Take Two

The most famous do-over in history inarguably comes from the story of Noah in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Basically, humans have been running around on Earth for a while and God looks down and notices how degenerate, depraved, and debauched they have all become. In a nutshell, God experiences deep regret for having created man and decides to literally flood the whole word, wipe out every living thing, and start over again from scratch. Back to square one.

God decides to keep Noah and his family around, and Noah famously builds a massive boat so that he can take two of every animal in the world with him. God floods the Earth, Noah, his family, and all of the animals stay high and dry aboard the ark, and after a while — 150 days to be exact — God decides it's time to give humanity a second chance. The waters recede, the ark comes to rest on a mountain, the animals and Noah's family go free, here we all are today in 2018.

Oddly enough, however, our perhaps best-known word for taking back something that we screwed up and starting again is not a term that references the Biblical account of Noah and the Flood. When you want a do-over or second chance, and you don't just call it a do-over or second chance, the word most likely to come of your mouth is "mulligan." It's a golf word, used in the context of golf to indicate wiping out a bad shot and teeing your ball up from the same spot a second time.

The reason that all of this matters is that today, Oct. 17, is National Mulligan Day. National Mulligan Day is a for-reals true thing that you can read about on the seat of all wisdom and truth, or as it is known by some, "the internet." Basically it's a day that is all about giving yourself a second chance. Unless you're trying to take back a bad first impression. Because, as well all know, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Just trust us: The nitpickers have got you on that one.

At any rate, getting an IT certification often means giving yourself a second chance. Certification exams are no picnic, and even a well prepared examinee can freeze up, or forget something, or misread the question, or do whatever. It happens. We just want to remind you, in honor of National Mulligan Day, that your first attempt should by no means be your only attempt (unless you pass on the first try, of course). Don't let a bad exam result get you down. Even God gave himself a do-over.