15 Minutes of Spanish

15 Minutes of Spanish

I’m kicking myself because I’m shit outta’ Luck. I only took two years of Spanish in High School. If I had only taken a third, then I’d be exempt for the language requirement.

Fortunately, there’s a way around this unfortunate situation. I found out from a friend; I can place out of the requirement if I score well on the placement exam.

I figure I’ve got nothing to lose. So, I head over to McGuire Hall to get tested. I feel confident as I put two freshly sharpened pencils on my desk.

The multiple-choice tests are handed out, and our instructor gives us two hours to finish. Hmm, I wasn’t ready for a test that long, I think, but I’m here. So, I feel like I kinda have to take it at this point.

The word is given to start. I open the test. The first few are easy enough. But then they get tougher. By the 10th one I cannot understand the questions. I start to panic.

Then, I have a moment of clarity. Eh, fuck it! I fill in the little circles in randomly. In fifteen minutes, I’m done!

I stride to the front of the testing room and turn in my test. The other students stare in disbelief. I just smile knowingly.

Out and free, I go back to the dorm and order a pizza.

Sitting in the student lounge, I finish the last slice. One of the girls that was getting tested comes in. "Hey, man." she says. "How did you finish so fast?"

Without hesitation, I just kick up my feet onto the coffee table and put my hands behind my head. Smiling, I say, "That was the easiest test I’ve ever taken."

Shaking her head, she looks at me, perplexed. She says, "Wow, not for me. That was really hard. You must be a whiz or something." Or something, I think to myself. I just smile and nod.

By the time the results come back, I’ve almost forgotten that I had even taken the test. I open up my email to find that I’ve placed out of first-year Spanish. I have only one year to take.

I think to myself that was the easiest year of Spanish I’ve ever taken.