Sunday, October 11, 2009

Random swatch: Barielle Lava Rock

Barielle/All Lacquered Up Lava Rock

I'm so glad I went back (so to speak) to get this polish. Photos do this one absolutely no justice. When people describe it as glowing from within... omg, yeah. Gorgeous brown-burgundy with bright purple-burgundy shimmer. A little sheer for two coats.

I may be more stressed out today than I was yesterday. My SO has come down with the flu -- and I'm feeling under the weather myself -- and I still have tons of homework to do. I did my best to get all my grading Tuesday done before bed last night but commenting on the intellectual value and writing abilities of 50 students (including little typed blurbs for each) literally had me occupied from 3PM to 3AM... and it's still not totally done (45 out of 50). If it weren't against privacy laws, I would have loved to share some of the more hilarious "students say the darnedest things" moments: there are always some fabulous ones and this pile of grading was not an exception.

If you are like me and are honest and sarcastic by nature, grading takes a particularly long time: I'm afraid of sounding unduly harsh or mocking yet I still want these students to learn and improve. (I rephrase my critiques a lot.) This worry is only mildly alleviated by the fact that most students probably don't even look at my scribbled comments in the margins. (This, of course, makes me bitter. Why am I worrying about hurting their feelings if they aren't even reading it?)

Anyway, within this particular pile of grading, there was one absolutely asshole paper. I hate that I can't just call students out for being brats. The student did not take the assignment seriously at all, was entirely sarcastic in their response, did not answer the questions posed and pretended like they were hilarious. (It was not badly written at all but it totally ignored the assignment.) The only comment I wanted to write on their paper was "Fuck you, kid. You wasted my time." Not to mention the oodles of time and money that student is wasting. College is expensive and it's a PRIVILEGE unknown to the majority of humans on this planet. Do you UNDERSTAND how LUCKY you are to be able to piss away your education? And I... I am supposed to provide useful criticism to you? You've got to be kidding me.

I love the idea of universal college education. I really do. I believe that higher education can lift you up in life: when done right, it can provide a more fulfilling career, inform one's moral compass, and lead to a lifetime of curiosity and discovery. But I do not think CHILDREN should go to college. Mostly adults (young and old) who are serious about their education should go because they are most likely to benefit from it. Otherwise, it's wasting time and money. If a high school kid isn't ready to reap the benefits of a post-secondary education, then I say let them work, volunteer, travel, get married, have kids, whatever they want. (They've been in school for 13 years; it's okay to take a break!) When they are ready to go back to school, I want it easy for them to go back... because that's when education will truly help them: when they truly want to help themselves.

...this half-assed shit, though? Man, what a fucking waste.