Sea School Update

Well, it is Saturday evening. I have received all the information that they are going to be giving and we spent the day taking practice exams. Literally for 8 hours we did nothing but 'Rules Of The Road' practice tests. They require a 90% to pass. Possibly the most difficult part of the OUPV test. The other difficult section is supposed to be plotting, however plotting and the other sections only require a passing score of 70% so I'm not too worried about them. I took 18 practice tests and in the first 14 of them only passed twice. I am proud to say though that I passed the last 3 that I took. Usually I would fail by one or two questions. Some of the guys in the class were excited when they only missed 7 questions even though on each test you are only allowed to miss 3.
So to answer the questions probably going through your mind:
Is it hard? It can be, if you don't or cannot study. I have always been good at reading something and retaining what I have read, and also at taking tests and even find it fun. Kind of a challenge, like a puzzle.
Should I take it? If you just want to take it for the sake of taking it, no. If you want to take it to make you a safer boater? No the CG Auxiliary and Boatsafe.com both offer safe boater courses that are a lot less expensive and don't take near as much time or effort to complete and pass. I would not take the class unless you want to be a fishing guide or want to run a boat commercially and I don't mean just as a fisherman, but as the captain of a vessel. Then I would recommend getting the master license so you would have more possibilities open to you. Even then it doesn't look like the possibilities are all that glamorous, unless you like the idea of being a sea going bus driver or truck driver. But I guess I would rather drive the boat than wash, paint, load and maintain it. I don't mean this as an insult to those involved in maritime professions, but it just doesn't seem like the job for me.
Tomorrow is the last day. So it will be practicing plotting on charts and working the various equations...the I will just have to study on my own and prepare for the test. I wanted to take it this Wednesday but was told the testing center will be closed for Thanksgiving. So I guess I have an extra week to study.