I can’t study. Or maybe I don’t know how? I’m uncertain. Maybe I forgot how.

I once studied to be a police officer – had to learn about laws, guns, and algebra. I studied and recopied everything they gave me to prepare. I memorized guns by their shape and abilities. Somehow I passed the written tests to become a police officer with 80% all around (even math)… then they asked me about LSD and I told them the truth – so they said I couldn’t be a police officer. Was kind of sad I suppose. (I think everyone should do LSD at least once, was my favorite drug and I’m fairly certain it’s not physically addicting)

Then, there was a time that I was back in college as an adult and ended up on the Deans List – how did that happen? Well, I would read the assignment right after class, do the homework then read the assignment right before the next class and review the homework… had no problems – well maybe here and there in remedial math… which I still never use.

Last fall work sent me to take a class with some of my colleagues. The class gave us homework to prepare for the class, reading chapters every night in preparation for the class… I did, every single night. Retained nothing… got to the class and was lost. Couldn’t even really understand what the instructor was asking us to do. Really stressed me out – I was going through some other stuff at the time… but still couldn’t recall a thing. Passed the test on guesses I swear.

Having taken and failed the insurance exam four times – three were 68% and I needed 70 – I had taken a 2 day class and studied out of their book before each exam. Retained very little and just kind of gave up.

Work though… they really want me to get this dumb thing. They’ve got me and my team (who also need to pass this test) watching insurance educational videos one hour T, W and Th. They aren’t very entertaining. Usually when I’m watching I keep thinking about all the work I’m not getting done because I’m listening to these two ladies talk about the weather and their dogs (mostly insurance, but it’s the dogs that break up the monotony with their barking).

So I can’t give up right? So I thought I’d try something new.

I still have the book they gave me at the class that taught me, not about insurance, but how to pass an exam – which I found very annoying. I’ve decided to type it all out. A few times and I think I’ll learn it all by osmosis – that might not be the word…

See I know a lot about the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) – because of the tons of reports I typed for Jim when we had our business in full swing. I couldn’t site it chapter and verse but I know enough to recognize things that aren’t compliant and simple steps that could be taken to make it meet the requirements of the law. I haven’t really surveyed, I just typed those things up and recalled the information. Many a time when I would transpose Jim’s hand-written notes into word I’d ask if we needed to mention mirror height or door closing force – many times I was right and if not there was an exception that allowed for something different. It was never my intention to learn about the ADA, it just happened.

So I’ve been typing out everything from this text book word for word. I’m not being overly concerned with typo’s or anything. I just find that I can keep parts of it if I’m reading and writing at the same time. Also I don’t find myself nodding off quite as often as I do when I”m just reading the damn thing.

I hope this does it – if for no other reason than I think I can quit watching those videos if i pass.