The Official Adam Pascal Love Thread, part three- Page 450

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:14pm

I have both...still having trouble w/ aim b/c that would be the easiest way for me to send...or I could e-mail, or would yousendit def be easier than e-mail? I've only gotten things from there, never sent it.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:15pm

Found the interview; 'twas hiding.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:17pm

Good luck Elphie! You could stretch the truth a little, just not make up a whole one. Think of it as a motion picture based on a true story...it takes little things from the true story and dramaticizes it and stuff to make it intersting, never the complete true story...like there were a couple of essays where I exaggerated the fire that burned my house down, I mean the fire was true, but I just...really dramaticized like my making it through...I mean it was true just...a smaller version of putting all this dramatic meaning to picking up a pencil if that makes sense.

And w/ the funny I didn't mean you necessarily had to be funny. What that basically meant was that it's better to illustrate your points then just say them--like for the why would i be good for your college essay instead of saying you work hard, show and give examples of how you've worked hard, you've been very involved in extracurrics, just get specific about them, that's all. It's probably obvious but that part just stuck w/ me.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:21pm

Is Elphie suffering essay woes again?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:26pm

Does BWW slow down the computer of anyone else here? Everytime I visit the boards, my laptop fan starts going at high speed.

And Elphie, I think your attitude about how it will all be done in two days is a great one. Just think that in 48 hours you'll NEVER have to worry about any of this crap again. :)

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:28pm

Just caught up...

Elphie, that is odd. How do you feel about it? I ended up watching the (almost) OBC DVD instead and I hate that Johanna with a violent passion. I wasn't too fond of Lisa Vroman in the concert, but she's pure gold next to that nitwit.

Siamese, that's the thing. I can't AFFORD the colleges that IB will get me into, so why bother? I've got to go to a state school anyway and I could get in there if I decided to suck my thumb for the remainder of my high school career.

Thanks for all the sympathy. I'm doing horribly this quarter too, I have a B- in Spanish and probably the same or a B in math. I'm so screwed.

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:31pm

"Siamese, that's the thing. I can't AFFORD the colleges that IB will get me into, so why bother? I've got to go to a state school anyway and I could get in there if I decided to suck my thumb for the remainder of my high school career."

Oh, man, I'm so sorry. I didn't have any idea and made a false assumption based on what I did in high school. Ack, I knew I probably shouldn't have commented on anyone's situation in the first place. I can definitely see why all the coursework must be frustrating as I guess you're not looking forward to an ultimate goal. I really don't what to say... I guess I'll just shut up about all of this stuff as I think I'm just making the situation worse.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:36pm

Do they weight the IB grades?

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:37pm

This may seem stupid but...what exactly is IB?

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:40pm

Siamese, I'm really sorry if I offended you. PLEASE don't take it as an attack; it was a general complaint. Don't worry about not commenting or whatever- you did NOTHING wrong. Don't be mad!

Emcee, yes. My GPA last quater was a 4.59 (on a 4.0 scale).

Wickedrentq- www.ibo.org.

It's a stupid, prestigious international program. Or 'programme' as they call it.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:41pm

So it balances out.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:44pm

A B- is a B-. There's just no excusing that.

On the other hand, I'm doing very well in English. I have no idea what to think of history since we are not often graded (at least that I'm told about) and if I don't get more quantitative art done, my art grade is sunk. I've F*CKed up biology badly- the highest grade in our class on our unit exam was a 67%. I had a 59%. There better be some serious curving.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:45pm

Ohh--skimmed the site--interesting. It seems to be test heavy...do they teach to tests or something? that's something I hate about all these standardized tests NY is making. Sorry, it looks...quite...rigorous, as they call it

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:47pm

No, I thought I offended *you* and felt really bad if I did. :)

And I don't think you can really say that a B- is always a B-. Teachers are different in the first place and colleges will even say that they'd rather see a B in an AP/IB class than an A in the easier class.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:48pm

The classes are harder, hence the curve. Say a B- in an IB class is about what you'd get if you were an A student in a regular class -- that's why they curve.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:49pm

Every course ends with a test. You don't have to pass all of them in order to get the IB diploma; it's all based on your cumulative points. Like, I could get a perfect seven in english and fail math but it would balance out and be fine.

