From style to sandwiches

Another 5 new and different things.

11. Fashion
As expected, the fashion here is quite differnet than in Rio Rico. At my school, it's almost completely what I would call prep, but a prep who especially loves jeans. Jeans are an even more important part of the wardrobe here than any where else I've been - by far the most common article of clothing.

12. Stand up
Each time a teacher enters the classroom at the beginning of class, the whole class stands for him or her. The problem is that sometimes the teacher is already there, or only a few students are there when he or she walks in, and then the rules (in a figurative sense) are not clear. And sometimes we stand sometimes we don't. Which is fine - I watch the people around me and follow their lead. The only problem is when I'm at the front of the class and I don't notice all the people behind me standing up and I don't follow their lead. And there I am sitting when everyone else stands. More than slightly awkward...

13. Quizzes
Grades here are based solely on quizzes. You do homework, and teachers may or may not look to see whether or not you did it, but you get no points for doing it, neither for class work. Tests are everything. Take your pick whether that's a good or a bad thing.

14. Leftovers
It's considered not very high class, here, to take leftovers away from a restaurant. My impression is that if you ask for a box, you'll get one, but you may also get a few strange looks for asking. It's just not something you do - so sad, since the food is always amazing.

15. Grades
The Belgian grading system is very similar to the US, but there are a few slight differences. An A is 85-100 rather than 90-100, though the rest of the letters correspond to 10 points each. That makes a B 75-85, a C 65 - 75, and so on. A D is a passing grade, but a failing grade can be an F (0-45), but you can also get an E (45-55)! I always wondering why we did use E. Also, you can get a B, a B+ like the US, but on top of that there is B++ (and C++, and so on).