Standardized testing shouldn't determine educational worth!

As a whole, I think of myself as an intelligent, well-spoken and confident individual. Yet, today, I feel as stupid as I can feel, and it is all because of today's LSAT. After the test, I felt like vomitting.

For those of you unfamiliar with the LSAT, it is the Law School Admissions Test and consists of five sections and a writing sample (which isn't scored...of course, my best area isn't even scored!). There are three types of sections that make up the LSAT--reading comprehension, logical reasioning and, my personal enemy, analytical reasoning. Every LSAT has 2 logical reasoning, 1 reading comprehension and 1 analytical reasioning. BUT...there is one more open section that could be either another reading comprehension or an analytical reasoning.

Just my luck, today I had two analytical reasoning sections. It is truly my worst nightmare as my brain doesn't think in the confines of this section as quickly as the 35 minutes allots.

For the past two years, I've been contemplating, dreaming about and analyzing going back into graduate school. Going back and forth between music, advertising, business and veterinary medicine, I keep returning to law school as it has been a repeated calling of mine. Even my General Manager has stated to me a few times that "(I) should be lawyer."

Five years ago before graduating college, I took the LSAT but decided to move to Phoenix instead of going straight into school. When Phoenix didn't work out the way I wanted, I came home and immediately found a job in Chicago. I put off returning to graduate school, because I wanted to prove that I could make it in the real world, which I did. However, the pride I felt at paying my own bills was stifled by my repeated questioning if "sales" is really my professional calling. Quite frankly, I don't want to be in sales forever. Regardless of my success, it's not something I feel I could sustain for the next forty years and remain happy.

Still, the thought of sitting for the LSAT has really made me nervous due to its end-all decision whether or not law schools see you as a viable and deserving candidate for acceptance.

You see, every law school puts more stress on the LSAT score than it does on everything else a student and/or working professional has accomplished. So, when I realized that I had 2 analytical reasoning sections, I felt screwed from the start. On top of the analytical reasoning, there was a time during section 2 that I could not focus on the questions, which resulted in me spending 5 minutes reading and re-reading one page of questions. And not even attempting to answer them!

This frustration only reaffirms my hatred at the United States educational systems. More indubitably, standardized testing. From high school, my hatred of standardized testing has been a recurring theme of my life. What is that test that we had to take before college? The ACT (the one that scores up to 36)??? Yeah, that I got a 22...twice.

I had a 3.75 GPA in high school and was in English AP, which was the first time any AP class was offered at my high school. Do you think that the ACT concretely and accurately gauged my intelligence and capability? No, it obviously did not.

This fact is proven that in college, I became very active in organizations, residence life, IM's and graduated in honors with a 3.61 GPA.

When I was younger, I was clinically diagnosed with ADD. I was told that I could grow out of many of the prepubescent symptoms with proper dedication, teaching and focus. And I did. Nevertheless, I still could not focus during testing and quiet restrains of classes. I contribute this to be a leading factor at my overall impediments and shortcomings to my performance.

Leading into this LSAT as adult with involvement in two philanthropic organizations (one of which that asked me to be on its board-as the youngest board member), supportive upper management, successful professional experience and my previous collegiate GPA, I still don't feel confident that these components will be enough. Perhaps its the fact that I always think I could have done something better and different.

But I know that I'm better than what that test may be. I know my worth as not only a student but also as a formidable candidate for law school. I just hate that rejection or acceptance can be as impersonal and biased on a single score.

Furthermore, I hate the fact that those that scored well on the LSAT but had a much lower GPA than others will have an easier time of acceptance. Just because they scored well on a test. You can see this if you research some law school's acceptance requirements wherein the LSAT must be 155 or higher, but the GPA minimum could be 3.20!!!

Which is more important? The person or the test? It is my personal believe that a test should not be deeming one adequate.

My friends keep encouraging me to remain positive, and I will. My life isn't defined by this test. My life is defined by me, and me alone. And I choose to not let this LSAT be my end-all decision.

Official Review of an amazing product...Shoes Under

As you can see in my previous post, I am known for my footware. And while most people would tell me to halt my addiction and save my money, I now have a whole new reason to continue my pursuit of orthopedic merriment...

THE SHOES UNDER



We've all seen this product advertised on TV. This product seemed as obvious as "green means go;" however, no one had really put this out as a consumer product. So, as my move-in day came to an end and I was stuck unpacking all my clothes, bags, purses and belts, the four boxes of shoes I had sitting in the middle of my room almost appeared to be a feat to difficult too overcome.

While on a quick dinner break, I ran up to Walgreens to grab some basic fridge fillers and ended up walking by the "As Seen on TV" aisle. On the end sat Shoes Under, promising me a place for all of my shoes to fit...under my bed whilst taking no extra room in my closet. I thought, "What the hay. If they don't work, I can take them back." For $9.99 per Shoes Under, I thought this would be the cheapest and most appropriate solution.

I bought two Shoes Under to start, thinking this would fit all my shoes. Each Shoes Under fits up to 12 pairs of shoes. I opened my first moving box full of my shoes and began the process of unpacking.



The first Shoes Under was filled quicker than I expected, but I was a bit frustrated at the fact that some of my taller heels had to be split between two separate sections, which led to me losing a whole space for another pair of shoes. And then I got to thinking, "How would a man's shoe even FIT in here?" Not like most men are rushing out to get their very own Shoes Under, but I just thought this product is definitely leaving out a whole demographic...gay men. I would totally give this to my GBF for the holidays or his birthday.

With the first Shoes Under filled and filed under my bed, I started getting creative with my shoe boxes, and started making SHOES JENGA by stacking all the individual boxes before sorting them in the Shoes Under:



In the end, I had to go get an extra Shoes Under since my shoe collection was extensive as a stamp collector. Overall, this product is amazing. I have a platform bed and have never been able to really keep anything under it...until now. My Shoes Under's will probably double.

I thank you, Shoes Under creator, for giving me a product that frees up space in my closet, provides an obvious solution and a way to keep my shoes addiction/spending from my mother. GO GET YOURSELF A SHOES UNDER!

Shoes: Addiction or Random Accumulation?

As I am packing for my move over Memorial Day weekend, I was afraid to even begin to tackle my closet. It seems overwhelming and scary. However, I was a brave girl and decided to take the easiest objects to pack first. Those objects were the shoe boxes stuffed in the back of my closet.

In college, I really started to develop a love-hate relationship with shoes. I loved to have them but hated that I wasted money on them. So as my college career went on, I started graduating into a regular aficionado of the stilleto.

And for the past 4 years of my working career, I have accumulated a lot of shoes. The packing tonight rendered 4 boxes of shoes, which doesn't include boots. I got rid of 4 pairs that were just worn to the stitches and 2 pairs that I hardly wore and will donate. Still, it's an insane amount of shoes!!!

I know I am not the only girl with this problem. And I admitted a long time ago that I am addicted to shopping. While I have calmed down my addiction, my closet is still a realization that I have been a bad, bad girl.

Lesson Learned

Today was a day filled with an important lesson...

Making PB & chocolate no-bake cookies for your co-workers should be done the morning OF instead of the night BEFORE the day you want to take them into the office. Next time, I will measure everything out the evening before, wake up early to make them and let them set while getting ready.

Currently, there are only 10 left. We'll see about the morning.