Fourth & Fifth Weeks of A-100

We keep learning about all kinds of topics. The ones about how foreign policy is made in the interagency process were interesting. Our class continues to ask lots of questions. There are a number of us who ask something at almost every session; I'm afraid I myself end up asking a question at least once or twice a day, although I try not to if I don't think it will be of interest to most other people in th room. The speakers are just so interesting, it's great that we have the opportunity to hear from them!

We also broke out into three sub-classes for some sessions, including a "Composure Under Fire" workshop in which we learned how to field tough questions about U.S. policy, and a "Public Speaking" one in which they recorded us giving a speech on DVD so we can watch ourselves at home and critique what we did well and what we should try to improve. Although those tasks are difficult, I kind of hope that my job will include them, because they can also be an exciting challenge and also, frankly, a lot of fun.

Over the course of A-100 there were four sessions scheduled of "Diplomatic History", but I only attended the third one because I had my Korean, Spanish and German tests scheduled during the others. From what other classmates tell me, the schedulers did a good job of choosing which parts of A-100 I wouldn't mind missing. In any case, my language test scores in all three of those were not high enough to get me off "language probation" (in order to move to the mid-level of the Foreign Service, you need to demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language), but my score in each was more than half-way to the required score for that language, meaning even if I get a full course in one language I can still also have a "top-off" course in any of the languages I tested in, even before moving to the mid-level. Without qualifying for a top-off, entry-level officers can only have one language course.