I think your second point is much closer to what I was trying to get at - re-reading my original comment, it does sound insulting, and I didn't mean it to be insulting to students. It's the system I have issues with - why do you need to take these general studies courses at all? If you truly have zero intention of…

Oh god yes. Parents make ALL the difference in schools. I will never understand parents who complain that their child's school was supposed to teach them x or y when a knowledge gap becomes obvious - sex ed, financial education, whatever - sure, maybe it should have. But you should be engaged enough to know if they are…

Maybe it's where I live. I'm in Hollywood. The entitlement complex can be, ahem, rather strong here. My husband is so proud of all the classes where he "negotiated up" - it's a life skill! - plus I've heard even very good students talk openly about making up fake references, completely falsifying data (they never did…

Wow, I'm surprised at his candor. I definitely think colleges do (and probably should) adjust to the unique needs of their student population; I went to two graduations for friends this year, one at an expensive private school (USC) and the other at a totally respectable but not-the-best public university (CSUN.) The…

You are making assumptions, but that's okay, we all do! I did not in any way have a traditional high school experience (as I said in my earlier post, I was starting my first BA as I started high school - my mother just insisted on keeping me with my social peers, and that meant my education became increasingly…

That's very interesting. Do you think our very different systems of applying to university are a factor? In the USA I understand it's usually based on your SATs, your personal essay, and your high school GPA, but the GPA only to a fairly limited degree. In Australia - probably because we have far fewer kids in our…

Hi, fellow partner in smugness!

Oh god, please don't think I'm saying Americans are not as smart or college is easier in the US! I have to admit to genuine shock that your Aussie husband encountered a bell curve... never, never, never did I even hear of one (besides, of course, the controversial book of the same name) until I moved to the US.

I cannot comprehend the grading system in the US. I have friends here who have a 4.0 despite, in my opinion, not being able to write a comprehensible essay- and you can go to your professor and "argue" for a better grade? What in the hell? And don't get me started on bell curves... either you master the subject or you…

28 here and still all about the pad. I *think* I have some tampons somewhere in case I need to go swimming... the Always Infinity pad is like comfort x 1000. I used them for the six weeks after my son's birth, when I had stitches... if I was ever going to get uncomfortable or chafed down there it was when I was…

Eh. I tweeted about being my friend's surprise birth partner to her preemie, and his subsequent NICU stay... my friend loved seeing the supportive and encouraging comments every day from all over the world. To each their own.

Thank you for this. Also happily married to a man I met more than a decade ago. He is far from "perfect," but he's someone I admire and respect, we have similar values, and we fit into each other families - important for both of us. Those are the things that make our marriage work, NOT his straight teeth or the fact…

I don't think your "list" is particularly egregious - your feelings and preferences are way more common than most people would admit - you're just expressing them in a very offensive and/or entitled way. Overweight guys make you throw up in your mouth a little? You deserve a guy who meets all your criteria, because…

Probably herself. But if he did actually accomplish all those things, she has a point about the lackluster obituary, even if it did not need to be made in all caps on what appears to be Facebook. God, I hope it's at least on the NY Times Facebook page (do they have one?) and not her own, I'm pretty certain they're not…

Thank you for this. I had the same thought. People-first, people!

Are you under 26? Go for it! I remember getting on birth control. I was 15, had terrible acne, and my mother took me to our family doctor, who preferred BC to things like Accutane. I remember he left the room for a minute at one point and my mother turned to me and said "IF YOU THINK THIS MEANS YOU CAN HAVE SEX, I AM…

Related, I think: I had the total shock of seeing my OB/GYN after being with one sexual partner (my now husband - god, I'm so boring) and discovering I had HPV, was already CIN-2, and needed a LEEP procedure. Fun!

My overweight husband kicks my (very) skinny ass at anything involving fitness... running, hiking, cycling, rollerblading... once again, open mind = more chances of finding the one.

I get this, truly. It horrified me when someone pointed it out, but I have never dated a guy with brown eyes. Green or blue or I'm not interested, done and dusted. My line-up before my husband couldn't look more different in every other respect, but eye color is clearly a thing for me. Why? I have NO idea. I am STILL…

My man fits all your criteria except number one... he's certainly not obese, but he is overweight. That's because he has a very demanding job (he's intelligent, ambitious, successful...good things, right?) which means he's often grabbing whatever's available to eat at odd hours, and he doesn't have much time to…