It looks test heavy, but it's concept-oriented. The English exam is all essays and they want original thoughts on themes, character interpretation and analysis. It's not about memorizing insipid details, which is why it makes me mad that the tests we have in class are about stupid, miniscule sections of the book that do not relate to your overall comprehension.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:50pm

What's the point if the courses aren't going to prepare you for the IB exam? They should model everything after what's expected of you on there.

Do teachers need some kind of special certification to teach IB?

Check your e-mail.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 05:50 PM

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:54pm

Ahh I see.

What really pisses me off about the U.S. education system is it's too conforming. I realized this as a math tutor, but it really applies to all aspects--I've tutored many students who the teachers taught them one way to do a problem, when there's like 5 ways to do every problem, and then i'll show them other ways and usually one of those works. One teacher didn't give a student I showed another way for doing it that way which really pissed me off, so then I had her do it that way first, and transfer it to the way the teacher wanted.

But it's not just w/ math. Some students like me are excellent test-takers, others freeze up. Sometimes I just study for the test and don't make an effort on things "not on the test." I mean, the best thing would be if every student had different options to show teachers they understand the concepts...they could choose between taking a test, writing an in-class essay, writing a paper, giving an oral presentation, etc. Each student could do what she's comfortable w/, and it would encourage students to do some more actual learning.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:56pm

Siamese, I'm not at all offended. I promise.

Emcee, that's what we all say too. But the complaints fall on deaf ears.

I know a B in a tough class is better than an A in a slacker one, but there will always be people who got As in all the hard ones, and those are the kids that get the scholarships. I'm like... just below the necessary standard.

The sister of a kid I know graduated with a 5.0. She got all A+s in all AP courses.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:57pm

See, wrq, I remember the complete opposite. I remember in like... elementary school, using this math program that couldn't just teach you one way to do something -- you had to learn five different ways to multiply and divide, and I thought it was totally ridiculous.

I feel like I'm gonna pass out or something. I've been shaking all day.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 05:57 PM

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 5:59pm

I'm sweating really badly and I haven't a clue why, either.

Emcee, go eat. That always fixes it.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:00pm

Heh, I don't remember that, just short and long division. But still that's not what I'm saying...teaching the different ways is good but it's lost its purpose when you have to learn all of them. You should be taught all the ways and then the teacher says okay use whatever method you like.

[JLSatUD]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:06pm

agreed, wrq. I tutored the "math for elementary teachers" in college and it was just nuts. (of course I now work with some of the people who failed that class, which is even worse) Why do the silly kids need to know 283734 ways to multiply? And our kids don't have to memorize formulas or facts or anything because "now we have calculators." Argh. Doesn't a kid need to know if their answer is at least the right ballpark? They could type something into the calculator wrong and have no clue cause they just copy the answer. Oh and we can't just teach them "Length x width = area" because that is memorization. We give them weird squiggly shapes and a box of pennies and say "go ahead, discover what you feel area is." Then we expect them to grow up and take AP or IB classes and go to college even though they didn't get taught the basics.

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:08pm

Nia, I'm watching the George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Victoria Clark one. Is that the one you are watching? I like it well enough. It's my first exposure Sweeney and it's a little creepy. Love the music, though!

I'm ridiculously happy right now. Like, I was hysterically laughing before, for no reason. *shrug* It's better than being sad!

Em, you should definitely eat! Even if you are not hungry. You need those nutrients.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:09pm

I'm cold, but my hands are sweating. My brother's giving me hell for not having any plans tomorrow, my parents keep asking about my grades, my hands are shaking, and I feel like I'm going to throw up. Eating isn't an option. I want to crawl into a hole and make everything go away. I can't take much more of this. I do nothing but f*ck things up, and I don't want to know what's next in line.

nia, sorry, but please check your mail. It's important. Sorry to keep posting it.

As I got older, math -- or at least the way it was taught -- was so much more simplified. It was weird.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 06:09 PM