Before I share this story, you need to know 2 things about me.
Fact #1: Trying to wake me up in the mornings during high school was a dramatic event in our house. It took 2 alarms plus my mom (flipping on the lights and ripping off my covers) to wake me up every single day. (I have improved significantly since living on my own, but still set 4 alarms every night cause I still sleep sooo heavy.)
Fact #2: I am a terrible test taker. Give me any assignment to do, I'll get an A. Tell me to write a 12 page paper on the etiology of a disease, I'll get an A. Make me take a test.....? Would rather rip my eyeballs out!
I was a Junior in high school the first time I took the ACT and everything that was happening at that time in my life (those few weeks specifically) was just hard. The week of the ACT was also the week of SBO elections, Acapella tryouts, Madrigals tryouts, I was currently on student government and it was right before prom, I had a job, and it was the end of the quarter which meant lots of tests and homework. Not to mention that during that week, I managed to come down with a double ear infection, a sinus infection, bronchitus, pink eye and the flu. (not even making that up) Oh, and my parents ditched me that week to go on a cruise so I was completely alone in our house. I was miserable! The night before the ACT, I took.... ehhhhhh.... maybe half of a bottle of Nyquil??? I wanted to get lots of sleep that night, because Heaven knows I was going to need all the extra help I could get to help me survive that test! HORRIBLE IDEA.
The ACT started at exactly 8:00am SHARP and if you walked in at 8:01, you were locked out and had to wait until the fall to take it. The next morning, I woke up at 7:43am to 3 of my alarms going off... When I finally was coherent enough to understand what was going on, I FLEW out of bed faster than you've ever seen, brushed my teeth, grabbed a banana and did 110mph out of my driveway and down my street. Where I live, there is a street (9400 South) that I took everyday to get to high school and there is a police station on that street so there are ALWAYS cops on that road, so you can't ever speed. The speed limit is strictly 35 on that road.... I was pushing 65 down that baby!! (I've never prayed harder for no cops to be on that road...) As I was being "fast & furious," trying to get to school, I heard a faint noise from behind me that was growing louder and louder... I realized it was the sound of a fast car and then before I knew it, one of my best friends Nate Pulley comes FLYING from behind me going 75 and zooms in front of me!! I caught up to him and he screamed, "DRIVE FASTER! THE TEST STARTS IN 3 MINUTES!!" I think we pushed 85mph the rest of the way into Jordan High and then we sprinted up to the room and walked in at I think 7:59 and 59 seconds.....
I finished the first 2 sections of the test, but was really tired by the end of it. (remember that I was crazy sick and drank about 4x's the amount of Nyquil that I should have the night before!) We took a quick break and then came back to finish the last 2 sections. I think I answered.....3, maybe 4 questions and then my Nyquil hangover reaaaally kicked in and I PASSED. OUT. COLD. Fell dead asleep. Woke up over 2 hours later in a puddle of drool (literally) with the teacher saying "this is your 5 minute warning, please finish up any last questions." Didn't remember where I was, why I was taking a test, if this was real life, wasn't quite sure who I was.... I finally remembered and then looked down at my test to see 2 whole sections left completely blank that I hadn't even touched... Then I said a naughty word in my head a few times and then I had a brilliant thought that I still don't know if I made up myself or not, but I heard that if you're ever in this kind of situation to fill in all C's. "Welp, C's it is I guess." 2 ENTIRE sections of C's!!!
Then a few weeks later, my parents called me into the kitchen with a piece of paper in their hands and said "Allie, why on earth did you get a 16 on the ACT...?," and then we all sat down and I proceeded to tell them this whole story minus doing 90mph in Gwenyth (my first love in cars) down 94th.
The end. :)
xoxo,
Alliecat
