Well damn, didn't realise I hadn't come back in here for a bit!!
The last three weeks have been really stressful.
Not last week but two weeks before (the week after the stupid planned drive!), we had two days driving/manoeuvres, a day in class to learn a few new things
Including some info on the dossier pro. Good thing was these three days were with my favourite instructor (cos he's more chilled and laughs more than the others!! LOL) - downside was that the day in class was a nightmare because, whilst I can just about understand him if only he is speaking, all the rest decided to have a day of chatting amongst themselves, all talking to him at once etc. By the end of the day I wanted to punch a guy that was sat at the desk ahead of me. He didn't really speak to me the last couple of weeks cos I did say "seriously, how old are you? 10? 6? " He totally didn't get why but he'd been chatting to his mate, to the girl sat by me, to anyone else he fancied and all while messing with stuff on our desk - ALL FUCKING DAY!!!! I rarely completely run out patience, but he nearly got a slap!! So whilst having Juan as a tutor was fab for driving, in class, not so much!! So I pretty much didn't learn anything that day! LOL (Pretty much knew how to fill out the constat amiable (insurance thingy) anyway! LOL
The next week was the dossier pro. Trouble was that I really couldn't decipher the 'form' for the dossier. And the layout was shockingly awful - I reckon a ten year old could do better!! I didn't really 'get' what I had to do. I'd asked various people on the course to no avail. Didn't want to ask the normal tutor as she had seemed to have an issue with the Anglaise for the whole course, so was wary. On the day before I had to hand it in, I ended up going to talk to Juan and saying "ok, I know it's probably wrong, but please could you spare some time after school just to explain the dossier to me?". Total sweetheart in that he came to the hotel, we sat in reception for about an hour whilst he made some sense of what I'd done and told me to change some stuff. Bloody brilliant. Totally worthy of the cake I made for him (and the other tutors!) the following week.
When I handed in the dossier, the main tutor said I'd altered the layout and was somewhat grumpy
Well, I'm pretty sure I'd followed exactly what the blank one that I had to open as well was saying, but by then I'd lost the will to live!! We also spent spare time revising/stressing for the assessment
Anyway, last week was the assessment for the FIMO. Basically a professional qualification, think it's only in France, like a heavy duty Driver CPC!!
So we all had to do 20 written questions on the Monday morning before anything else. Then, because there was less time due to the written stuff, only two people took the assessment that day. It's organised on a 'tirage au sort' (I think that's how to spell it). Basically we took cards until cards 1 & 2 had been picked.
Then the two people pulled cards to determine which type of assessment: occasional (holiday makers, relatively long distance), inter urbain (like flix bus, various picks up, inter city but to a schedule) or urbain (town buses). And then again to determine the type of manoeurve - reversing into a 'slot' at a right angle for one side or the other (called Battaille, not spelt right! and Main or Contre main) or drivign or reversing into an angled slot (a bit like a bus station slot - called Epi!)
The absolute biggest stress was waiting in the morning to find out if you are going to take the assessment that day. The next worst was, having picked a card (on Tuesday) to find you are last and so you do a written test in the morning, relevant to the type of assessment, and for me as the last, I had to wait until after 2pm to do the manoeuvre and the disabled ramp thing (plus loads of other questions related to the assessment). Then you get 5 mins before a debrief of about 45 minutes.
The waiting around is a total bitch. I was stressed to hell!! Sadly, because I was doing the last slot, I finished really late (over an hour after we should have finished) and so everyone had left!! Bastards!!! For the next two late evenings I waited for the last person to finish. Ok, easier for me as I was staying over and no commitments, but damn, coming down from the classroom to no colleagues to talk to was horrid. So I made sure the next two (who were good friends) didn't have to deal with that.
Anyway. I forgot a load of stuff - the manoeuvre was 100% in the actual driving, I've never done it so well - and it was the least practiced!! But I forgot the hazard lights
I did say to the assessor that I
Always use them when I'm picking up or dropping off passengers in the minibus and can't think why I forgot this time
FFS!!
Various other things I forgot but part of the debrief was to cover this so they could work out if it was exam stress or shit learning!
For instance, at the end of the practical bit they said, what do you do now. I'm like "turn it off, cut the battery, close the doors" - yes, but I'd already mostly said all that. The answer they wanted that I hadn't said was - reset the ethylotest so that no one else could drive on my breath test
I was so annoyed I said to them that it was frustrating as every time we drove I pissed everyone else off because I reset the EAD every time - but forgot it on the assessment!!
The other thing is that there's so many thing that you know are automatic and obvious. So you just don't even think of saying them!! Obviously, you need to remember - it's an assessment. But it's so easy to gloss over stuff that's simple and obvious whilst trying to remember stuff that you think you'll forget!!
On Thursday the head assessor walked by and said "I've just looked at your dossier pro, I didn't realise you had so many qualifications in transport" !! I don't have loads exactly, but I do have a full Transport Managers CPC/Licence in the UK, the French gave me a sort of equivalent after Brexit but only for up to nine people (but I only needed up to 9 people at the time). I also had the Driver CPC, a French Transport Licence and paperwork for Geneva transfers/the card from the prefecture to allow me to drive passengers. Probably more professional paperwork than any of hte other students!
But also, I'm the oldest anyway so my dossier pro was always going to be a bit different!!
Downside was that he also said " you were a bit emotional at the start of the day, I'm worried you won't be able to deal with 60 passengers" - Oh FFS!!
Yes, I was stressed and that shows out as emotional, sadly. But I explained, I've been in customer service in various roles (including managing pubs/bars) since I was 16. I have zero problems dealing with any number of customers - but doing an exam is stressful and in a non native language is a bit more than bloody stressful!!! Here's hoping he understands that. Its the guy that was really kind and helpful with the other exam, so I'm hoping that he 'gets' it.
We don't find out the results of the assessment until later this week so I have no idea whether I'll pass or not
And then, either the 25th or 26th November I have to go back and retake the Highway Code. If I don't pass it this time I will lose all the things I have passed so far!! Again FFS!! But because it's a Titre Professionnel, you have to pass everything to actually get all the licences/cards
So I've been practicing quite a lot. And failing all but one in the last 6 days
I might have a break tomorrow as I wonder if my brain is just spazzing now
Dyslexia/dyspraxia do not help this kind of learning - basically doing the online test over and over again - and I am actually really scared about whether I can pass.
But I have to. Too much relies on my having the licence!! Although that's got to be put to the back of my mind!! LOL Difficult!!
So, if anyone fancies doing some crossing of fingers on the 25th or 26th (I'll be sure to let you know which day!) I would very much appreciate it. Here's hoping the universe is kind this time!!!
