Friend of the Court - Studying Abroad

So, from the people at the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, I learned of the Judge John Hodgeman podcast, in which people present their arguments to, well, John Hodgeman for resolution.  I found one episode about a guy who wanted to go abroad for university and ultimately, he thought, to live, but his brother thought that was a lot of distance and money to put toward something that may not be to his liking after all.  Ultimately the brothers were both happy with the outcome, so while I am not really quibbling with the decision, I wanted to present some points on behalf of folks who have dreams of going away to school. 
In the interest of disclosure, I went to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, sight pretty much unseen.  It was not the only university I applied to, and it was not the only one I applied to I hadn't visited.  I was a DC resident, and, at the time, had no real state options (DC residents now have some refund options that return the difference between in and out of state tuition).  It was not the cheapest place I applied (there was Air Force Academy), but it was well in the middle.  I had watched video footage of the place, talked to recruiters (who, yes, have a bias), and I had traveled to other countries before.
Here are things that I can tell you.  College is a big deal.  It's a big change.  The bureaucracy always functions a little differently than you expect, the people are different, and to me it seemed immediately clear that I was expected to be quite a bit more in charge of myself.  This is going to be true no matter where you go. 

As I didn't end up attending anywhere I had visited, I can't speak to how much that would have helped.  St. Andrews provided an orientation for overseas students, there was also a week of intro to things like clubs and classes and such, so I felt pretty eased into the process.  I was in a small dorm where by the end of a few weeks I knew everyone's name, and I think that helped.  Another US student from near me, had taken his brother's advice to pick the dorm nearest his classes, which had a different vibe and he found his experience ultimately unsatisfying and transferred to a US college at the end of the year. 

But, I think that's pretty true of a lot of students.  It's hard to pick based on visits, or websites, or glossy brochures.  Sometimes you will pick well.  Sometimes you will decide to adapt or make it work.  And sometimes, you will find a better fit elsewhere. 

The podcast folks seemed particularly amazed at the idea that anyone would go so far to a place they'd never been for university.  And, I see what they were saying.  And the guy is a junior in high school so had time to possibly make some money to put towards a visit.  I don't mean to suggest that visiting is a bad idea.  But if he wanted to go to Florida for university I feel like no one would worry so much that he had no idea what he was getting into.  And yes, a different country is different.  More distance is different.  I had another classmate who ultimately took St. Andrews off her list, because she wanted to be able to get home in less than a day.

But, one friend of mine spent a lot of time being asked to provide cultural education to her classmate who was from a town about an our away from the university she attended, and so, he had never talked to a person of color before.  So, it isn't just distance that provides different experiences.  It isn't just the size of the town you are from or go to. 

Now sure, some people go to the same college that half their high school class goes to, and room with people they already know, and take classes with people they already know. So, the different-ness of college is muted a bit for them.  But college still is different.  I had the realization that none of these people knew who I had been in college and found that amazing.  It was true of teachers and professors as well as fellow students.  Had I gone somewhere I knew more people, that still would have held some truth. Teachers and professors don't get copies of the yearbook so they can figure out who their students used to be.  And even if half your high school class is there, there will still be new people and new experiences.  After all, that's the point. 

Three Interesting Things

1. I found this post about craft diversity being like crop rotation interesting, partly because it suggests that such diversity is not (just) a case of the ooh shinies, but a helpful process of stimulating different parts of the brain.

2. I think a lot of people get scared of social media, or dive in and use it one way, without examining any of the social norms involved.  So, while I don't think I'll start using this methodology, this post about using Instagram 'like a teen' was interesting.

3. I'm happy to hear the teen charged with a felony for testing a possible science project graduated (as did her twin) and is off to college.  Hopefully, her arrest record will eventually be expunged. 

Delirium Pilot, Pacing and Other Things

I had read Lauren Oliver's Delirium and liked it.  It was hard though, I loved Before I Fall so very much, and obviously, Delirium exists in a very different world.  I was getting to a bit of dytopian ennui, and the world building necessary for a dystopian can often drag down the pacing and I find myself pretty impatient with slower paced things these days.  So, part of what I was curious about was, would a TV version move faster than that. 

Short answer - oh yeah.  Longer answer, obviously a TV show is focused on a longer arc than a trilogy. So, the pilot episode burns through the highlights of the first book, and also introduces other characters (who I assume appear later, at least some of them).  This is partly because it's much easier to demonstrate the bigger political picture by actually showing you some of the people who might wish to keep the status quo. 

Judging a TV show from a pilot is often like judging a book by it's first chapter - you have a sense probably if it entertained you and if the storytellers seem to be setting up for your kind of story, but it's hard to tell more, sometimes.  I ultimately enjoyed the pilot and will definitely be looking for more episodes. 

Three Interesting Things

1. My lovey chaptermate Kimberly McCarron has a big rant about the "You complete me" line.  You know I love a good rant.

2.  I found this post on why traditional journalism may be failing to find or retain an audience made some interesting points.

3. And if you are somewhere that video watching can occur, this video featuring Bert from "Sesame Street" and Zachary Levi about going outside is quite fun.

A True Allegory

The other day I was walking behind a guy who had money - like actual dollars poking out of his pocket.  I could only see ones, but it looked like there might be more in the pocket.

So, I did not assume that this guy was wearing jeans with a back pocket to draw attention to his rear. 

I did not assume that in case the pockets did not do the trick, the money was there to draw further attention. 

I did not think that since the money was just poking out there for anyone to see, that it would be acceptable or even legal behavior for me to take said money. 

Instead, I left it and him alone.