4.27.2011

Earning a License - the Stress is Lifted

How much should real life intrude on the pleasant fantasy of the Blogosphere?

Not so much.  This is my hobby, so I work hard not to drag the stresses of my stressful job onto the pages of this blog.  I love my job, but man do I need a break at the end of the day!

I've been working in the MHMR industry for most of my adult life; mostly for the later half but now for the former.  I work on the acute unit of a forensic hospital...

...so I see some very ill people - and I don't get to meet them at their best.  If I'm lucky, and I bust my butt, maybe I can do my part in aiding in someone's recovery.

I love my job.  I love what I do.

But I've been under a great deal of additional stress for the last few months.  I took a semester off graduate school to take the position of which I just spoke, but it hinged on my passing a licensing test.  I was confident I would pass, but honestly I wasn't invested in the same way I am now... I figured, "Hey, if I fail I'll just move on, right?"

But I didn't want to, nor is it that easy.

In my profession about 1 in 5 people fail the licensing exam.  You get 3 tries, after which you can't qualify to take it again without years of extra effort.

I didn't have the option of a repeat - if I failed I was going to be fired.  It doesn't matter how well-prepared one is, that's stress on a whole other level!

Bottom line, I passed.  I did well, in fact, but that's secondary to getting it all behind me!

It's a huge weight lifted.  Here's hoping I get my free time back...

14 comments:

Dethtron said...

grats- now write something else for BoLS so more people can hate on you for no reason

Student Teacher said...

Congrats to you sir!

Loquacious said...

congratulations. I know you worked hard and worried intently about passing that thing.

Terminus Est said...

Congrats Brent - it must feel like the weight of a world has been lifted off your shoulders. I remember the feeling when I first entered graduate school - I was accepted on academic probation and to have at least a 3.0 average after my first 16 hours of classes or I'd have gotten the proverbial boot. My first semester I signed up for 16 hours thinking I could easily knock out a B average and be on my way but it was too much... I was working around the clock everyday - it was super stressful. Final exams rolled around and I needed a perfect score for one exam to achieve my goal - the professor called time and I still had one problem to finish - the professor was literally standing beside my desk shouting at me to turn in the exam as I completed the last problem... Everything was on the line. I finished up the exam and handed it as the professor was leaving the classroom. I made the grade though and everything ended up working out. I'm glad those days are over now.

fester said...

Congrats mate, its always nice to shoot for a goal and make the grade.

Porky said...

Well done Brent - it's good to hear.

tzeentchling said...

Congrats!

Drkmorals said...

Thats the worst 40k advice ever!!! lol =P oops I mean.. Congrats man!!! Always good to get that un needed pressure off your back.

Eric said...

Congratulations Brent!

Unknown said...

Congrats Brent!!

Unknown said...

Jen told me you were napping and deserved it due to this. I guess she's right but if she kicks or kisses you, one of them is from me!

Congratulations Brent :), I know how hard you've been working and it's great to have that pay off :).

40K + T&A said...

Well done, my little punching bag.

Tenzing said...

Congrats1

Dave Garbe said...

Congrats Brent! Sounds like a rough position to be in, glad you moved through it.

(A new favorite!) Anon: I haven’t even bothered playing a game of 6th yet, cause I have read the rules, and actually understand how they interact with units. I know my armies no longer function how they should, and so I need to change them.

Strictly Average: 'cause 6-inches is all you get.

Stalking Jawaballs since 2009.

Jawaballs: "My butt just tightened up."

Brent, preferred 2-to-1 over Not Brent in a recent, scientific poll.

Brent: emptied the Kool Aid and DRINKING YOUR MILKSHAKE with an extra-long straw.

Unicorns don't exist.

Home of the Stormbuster, the Dyson Pattern Storm Raven.

I'm a comment whore and this whore is getting no play.

Not Brent hurts Brent's feelings.

I think, therefore I blog.

"You should stop writing for everyone else and worry about your crappy blog." - Anon.

Not Brent has been spotted lurking around with a green marker.

He's not like a bad guy from a cartoon, all devious but never quite evil, Not Brent is bad beans, man, bad beans.

Dethtron: "Again I feel obliged to remind you that trying to sound smart only works if you are."

MVB: "I am not one to join the unwashed masses of self-titled 40k experts out there distributing advice from their blogs about exactly how your list should be built..."

Shiner Bock on tap: that's how I choose hotels.

Strictly Average: The Home of Hugs and Gropings.

Don't feed the trolls!

MoD: "Welcome to Brent's head."

Competitive is Consistent.

Dethtron: "...you could use that extra time to figure out a way to get your panties unbunched and perform a sandectomy on your vagina."

Dethtron: “When calling someone an idiot, it's generally best to avoid making grammatical mistakes.”

Warboss Stalin: "You know, if it actually WAS funny, maybe I wouldn't mind."

Mike Brandt: "It's not a successful bachelor party if you don't misplace someone".

"The Master Manipulator (every store needs one): "...now, enough stroking."

Kirby: "I don't know about gropings. Seriously, Brent, keep it in the pants, please."

Loquacious: "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Hugs & Gropings or Stalks Jawaballs into Brent's little tribute."

Captain Kellen: "I rate this article a Brent on the Faith Hill to Nancy Pelosi scale!"

Drathmere: "Come for the balls, stay for the Brent? Kind of disturbing, man."

Go no further, lest thee see something thine eyes would fain look past!

Isabelle: "So, thank you for supporting your local and not so local unicorns. A noble gesture like that can show some scared kids out there that they don't have to hide from everyone and it's ok to be who they really are."

There is nothing more interesting than We The People... in all our beautiful, ugly glory!

On Internet Advice: You see, I have an almost religious belief that's it's a huge, colossal waste of time.

...I think I'll call it the Gun Shy Pattern Stormbuster, because after the Internet destroyed my first humble effort, I find I'm a bit worried about the reaction to this one.

Lauby: "Is it left over from that time you thought that you could just complete step one 12 times to meet the mandates of that court order?"

Not Brent: "I guess we'll have to read on and find out. Signed, Not Brent. Especially today."

Cynthia Davis: "I think the scrolling text is from Glen Beck's new book."

Grimaldi: "Spamming certain units creates interesting possibilities but also fatal weaknesses."

Purgatus: "Math can inform decisions. It cannot make decisions."

Thoughts? Comments? Hugs and gropings?

You'd be that much quicker to figure out what I mean when I refer to a Unicorn if I covered it in a rainbow flag.

SinSynn: (To Brent) "Curse you and your insidious influence on the internets..."

Dave G (N++): "You know you're an internet celebrity when your following is more akin to tabloids."

I prefer the term Internet Personality (or IP) myself, seeing as how I coined it.

Lauby: "Your attempt to humanize him as failed. I feel nothing but scorn for his beard - it's like a warcrime or something."

BBF: "I've always thought you are a good player but I finally figured out that you are a great player. It's hard to see sometimes because your personality is engaging, sincere and quite charming - to me that is kind of a rare combination."

'Clearly cheating?' I didn't misspeak: you jumped to conclusions. If you'd like to apologize I'll be happy to send you an autographed picture of my ass.

Ass.

I thought I was doing alright before I realized I was losing.

Age and treachery beats youth and vigor every time.

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