Oozing Useless Information

"MSO1"

Translation: Most Stupid Obstacle, numero Uno, in trying to scare me away from finishing my MBA. It has also kept me from getting a good night's sleep for many, many weeks and from playing with my children and my wife as often as I'd like to play with them.

I've never staked much of a claim on being a great test taker - believe it or not, I'd rather write a paper than take a test - but this one has been a real PAININTHEASS. I just took it last night for the second time.

For my first attempt, I admittedly took more of a shortcut in preparing for it. When I missed the passing grade by 6%, I was upset but not totally shocked. This time around, though, I really, truly prepared for it, going perhaps overboard, taking the entire course outline and preparing my own OneNote-study-guide-for-total-geeks that totaled roughly 200 pages.

Well, much to my chagrin, I'd say 50 or 60 percent of the 2nd attempt looked like a foreign-freaking language compared to what the study guide suggested I know and understand. Some well-respected associates of mine in the program took it three times before they passed.

"You sound frustrated, pal. Why don't you speak up to the dean of the department?"

Fabulous idea. Lo and behold, guess what I got in my inbox the same night of the 2nd attempt... an invitation to complete a survey on the MBA program. I took that opportunity, believe me. And I took a deep breath first--promise. I actually think the feedback I gave was quite constructive, not just blatantly open.

Here's hoping for better news... maybe tomorrow, maybe Monday. [That's the other pisser about this... if you take a test that is completely multiple-choice, on a computer, through an ASP (i.e. online), why should the test taker not know IMMEDIATELY whether he passed or not? It just adds to the aggravation to not be able to know!! Freak.]

N E WHO... back to the original statement, am I going to let the MSO1 truly be any obstacle so significant? Hell no. In fact, if nothing more, it's making me want to accelerate my pace and finish my degree. So bring it on, oh ye keepers of the ever so precious test scores. Let me have it.