinner, returns for some final studying, drops off his books, and leaves for Gloria's fondue. A truly amazing conversation with Brian Holda results, and then a laugh-a-minute time with Dan Buck going through various accents we can both impersonate, who's descended of what ancestry, etc. Tyler decides this was better than spending the entire evening studying, thanks Gloria for a great time, and returns to the room for some final studying. Instead, the notoriously unhelpful suitemates force him through their inaction/laziness to spend the study time cleaning the entire bathroom to avoid being fined during housing checkout. Tyler goes to bed in the ugliest mood he's been in in many weeks.

Thursday
Yet ANOTHER 8:00 exam, the single toughest one: Music Lit. Despite his plea to Dr. Randel for having the listening list for the essay, she sticks to her guns and does not give in to Tyler's begging. The exam ends up taking the entire 90 minutes, leaving Tyler wondering if his brain was actually hemhorraging, in a similar fashion as AP exams did (for the record, he checked the study materials and discovered his essays turned out well). After taking some time to rest from the ordeal and saying goodbye to friends, Tyler seeks out Dr. Richmond and is loaned a book of sacred vocal music for use in church. After looking through the table of contents together, the two bid one another a blessed Christmas and Tyler begins the long task of packing. In the process, he interrupts himself for the chance to spend a little time with Pete, which included looking at the VERY visible safe in 5/3 Bank. After wishing his friend a great Christmas, Tyler continues to pack and is almost ready to leave when he does possibly the single stupidest thing of the year. Having set his keys down for a moment to load the trunk, Tyler shuts it without grabbing his keys. Two seconds later, he realizes this and groans in dispair/frustration. Armed only with a cell phone and a few remaining wits, he issues the SOS to the parents, who arrive two hours later with the extra car keys.
Evening: After spending two hours waiting for the parents in a VERY quiet music building with his piano music, Tyler finally goes home!

Friday
Tyler wakes up in his bed for the first time since Thanksgiving, enormously grateful to be free. He also discovers how much he left behind in his hurry to leave after the unexpected road bump on Thursday. Convincing his brother to come with him, Tyler returns to Holland and essentially "breaks" into his own room with help from the student RD and RLC. Tyler then takes a huge swipe into his Christmas shopping budget at the Hope Bookstore, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy.
Evening: Tyler receives a phone call from Angela and after finally coming home "for real," spends an evening at Derek's apartment with Angela, Ashley, Derek, and Tony playing Catchphrase, Spoons, B.S., and Egyptian Rat.