stick a fork in me, I'm done.

...with grad school applications and the GRE, that is!

Took my exam this morning. It was a slightly bizarre experience.

Shonali dropped me at the testing center about 20 minutes before I was supposed to report, and there were already about 10 people waiting. One girl was going through her Princeton Review book trying to get in some last-minute cramming, asking her dad to look up words she didn't know on his Blackberry. Quite funny. And at 8.50, 10 minutes before the exam was scheduled to begin, there were still people calling the test center to get directions.

[we solved that problem last night itself. I had the address for the place, and we all knew it was somewhere near Shonali's house, but we weren't sure exactly, so at 11.30 last night, Prakash, Shonu and I climbed into the Gypsy and went in search of the test center. luckily, Jayanagar is well laid out, so we were able to find the place quite easily. and only a 10 minute walk from Shon's house! so luckily I wasn't one of the ones desperately calling for directions 5 minutes before the exam started]

I had to put all of my stuff into a little locker, which was also a bit strange. I never really carry that much with me to standardized exams, just a few pencils and my ID, but I had to leave my bag - along with my watch, which you all know throws me off a bit - in the locker they assigned me and could only carry my passport inside the test room with me. It's been 11 years since I last took a standardized exams, so I don't know if this is standard practice at all GRE test centers, or if it is unique to India alone. Regardless, I am glad to be finished with it.

Then, before going into the test room, they patted me down to make sure I didn't have anything in my pockets, took my picture, and patted me down again, just in case I had somehow snuck something into my pockets in the 2 minutes in between the first and second pat-downs.

Then I finally got to sit down and take the exam. Overall it went well, except for the moment when one of the monitors came in and told me I couldn't keep my sweater on the back of my chair - I either had to wear it or get up and leave it in my locker outside. So, I put the sweater back on and sweated through the last half hour or so of the test. Once I finished, I went back to Shonali's house and crashed.

And now I'm done! I'm satisfied with my score. Not ecstatic, but not disappointed either. Really just glad to have it over and done with.

I also mailed my final reference letter this afternoon, which means that I am officially finished will all of my grad school application requirements. The only thing to do now is sit back and wait until mid-April, when I will find out whether or not I'll be packing up my stuff and moving back State-side for two years.

So first on the list of things to do now that I have my life back? Why, go to the beach, of course! Prakash and I are taking off to Gokarna for the weekend, and I am desperate to get out of town and spend some quiet time swimming and reading on the beach. So I will see you all once I am rested, relaxed and nice and tan :)

xx