Thank you all again for your congratulations on receiving the huge scholarship. 
I'm still in a bit of shock over it. 
On Monday I took a practice exam for the school librarianship certification. Previously I had taken it in the fall of 2009 near the beginning of my course. The first time I took it, I received a 79%. 80% is passing. Today I received my score for the second practice -- 81%. That is a passing score, but only a 2% improvement.
That worried me a good bit, so I started to do some research on study guides/programs. I came across this one
So ... what I'm trying to decide is if it would be worth spending $43.00 to purchase their flashcard program. (I would then enter the data into a flashcard program for my iPhone, so I wouldn't have to lug around a bunch of cards.) There is a one-year money back guarantee -- and like I said, I didn't find any complaints about them.
They also have a study guide for the same price. So, I'm also wondering if it might be better to get the study guide and make my own flashcards from it. OR ... get both of them, and decide which one best meets my needs, and return the other one.
I can take another practice exam at the beginning of January. My test is scheduled for January 29. For obvious reasons, I want to pass it the first time.
I wasn't really planning on worrying too much about it, since I generally do well enough on these types of things. However, passing the practice exam by such a slim margin makes me think that I might need to put a little more effort into it. (My mom still kids me about how I *studied* for the ExCet (Texas teacher's exam in 1997) -- during commercial breaks, a few days prior to taking the exams. Whereas she spent a month or more in deep study. We both passed, which is all that matters - although she did a little bit better than me.)---
I think I need to go back on that challenge with my mom. It really curbed my spending on food, and my junk food eating. I've already spent half my weekly budget this week on ... um ... junk.
Good thing I don't need much in the way of groceries tomorrow.---
Today I ordered my 3rd and 4th Amazon gift cards for December from Swagbucks. Tomorrow I'll order the 5th (and last one.) Then I'll have enough left for the first one in January, plus a bit towards the second.
I really love Swagbucks, but I need to spend a little less time on it.
(Like right now, I really should be working on a school assignment so I have it done tonight - because tomorrow I'll have to put together the grant proposal information from my partner.) So .. I'm going to go stop procrastinating and get busy! Gotta keep that scholarship.
December 3rd, 2010 at 04:28 am 1291350507
If it was some uber expensive study course, I'd suggest alternatives. But considering the scholarship and all, If I were you, I'd get it. Sure beats having to retake the test. I'd take any edge I could get (within reason).
Seems very reasonable.
December 3rd, 2010 at 04:31 am 1291350672
December 3rd, 2010 at 05:00 am 1291352433
for the two subjects I am taking now, I have online acces to a site by the same people who published the textbooks I need to study for my course. They have problems to work through, exercises and practise tests to do. I took a test for a couple of chapters I have studied and like you, got 79% for one and the other I think I got 85%. Eeeek.
December 3rd, 2010 at 05:20 am 1291353623
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ThriftORama,
Swagbucks is basically a site where you can earn virtual currency by doing different things - one way is by using their search engine a few times a day, another way is by completing surveys and special offers, or watching videos. It really is a lot of fun, and kind of addicting. I've so far redeemed and received $25 in Amazon.com gift cards. I have another $20 worth heading my way, and tomorrow will be ordering the next $5 one. (You can only order two of a particular denomination/type per day/ 5 per month. This is to make it more fair to everyone - so they don't run out of any particular prize.)
If you want to see more about it, I've written a couple of posts on my Living Frugal website - just click on the MoneyMaker tab on the top of the website to go the articles. I haven't addressed special offers yet, or Swag Codes - but will in upcoming articles. To just get started though, the first two articles should be helpful.