It was actually 16, not 15 (typo/miswrite of the script), but yeah, Ardra really took on full courseloads. Not having a life certainly helps.
The last panel and the buildup to it made me think of "Girl Genius" too. Glad I wasn't the only one!
Ardra's belt buckle actually contains several small tools, which she sometimes uses to conduct experiments while she's out of the house. Remember the tool kit from this comic?
http://www.ardracomic.com/comic/113? She puts that in her belt buckle now. It's the Bruce Wayne model.

Ardra was really wanting a drastic change in her life, so she decided to immerse herself in a different culture, while learning a useful skill.