snort @ mod
One more thing I thought of to add–regarding what you say here:
I have my own views, and I don’t mind sharing them, which doesn’t always endear me to people. It’s more that I have a very out-of-the-box viewpoint and I don’t mind debating people on their views. The argumentativeness is something I’m working on cutting down on, because I’m aware it’s not always very appreciated, but I’ll go bonkers if I sit all year in a bais yaakovish sem trying to let everything go over my head and not say anything, like my mom tells me I should. My head would explode. I want to learn, but I don’t want the learning shoveled into my ear, either, and I don’t want to have to let it all trickle out the other ear or force it to stay in my brain and not be able to ask about it.
apart from the classes having a total lack of teachers-shoveling-material-down-gullets (they are half preparation of sources and half discussion and analysis of said sources), the best thing about Machon Raaya is that EVERYONE there is like that–opinionated, like to discuss their opinions, and open to expanding their views. That is definitely what I felt like I gained most there–finding people who shared my interests that I can discuss things, argue, and really just speak with.
really edited this this time