Western Zodiac and Bell Curves

First thing's first.  I arrived at school today and everyone was in an uproar over the change of the zodiac signs and I have two opinions on the matter:

First, I don't know much about it, but I heard it doesn't affect everyone and only affects those born after 2009.  Doesn't this prove that maybe there's something off about it? I sincerely hope there wasn't anybody who actually did anything drastic because of the sign change... like dump their boyfriend/girlfriend, leave their friends and become a plumber or something.  Seriously, these things should not be such a big deal.  There is bigger news to be worried about. 

A changing zodiac does not change who you are or your destiny.

Second: Who cares.  I certainly don't.  That whole thing was a bunch of phooey that was fun to read if it was free.

Finally, Bell Curves and High Stakes Testing.  Today, in Humanities class we learned that High Stakes testing doesn't actually get accurate results of someone's knowledge of a subject, nor does it allow people to see what a student's ability to work under pressure it.  It is, apparently, worse than it is good.  So why do we still do it? Why subject people to that kind of stress and anxiety for numbers that don't even matter?

And then there's the bell curves.  Apparently in Alberta they're looking for an average of 65%, which means that when one person gets 90, someone has to fail. 

To me, this comes across as a message saying that no matter how hard you try, if you are not the best at something you are not safe.  It doesn't matter how long or how hard you work, because your marks are already pre-determined so that everyone can have their happy median.

In a society opposed to communism, doesn't that sound a bit... communist? "We just want to make it so that the most people pass" but then the people who DO work hard and who DO need these marks for their university might not get it because their mark is adjusted by... Oh, I don't know... up to five percent?

That's a dangerous business.  What about people with parents who expect nineties?

What about those people whose well beings depend on these good marks?

I think... it's despicable, that even in order to succeed you need to step on someone else.  It takes away the individual effort and makes it into something determined by the success or failures of others.

What's the point? I mean, I could try as much as I want but it doesn't matter.  It's not like I'll fail if I get an 80 or a 90 but when you're a percen where every percent counts it really sucks. 

New Year, New Neglect

I'm so sorry, Blog.

Remember the days, when I whispered sweet nothings into your ear? Those promises of glory and regular updating?

Well, it doesn't look like it's going to happen.  Tough.

So, it's the new year.  In fact, nine days into the new year, and this is what's on my mind:

-Scholarships
-Holyshishkabobs Diploma Exams

It's a good thing I got the other two issues resolved and now I am no longer worrying or stressing out about those.  But... DEAR LORD, WHY IS THIS SO... SO DIFFICULT?

I'm not so worried about my English diploma, as it is my best subject and I also have a second chance five months down if I'm not satisfied with my grade.  But the Math diploma might just kill me.

My parents keep yelling at me to study, but I don't have my study material yet.  We just finished our last unit (Thank God) and now we're moving onto review as soon as we do the unit test.

Everyone tells me that diplomas are just as easy as every other final we've ever done, but it's not the difficulty of it... it's the bloody weighting! Five months of work, tests and assignments makes up fifty percent and then three hours in the morning of a day where you probably never slept the night before makes up the other fifty.  Who came up with this? They should be pelted with rocks until they are seriously bruised.

Other than that the due dates for many, many, many scholarships are coming up.  I'm really starting to think I should have taken my parents advise and looked at them sooner. 

All I can do is put my faith in God and pray for the best. 

~~

Other than that, this weekend was nice.  My friend and I went to a going-away party for the Japanese exchange student at our school.  Wow, it was really cool.  She was surprised, because it was a surprise party, and we all had an excellent time.  She even got her parents on skype and we got to talk to them :) It was amazing.

Although, I didn't have much to say, which made me realize I really need to work on my conversational Japanese.  I suck.

I kind of feel... regret... about not having spent more time with her.  I think I took for granted the fact that she was there and while we weren't exceptionally close friends she was still there and I could still say hi to her and hold a conversation with her.  I'm going to miss her when she's gone.

She keeps telling me I should come to Japan and visit her.  She also tells me that there's a lot of money to be made in becoming an English teacher in Japan.

Watashi wa Nihongo o benkyoushimasu!

I must! :D

Anyway, that is all for now.