He's really quite good at physics up to electromagnetics and math, and passable on the general biology/ecology type questions, and does well at anything that is pure intelligence instead of specific subject knowledge. Everything else is much more spotty.

He gets wildly variable results. The website tries to sell him study guides in areas he's weak on.

'34/100' doesn't feel like anything and neither does '97/100'. The important part is what his guide thinks about these scores, so he reports them to him.

"- we wouldn't usually admit a student with those scores without exceptional circumstances but you have exceptional circumstances. We might assign you your own orange for accommodations and catchup tutoring."

I'm not sure it actually makes that much sense for me to follow a traditional green track. I'm not looking to get a green degree and then a green job - I just want to learn what you all have learned, specifically the science, and maybe art.

"Maybe what you want is to audit the courses?"

Yes, maybe. Well, I'm not entirely sure what I want but it seems like it's probably not shaped the same way as what an average green wants? All of this is very new. Perhaps I could try that for a few months and then see if I want a whole year or two of study here?

"We can probably set that up."

Perhaps I would prefer that. Spend a lot of my time in a rented place making art, and some of it learning science at my own pace. That sounds nice. I'm supposed to sit in on a class to see what it's like next, yes?

"That's right. This way."

The class is Intro to Telecommunications and they are talking about wifi today.

He's visibly anxious at the crowd of students and the frisson of attention he gets, but makes his crest feathers lie flat again.

-Should I sit in a corner or what- 

"Yeah, how about back here out of the way -"

When they're settled in the instructor delivers a lecture on how wifi works and what makes it do various useful things.

Oh wow, this is so much more informative than attempting to decipher Summary Bank. He holds stock-still (except for his tail) and pays careful attention.

The lecture is two hours long and ends with assigned reading and a reminder to do the online progress quiz.

Two hours is not nearly enough to strain his patience, though it's a little bit irksome that apparently nobody gets to ask questions.

This is the biggest thing I wanted to try and I like it a lot. Listening to a mind that understands the topic is so much easier than reading. I understand there are discussion sections, practical sections? While I am used to one-on-one teaching this style is informative enough that it's worth paying for and being stuffed into a room with too many people.

"There are those, yes, with TAs or sometimes just in smaller groups with the professor."

His tail does a happy motion. 

I am going to learn so many things! It will be excellent.

"Do you want to come to my office and work out an auditing plan now, or do you need a while to think, or ask more questions?"

Yes! This is a thing I want to do! I will have lost nothing irreplaceable if it doesn't work out. Is there some workspace I can rent and receive deliveries and ship from? I want to keep making sculptures.

"The university doesn't rent out space unless you count the dorms; do you need help finding something in town?"

I doubt you want me melting glass in the dorms. Yes, I want some nearby place to be before working out an auditing plan. I could probably figure it out on my own, if your job doesn't extend to that.

"It doesn't exactly but if you ran into a problem looking into it on your own I could try to help."

I will make the attempt on my own, then!

-Ah, I do need to apply for Tapai residency still. So perhaps I should fly back to the conference and set another time to come here and set up an auditing plan.

"Okay, that works for me. When would you like to plan to return?"

Any time past tomorrow.