Studying abroad in New Zealand, despite being a great experience, has kept me out of the loop in terms of all things UA-related. Just to bring myself up to date I've been scouring the news and found whilst away, tuition has gone up (now was that really a surprise), the men's basketball team choked in the way only the Wildcats can, and, according to the New York Times, you're just as apt to get a quality education from using your public library card than with a degree earned, more or less, at the UA. [Read article]

They say the tests are ruining the educational landscape -- that they're causing students to study for nothing else. That more than Philosophy, Economics, and Politics, the new subjects of importance are SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT. Many want to see them eliminated.

These opponents point to statistics like the amount of money people spend on preparation, $310 million a year by one count, as signs that the standardized-test mania has gone too far and that a return to the core values of education is warranted. [Read article]

Open dialogue leads to understanding, retrospection

I too, like Dan Post, have been in Europe for just over 3 weeks now. I am living in Wuerzburg, Germany for 10 weeks conducting neurobiology research through the UA's BRAVO program.

I wanted to concur with Dan's comments. When I first arrived in Germany I was a very foreign, very awkward American (especially not speaking the language and with this being my first time abroad). I have tried to blend in with the European culture, and I've done my best to avoid fitting the American stereotypes. Quickly, though, I have come to realize that I came here with stereotypes as well. I've learned, though, that Germany is not just the land of beer and sausage ("wurst," as it's called here). [Read article]