[ybqfibna] Learn to swim

PSA: Some advice for learning to swim for the purpose of passing the swim test.

1. This will take a while, so I list it first.  Get fat!  My metabolism slowed with middle age, I gained weight, and suddenly I found I could swim a whole lot easier!  I think it's a sudden threshold of when your body density becomes less than water, it just floats on its own.  While it is detrimental to your health to be fat, you also face a significant quality of life degradation if you fail to graduate because of the swim test.

2. Learn to swim slow.  The swim test has no time limit, so you can swim as slow as you want.  After accomplishing point #1, and your body just floats, you just need to move your arms and legs to move.  If your body does not just float on its own, you need to stroke frequently enough to provide enough upward force to keep from sinking.  The swim test will be a lot easier if not accompanied by panic.

3. Learn in the teaching pool.  It is shallow enough to wade.  Your first attempts will be just a few feet, so you can always stand up and stop.  Also, that pool is kept a few degrees warmer than the main pool, making it less annoying to enter and stay in if you're not used to swimming.

4. Get goggles.  Swimming is disorienting enough at first without the additional challenge of closing your eyes or the pain of the chlorination in your eyes.