Archive for The Gathering Place "The Gathering Place" is a web community where people can gather and make new friends, share ideas, enjoy a few laughs and learn about many interesting things together. It is a safe place where friends can correspond with each other about what they love.
smiln32
Dec 12, 2004
Well, my final exam for the Master Gardener class is this week. I can't believe it's nearly over. I could take these classes forever. I have enjoyed them so much. Plus, I have met some neat people along the way. I'm going to miss my Thursday "geek retreat".
The next part of the process is paying back the hours in class with volunteer hours helping the County Extension office. I won't get to start that until April, unfortunately. They're pretty set in their ways. I should be a certified Master Gardener by May. That and $3.00 will get you a delicious mocha at my fave coffee shop, Wholly Grounds.
It will, however, open doors for me to help out with local schools and neighborhoods in sharing my love of nature and that is important to me.
Rejoice with me, please.
Zanymuse
That is wonderful! Take the $3.00 and splurge on that mocha!
shazbot3
Rejoicing here, Carla Congratulations!
Elena
That is wonderful, Carla! I admire you for doing that and you will have lots of fun working with the County Extension office. I was a member of an Extension Homemakers club for abut 28 years and we had many great experiences and opportunities through that department. I always looked forward to the spring gardening training. In case others don't know, you can find a wealth of free materials at your local County Extension Office. That is where I got almost all of my written material for years.
Mary
Congratulations!! I think you will have a ball paying back those hours, plus a whole bunch more. I use the extension service quite a lot, and often point new gardeners in that direction. Many people have no idea it even exists, much less what it does, and that it is supported by our taxes.
smiln32
I'm looking forward to it. The folks in the office are so nice, too. It will be more of a blessing (and learning experience) to me than to anyone else.
Elena
I know you will have so much fun.
As I said, I used to be in a Home Demonstration Club (the old name) and I was the one who always went to the gardening program at the extension office once a year for the gardening program. I then went back to the club and taught it to the club. Our agent happened to be at the club that month (She rotated going to all the clubs in the county) and she was so impressed she put my name in the hat for the honor of the best program in the county on that subject. I won and was really thrilled when they offered me a paying job to teach gardening to the poorer folks in the county in some new program that they were starting. I was honored but not able to do it because of prior commitments. I think the master gardener program is wonderful because it takes care of that kind of thing on a volunteer basis.
FranM
That sounds like something I would like to do once we retire from the store (sigh).
smiln32
Only one other person and I finished it before we had to leave. We only left because they were closing the office down for the day. I took one break to get a Coke and make a phone call and the rest of the 7 hours were constantly devoted to the test. Unreal! I didn't even take a bathroom break. Yikes!
Elena
7 HOURS!!!!!!! Unbelievable! I would have had to make it 3 or 4 bathroom breaks if I had been there. Would you mind copying and pasting that DG post here for our members who don't belong to DG? I think that would be fascinating for all of our members to read.
smiln32
It's just me griping a lot, but ok.
smiln32
Oh, my word! What an unbelievable test. It was only 100 questions long, but it was a fright. Not only did we have to answer the question, but we had to provide the Fact Sheet number and page number as well. That's not so bad, but 90% of the material on the test wasn't covered in any of our classes. I am NOT kidding, either.
Our class was kind of a hodge-podge of unusual situations. First, we have no county extension agent to oversee the program, so the home-ec agent was filling in. Second, the secretary who made sure the instructors from the University were in place, copied the Powerpoint screens and tests for the class (as well as recorded all of our test scores), had a son in a severe accident and had to take leave for several weeks. Then, our tests were graded by some of the Master Gardeners who marked things wrong based on a "key" without actually thinking about any of the questions or how they might be answered in more than one way. As if that weren't enough, the tests, which are usually prepared by the ext. agent, were instead prepared by the instructors, so we had some wild tests. Some were completely based on the teacher's notes as opposed to fact sheets.
Our final exam was intense. I breezed through school when I was younger...made great grades in college and this silly test nearly wiped me out. It took nearly 7 hours to complete. No lunch and only a banana for breakfast. Only me and one other lady (out of 25 in the class) finished it. Well, even though I turned it in, I still had a half-dozen answers where I couldn't find the fact sheets. Ugghghhhh.
Gracious...the GMAT wasn't this long and that was for entry to a Master's Degree program.
BUT, I'M DONE! Now, it's just a 3 month wait until they let us start to volunteer our hours back.
Elena
That truly sounds like the test from Hades. You should now be prepared for whatever you might face in the future in your volunteer work and with anything else you might be doing for the next 80 years. All in all, if you managed to complete it without being carried off by the men with the strait jackets in the little white truck you did well indeed.
smiln32
I hope to find out early next week if I passed. Since only two of us turned in the test so far, there are only two to grade. We're obviously at the top of the list for getting graded first. will get a number grade. I'll let ya'll know, for better or worse.
Carol7
It's amazing how the MG program can vary by each state. My state requires an internship for a year before you are a Master Gardener. It is a great program and also a great way to contribute to your community.
smiln32
They don't have scores yet. I called earlier this week, but they won't release any scores until all of the tests are graded.
On one hand, it's nice that they are taking such pains to grade the tests thoroughly. On the other hand, I'm very anxious to find out how I did.
Elena
Tapping the table with my fingers, biting my nails, etc. Just kidding but it is taking them a very long time. I feel sure you are gonna be a MASTER GARDENER in no time however.
smiln32
Elena, I know I passed. No question about that. I just want to know what the final score was.
God's Warrior
Elena
Great. I didn't realize that. I know your score is bound to be high since you are so smart............
smiln32
Well, I suppose if you go by the numbers I've posted in PlantFiles, I would rank up at the top of the "Plant Geek" list.
I am daily overwhelmed by how much I still don't know. Every time I come across a plant I haven't seen before (which happens all the time) I am humbled by the vastness of God's creation.
smiln32
Ughghhhh. I got a 91 on my test. Just the other day, I said something about "I at least want 100%." The response I got was something to the effect of "Well, it's nice to know you don't have your standards too high." It didn't quite come out of my mouth very well, but yes, I do have high standards for myself.
I can live with a 91, but gee, I sure wanted 100.
Zanymuse
Nothing wrong with wanting a perfect score but the test you described makes me wonder if that could have been possible! Now can we call you MGCarla?
smiln32
I won't really be a Master Gardener until I volunteer my hours back to the Extension Office. The way they have it set up, I should be done by May. I can't even start until April and it's 57 hours.
Zanymuse
OK how about Apprentise MG 1st Class!
smiln32
How about gardener Carla? The title isn't what means most to me. It's helping others develop a love of gardening.
Zanymuse
Which is precisely why you are first class all the way!
smiln32
I'm honored that you think so.
Elena
I think so too!!!! So....Apprentise MG 1st Class it is until you finish your appprentiseship, huh?
fsr333
I think so, too!
Congratulations, Carla, and don't fret over a few lil points... 91 is a good score, especially after that marathon of a test...
Elena
Starr is right, just surviving that sort of a test is a miracle. You did well, my friend.
Ilovejesus99
Carla,
I know it was a 100. The 9 points were misplaced by the error of the graders. lol You did great!
Sandy
Now, it's just a 3 month wait until they let us start to volunteer our hours back.
It didn't quite come out of my mouth very well, but yes, I do have high standards for myself.