Schools: Coursework

Classes

School life is a central part of our setting, and while in-class roleplay is uncommon, roleplay relating to one's classes is not. Homework, studying for exams, commiserating about teachers, academic rivalries, getting excited for one's favorite subject being taught at along last; there's endless potential.

There are seven classes a day in the school schedule, at all three schools. Students remain in the same classroom while the teachers move around, with occasional exceptions dictated by necessity, such as for a science lab or cooking class, and, of course, the gym.

Continuous

These classes are taught year-round to everyone.

• Japanese - Composition, literature, poetry, and culture. Kanji, kanji, kanji.
• Social Studies - Japanese and World History and Geography, plus civics: the study of government, and the rights and duties of citizens.
• Mathematics - From K-12, from arithmetic to calculus. For the curious: middle schoolers are doing a more rigorous version of US Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II/Trigonometry in grades 7-9 respectively.
• Science - The physical and life sciences. Some degree of laboratory projects every year.
• Physical Education - The care and keeping of the body, preferably through games.
• English - Starting in middle school, everyone learns English, with a focus on comprehension over communication.

Occasional

These classes are taught every once in a while, but not every semester. Foreign Language, Dance, and Magic are never taught normally, but can be pursued. A few characters who are so defined by formal enrollment in a particular course, in a way that cannot be represented with club involvement, can alter their course of study to include some of these full-time.

• Health - Either intolerably gross or hideously embarrassing. Occasionally both at the same time.
• Music - Everyone gets to sing and play the recorder. Everyone.
• Fine Arts - Painting and sculpture get the most focus, with a side of calligraphy.
• Practical Arts - Shop class and other crafts, plus home economics: cooking, sewing, money management, and the occasional field trip to the cake factory.
• Philosophy and Ethics - Japan believes in providing a firm ethical grounding for their future.
• Sociology - The study of people by people for people. Often focused on self-improvement within society.
• Politics and Economics - Distinct from Social Studies, wherein civics is ultimately about personal involvement; the study of local, regional, national and international politics, economies, and current events.
• Foreign Language - Non-English options. The most common variant, as an extra language is very much a reasonable course of study.
• Dance - Usually ballet at Infinity Institute; folk dances and the like are occasionally featured in Physical Education.
• Magic - Only taught formally at Infinity Institute. A mix of theory and practice, with emphasis on the former. There are a range of classes, but they all fall under this heading.

Grades

Our grading model is comparative and narrative, rather than 'A-F'. We encourage you to let go of the Western model that an "average" grade (like a C) is a mark of inadequacy. Grades can be viewed and updated at any time with the +grade commands. Note that grades are essentially a matter of IC public record, as exam scores are routinely posted in order to motivate students.

• Top-Tier - On BF it is entirely normal for a pack of PCs to be tied, or in a tight enough cluster above the rest to make no difference, at the top of the class, with no definitive #1. Given the competitiveness and difficulty of the material, only truly talented and passionate scholars should achieve scores like this (because their very existence defines the tier and ruins the curve, so to speak). It's not enough for a character to be passionate about a subject; they should be defined by their formal academic super-success in that subject. (Not everyone is an Ami Mizuno, nor should they tie her, even in their favorite subject. It is not shameful to not be Top-Tier; rather, to be Top-Tier denotes academic obsession that is often ironically isolating rather than the cause of admiration.)
• Excellent - Grades to be very proud of indeed, a score like this is highly respected and bodes well for future endeavors. It takes both intelligence and dedication to score this high, but is not uncommon.
• Good - No shame in getting a grade like this; parents will buy a kid ice cream anyway, and peers will give you respect and admiration. Someone phenomenally bright who is too busy to study their hardest could maybe scrape this score; someone who struggles in a subject but strives mightily to do their best might get the same.
• Average - The bulk of the class; adequate but unexceptional. It takes actual work to be able to achieve an average score, especially given the time-consuming distraction of the supernatural; coursework is very challenging in our setting!
• Poor - It's not a failing grade, but it isn't a great one, either. Very common for magical girls whose attentions are focused on their secret life at the expense of their coursework. Parents will be unhappy, friends will commisserate. There's still hope.
• Bottom-Barrel - In serious trouble. On the razor edge of a failure without quite having to make up the class. Parents will be really (and rightfully) outraged; peers may be more embarrassed than supportive, though mileage naturally varies.
• Failing - DUN DUN DUNNN. Not actually recommended: only actually literally fail a class if you want to heavily roleplay having to constantly be studying for make-up tests over the breaks, and probably really extreme parental consequences like 'grounding', both of which tend to inhibit rather than improve roleplay.

For more information, please see: Schools