I know its a bit late for suggestions now but my CD gave some good words of advice. He recommended not to try for the highest score but to concentrate on PASSING the tests instead. He mentioned that nervous IE candidates would blindly try for a perfect score instead of focusing on the main points, consequently scoring below passing grade by forgetting important safety information or proper diving technique. His example was a guy who studied so hard for his IE that he didn't think to bring an extra cylinder for the open water portion of the IE. The candidate, having studied like mad between the classroom/pool (OK Confined Water) and Open Water forgot to get it filled and concerned that explaining his problem would lower his score, tried to use the same cylinder from the pool session the day before. He ran out of air and although surviving the dive consequently FAILED the IE.
My CD wasn't trying to say that minimum effort was all that was required but not to get so blinded trying for a 5 when you should be concentrating on overall performance. A perfect score is nice to brag about when you go for dinner after the IE but really doesn't mean anything a few years later.
Whether it worked out or not please remember this. You had the courage to try. I know guys who took the IDC then never went to the IE. In most cases fear of failure was greater than it should have been, as all of them were better divers than I am. Had they tried I have no doubt they all would have succeeded. In my books trying makes you successful, regardless of outcome.
My CD wasn't trying to say that minimum effort was all that was required but not to get so blinded trying for a 5 when you should be concentrating on overall performance. A perfect score is nice to brag about when you go for dinner after the IE but really doesn't mean anything a few years later.
Whether it worked out or not please remember this. You had the courage to try. I know guys who took the IDC then never went to the IE. In most cases fear of failure was greater than it should have been, as all of them were better divers than I am. Had they tried I have no doubt they all would have succeeded. In my books trying makes you successful, regardless of outcome.
