CELEBRATION CAUSE I PASSED MY FIRST COLLEGE CLASS!!!

I'm honestly not sure how it goes anywhere else but it got kinda competitive here. Each stage essentially cut the number of remaining applicants in half. There was another guy that I had kinda met before hand and we were communicating along the way hoping to be working together in the end, give heads up, and comparing scores/results. We were both the top scores all the way(always over 95%) and so I really expected to be seeing him when starting...heard through the grapevine that he never received a call back after the interview for the final UA/background bit... When I got my call back I held off on contacting him until I heard something positive from his end since I didn't want to be bragging and then find out he didn't make. I'd feel like a bit of a dick then. There were originally 2 positions being offered and from my understanding in the end it had come down to him and I by the time of the interview and then 1 other guy that had previously already completed some of a similar apprenticeship program elsewhere that ended prematurely for some reason, and so the company also kinda wanted him since he was already like half way done with all the schooling. There was discussion of creating a third position to fill with that guy since we were all great candidates and there are a few ppl coming up for retirement n such soon so it makes sense to get the replacements trained up n ready while the options are good. I don't know what the guy I kinda know could have possibly done wrong for him to not get the call back but it truly surprised the hell outta me. He's not the kinda guy to give off bad impressions n shit... Guessing maybe they weren't able to clear the third position or something. I'm now in an awkward position tho because I never got back to him after we touched base following the interview since I felt kinda shitty about him not making it but also don't want him to think I'm a dick blowing him off now that I did make it...uhg lol. I think that there might be another round of this going on after the new year tho so if he can hold out then he will probably be a shoe in and likely skip all the testing next time.

Also, I'm not certain, but I think some of my testing may have been to gauge my potential for skipping ahead in the curriculum, mainly the last series of tests since they were more for the school to determine my eligibility for their program while the first series of tests was for the company to consider me a potential candidate. For a little perspective, they ran this offer in house first like 6 months ago or so and I guess everyone bombed the first series of tests bad (spatial and competency) save for 1 guy who then was brought in for discussing the program, at which point I guess he got pissed off for wasting his time once he found out what his pay scale would be during the training so he walked lol. I found the day 1 benefits and shit pretty enticing but I guess since he was already working there doing something else that didn't rly matter for him and I assume he must be making more doing whatever it is he already does. The pay is acceptable imo since you start off low but alright considering that they are covering your tuition and paying you while in class. Every 1000 hours you get an increase until you finish working off the schooling or if you find a much better offer elsewhere after getting your journeyman elect n union cards then you can always pay them off to breach the contract a couple years early and walk with all your tools and skills.