Testing, Testing

We knew when we received the stipend at UIC that it would only pay nine months out of the year. We had hoped originally that Jason would receive a summer teaching assignment in addition to his stipend, but that hasn't worked out. And today Jason and I realized that that is a really good thing. After holding down what is basically a full-time teaching load plus going to school full-time, Jason really needs a break from teaching. (And if that wasn't enough teaching, he's currently the Course 15 teacher each week for Sunday School AND the Elder's Quorom teacher for two weeks every month.) So we've been going over our options and decided that I would go to work part-time for at least the summer. Jason is more than willing to get a retail or other kind of job for the summer, but by having me work instead we're accomplishing a few things: I keep up on my job skills (because who knows what will happen), I get out of the house more and motivate myself more (I tend to accomplish more when my plate is full), and Jason can focus more of his attention on working on the house.

I was thinking today how grateful I am that I was able to get a college education. Today I applied with a temp agency in Crystal Lake and spent from 10AM to 12:30PM filling out paperwork and taking tests. I used math today I haven't had to use in a long time. I have relied way too much on calculators that I honestly forgot how to do multiplication by hand!! That is sad. Even if I don't get a job out of this, I am glad I realized what I need to brush up on since in the not-too-distant-future I will be helping with this stuff in the form of my kids' homework.

But what felt really good today was although I have never had a true bookkeeping job, I did take basic accounting classes at LDS Business College and I know with a little practice I could do it. So today the agency had me take Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable tests and I scored 65-75%! They said I had enough of a working knowledge that that was sufficient. I enjoyed trying to reach back in my brain to remember those classes from 13 years ago (yikes!). It was great to know I could remember some of the material, but even more great to remember the teachers and classmates...good times. I also took a typing test (75 wpm), two data entry tests, and a basic office skills test (complete with grammar, spelling, punctuation, multiplication, division, and the dreaded word problems). I find myself wanting to look for basic worksheets that I can print off and complete once a week or something. I oddly enough find a little joy in filling them out now--feeling like I'm completing something that is short-term, quantifiable, and easy to score with quick results and feedback (not quite like the tests of motherhood). Who would have thought while being sick of tests in school and college that you would find me saying that now.