2007-03-03 - 1:12 p.m.
A few days ago I got new glasses with prism lenses, imperceptibly thicker on one side than the other. For some months now, I�ve been experiencing diplopia, double vision (don�t get that terrible song in your head). This is a not terribly rare symptom of MS and I had it once before years ago. It�s not a problem with your optic nerve (fortunately � that would be a little too close to the brain for my comfort).
Rather, it�s just that vision is particularly sensitive to derangement in the eye muscles. When both eyes aren�t tracking at exactly the same speed, your mind can�t really resolve the two images from the separate eyes (which it�s always been used to having at a certain known distance apart) into one. I guess I basically have a lazy eye. It�s not visibly apparent from casual inspection, but the eye doctor noticed when he examined me.
Over the last couple weeks, it�s gotten a lot worse. I could barely read without closing one eye. Thank goodness it�s easily correctible. Prism lenses are quite unwearable by mot people. But to a person with diplopia, they warp your vision into focus, into a single image. Good vision is going to be a necessity for the upcoming GRE, the exam for non-professional graduate schools. I�m taking it this Monday, March 5.
It�s the final part of my grad school application. I�m suddenly stressing out about it. After a glacially lengthy process of requesting accommodation, I�m getting extra time cause I�m a very slow typer/mouser these days. But I�m not so much worried about that. I was thinking I couldn�t really study for the test anyway, just take a few practice exams to make sure I understood the instructions.
But then I thought: there are people who really cram for this! They study vocabulary, math, reading comprehension, everything. Then I realized that my vocabulary is fine as a well-read 32-year old. I wouldn�t really improve with a few days of last-minute cramming. Math scores matter little when applying to a humanities-based program. Anyway I did great on the math section when I took the SAT again 5 years ago to get into Brown (even though I was reaching back to eighth-grade geometry to remember some of it).
What�s more, if I haven�t learned to comprehend what I�m reading by now, I have much bigger problems than getting into grad school. Most of the passages on the test are pretty straightforward. Mostly critiques of historical studies and scientific efforts in the sample questions. As far as I know, there aren�t any passages of cryptic poetry to decipher.
In the Karst -
Past ulginous holm,
tholes aeriginous stything progress
to the embouchment.
The protagonist is most likely propelling:
I think if your head is crammed cloudy with test-prep �strategies�, it can just get in the way of simply figuring out the right answer. I�ve taken a few practice tests and done fine (if not astronomical, but then again, I�m a bit rusty). Still, I�m just antsy about the whole thing. I know my guestbook is broken (I should get a new one), but please wish me luck.
� 2007 Geoff Gladstone
Sign My Guestbook!
powered by SignMyGuestbook.com
�
