I have officially survived my first week!!!
I also failed my first quiz π
Yeah, I've never been the most "studeous" student. I just struggle retaining the worded information and I haven't found a study skill that works for me. Though there were three other students that also failed the test pretty bad and so I may talk to them about getting a study group together. Maybe on forge nights, spend an hour just going over the information and talking about it out loud with eachother. Maybe it'll help.
The way we graded the test was interesting. My class size is small. Like maybe 10 or so students. So the completed tests were passed out to random students and we "graded" another students homework. The instructor went over the test answers and we marked the incorrect ones. Afterwards, we would get our graded test back and the ones that failed (you could miss 19 and pass) had to stay behind for a bit while the rest of class went to the shop to work on their forge skills. So it was me and 3 other students and tbh, we did work pretty well together and they were also saying that they struggle to study and really retain the information. I'll talk to them about it on Monday and see what they think.
Now the shop. The shop is really where Im making progress because it's all physical and what I would call "tangible" information. You have to physically do it and that is the best way I learn! I haven't figured out how to make the book learning "tangible" but besides that. Boy do I have a saga for you XD
So as I said in an earlier post, I was sick on Tuesday and stayed home. I got my doctor's note and by the following morning on Wednesday, I was feeling better. Had my lecture in the morning and then shop in the afternoon. That day we started "trimming" cadaver legs. Just getting used to our tools and I also got a crash course on forge 101 because I missed Tuesday and also got told my homework which was to forge at least 10 shoes straight by Friday and choose the best 10. I had to take an already shaped shoe and reforge it to be as straight and as flat as I can go without squishing the nail holes or fuller line (if it had one)
But we didn't mess with the forge at all that day. That day is also the day that I sliced my finger with the hoof knife while practicing using it on the cadaver hoof, and while I had full intentions of staying in after school and working on the homework assignment, I was really only able to tough out the rest of my class day and then go home and properly take care of the cut. Remember, I had it wrapped in gauze and vet tape ππ€£π So no forge night for me, but the forge is also open at 6am every weekday as opposed to forge nights which is only Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6pm-9pm. Look, I won't lie, I'm still getting used to the new schedule and I did not go to the forge Thursday morning.
Thursday in the shop however, I was able to work on a couple shoes for the homework and it was crunch time. I am only just now starting this homework (honestly a fucking classic for me) I got a few done before we started trimming cadaver feet again. The day ends and I am finally able to just work on my homework. I had quite a few people in the classes ahead of me come by and try to give me advice, which I am obviously thankful for, but I also did explain to them my situation. Which, BTW, the guy that witnessed my finger fillet, he apparently told a few people about it. So I had almost every interaction be followed up by "Oh yeah [name] told me about that! Is it ok?" They're all sweet but great, thats my start of my legacy is I fileted my fucking finger π€£ππ
So by the time I wrapped up at forge night, I had made 7. I came in the following morning and made 2 more which put me at 9 and during class I made another 2 which put me at 11. I made the minimum requirement to complete the assignment and it boiled down to my worst one.
This was my best of the 10
Later that class we had a little competition. Apparently part of our education haha!!
So the class was split into 2 teams. At the end of the shop was a lit forge with anvils and tools on either side. Each team member would go to tge forge one at a time and forge a shoe straight. But, there are a few rule >:3
Rule 1: You had to lunge walk the whole way to the forge. Your knee had to touch the ground each time and you had to stand up straight each time. If the instructor caught you not doing either, the whole rest of your team had to do a wall sit for as long as it took for them to get to the forge.
Rule 2: You got one hot round. So you would pull the shoe from the forge and work at straightening it for as long as you could. Once you popped that shoe back into the forge, your turn was up and the next teammate would do the lunge walk to the forge.
Rule 3: Your shoe had to be flat and straight. Avoid over forging and don't squish the nail holes or fullering line (some shoes have a center groove, that is a fullering line) If the shoe has clips, they needed to be flattened down.
This was actually such a fun competition!! My team made 3 straights and the other made 7. But the goal wasn't quantity, it was β¨οΈqualityβ¨οΈ Of their 7 straights, only 1 was picked out as good by our instructor. Of our 3, we actually produced 2 as good enough by our instructor!
All in all, it was a good week!! I tore up my hands but it's worth every burn, every scar, and every drop of blood! I am excited and hungry for more!!
