Training is OVER!

It either seems like no time at all or forever since I started training for my new job on Oct 18 - I can't decide which.  Regardless, it has been 7 weeks, and it is now officially over.  I have some things that, however cheesy, kind of have me feeling good right now that I'd like to share.

First of all, I have to say that yesterday was the worst day yet.  I did something that I promised myself I would never again do: I started crying at work.  I wasn't sobbing, and only one person knew, but either way, that better be the last time.  There were just some things that happened yesterday that weren't horrible in themselves, but reminded me strongly of some of the more difficult times at my last job.  It was like experiencing flashbacks almost, and it just tipped me over the edge.  I decided when I came home yesterday that I was going to have to find a way to cope with my memories.  Still don't have a plan on that yet.

Today was our last official day of training.  I say official because it was our last day in the classroom - we will continue to be trained and to work up to a greater efficiency and knowledge over the next 3-6 months.  We've been taking calls all week, but have been in the classroom together, where multiple trainers could walk around ready to answer questions and stuff.  Most, if not all of us, have felt slow and cumbersome and confused. 

Three fun things happened today:

1. I was declared salutatorian, which is apparently the second-highest-scoring member of a graduating class, after the valedictorian.  Not an enormous honor, given the context, by the world's standards, but an honor and compliment all the same.
2. I was voted by my class 'most likely to succeed', which was also nice to hear.  If they had been available categories, I would have expected to get 'most annoying' or 'biggest know-it-all'.   (I don't know if I've said this before - I don't think I'm a know-it-all in the worst sense of the phrase, since I don't actually think I'm better than anyone or know more than everyone, but I do love to know things, to know them extremely well, and to teach them.  I also love to be right though, which I think is what is most likely to contribute to the know-it-all image.)
3. I got a compliment from one of our company's most frequent callers today.  She said that she had heard that the Utah office had a whole training class of 18 people that were coming out, and that she was glad she got me, because I was pretty fast.  I had to laugh a little.  Nice huh?

Anyway, I enjoyed my pats on the back, and felt that they were hard-earned and therefore very much appreciated.  We'll see what Monday brings, when I have to sit down individually with my supervisor for the first time since my interview, to go over a few things - some of which will be feedback on some of my phone calls during the last week.....wish me luck - this supervisor can be really nice when she wants to be, but sometimes makes me think that she's like sugar-coated barbed wire.  As I said though, I haven't had much one-on-one with her yet, so I'll reserve final judgment.