22/24!

I haven't written all week because I've been holing myself up in the library in preparation for my two exams this week.

My language exam was on Thursday and wasn't that big of a deal because we got to choose whatever subject we wanted and just talk about for ten minutes. No freak outs there.

My history exam, however, nearly gave me a legitimate stress ulcer. It was a traditional Italian final exam - 30 minutes of one-on-one conversation with the professor. Any and all material covered in class, or assigned in the readings, was fair game. Don't forget, of course, that this conversation was entirely in Italian. I get nervous talking in front of adults in my native language about everyday things, so you can imagine my level of anxiety.

I guess at the end of the day, I am a big nerd who hates the idea of looking stupid in front of a teacher or getting a bad grade. So I studied and I studied and I studied and I freaked out and then I studied some more. And I just got back from the exam... and I got a 22/24! That translates into a low A, but once he adds in the grade I got on my paper and my attendance/participation points, I'm firmly in the A range.

This post is perhaps a little self-praising... but I was just SO nervous about my first real Italian evaluation that I feel absolutely exhilarated now that it's done!

I'm off now to take a well-deserved nap. Ciao!