Resetting the Curve

An article in the Washington Post today:

Fairfax To Ease Grading Policy

The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously late last night to abandon a strict grading policy it has long upheld as a hallmark of high standards, after a year of intense pressure from parents who have argued that the policy hurts students' chances for college admission or scholarships.

Kind of interesting. We commplained about our grading system when I was in high school (and earlier too of course) and I do feel that needing a 94 for an A is a bit extreme. Somewhere at the end of the article it says they'll change how they see honors and college-level courses:

After the report was released, Dale proposed giving students a half-point boost for taking honors classes and one extra point for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes. Students currently earn no extra credit for honors classes and a half-point for college-level courses. Student transcripts note the more difficult courses.

If that was in place during my high school career I would have had a GPA more like a 4.5 than a 4.0. Which sounds completely unrealistic. I don't know if other schools use the same scheme, but this grade inflation is going to get way out of hand.

I think I had something of interest to write about last week, but I've been having some computer issues and was therefore unable to update with whatever it was. Hmm.

On the plus side, 'laptop troubles' has been a good reason to do a lot of work on the Year Abroad scrapbook I decided to do. I am really not very far in, but it's been a lot of fun. More importantly, I suppose, it's a good way to reflect on my time away and to remember the things I saw and did. It's strange how organizing words and photos can refresh memories and even reorganize them: I feel like the thinking I've done for scrapbook pages has helped to wrap-up the experience. Which is great.



This weekend I drove out to a small town halfway between here and Staunton, to go bowling. It was a tiny little town with many churches and many more ice cream shops. Who would have thought?

Test Pack

Today I did an almost-complete "Test Pack" for Scotland. Without putting anything into my backpack I determined that I can easily bring everything I need and still meet the luggage guidelines of our tour--one large suitcase, one small carry-on, stricter even than the airline protocols. At least our tour doesn't care if we have liquids or scissors. Previously I struggled to limit my belongings to my small car, and while that included some furniture and lamps, it's a big difference.

My plan is to buy small things once I settle at the uni (what Brits call college)--like shampoo, which I can also steal from hotels. I have all the essentials I need. Interesting, 'essentials' seems to comprise: my laptop including accessories, clothes, and... my knitting needles. (I am quite the old lady. I have this dream of buying real Scottish yarn spun from real Scottish sheep's wool and knitting a real Scottish cardigan/scarf/mittens.)

I can't decide if my 'packing light' will be something I regret or something liberating. Is it crazy or adventurous?

That depends on how well I handle wearing the same clothes every week.

Right now I lean towards "liberating and adventurous". While I'm sure I could easily fill a second suitcase... packing just one forces me to prioritize the objects in my life. It is the real-life version of the desert island icebreaker game, only I think you learn more by examining what is left behind.

Pre-departure

First things first: Hi, and welcome to my travel blog! I won't be leaving for Scotland until September, but I want to get the blog set up before I go and make sure everything is in working order before I'm an ocean away.

A friend of mine recently spent his summer in Jordan and used a blog to write down his stories and keep in touch with family and friends at home. It worked out so well I was inspired to do the same for my study abroad experience this next year.

I don't foresee my writings being extremely personal; I do hope to use this space to write down stories, make note of slang I learn, post or link to pictures, without burdening your inboxes with emails and updates. You can check back here whenever you like--or you can check back never, I won't be offended.

Also, I realize that green may not be the ideal color for a Scotland travel blog, but that is too bad. There are cool map images at the top! You can't beat that.