busybusybusybusy
The good thing about 12-week semesters: the end of the semester doesn’t seem like it drags out for five years like it does with UI’s 16-week semesters.
The bad thing about 12-week semesters: when you’re used to 16-week semesters, it always seems like a real push to get everything done in that last week.
BLAH I HAVE NO TIME FOR BLOGGING, SORRY.
Yes, I’m going to keep doing these until the U of I no longer exists
The UI schedule for fall is out! You know what this means…
HYPOTHETICAL SCHEDULE MAKING TIME!
Because why not.
There’s only one stats class posted for the fall that I haven’t already taken, and most of the math classes are super upper division stuff that I don’t think I could ever do, so let’s make it an artsy-fartsy semester, eh?
MTHF
GERM 101: Elementary German I (9:30 -10:20)
MWF
STAT 507: Experimental Design (12:30 – 1:45)
TR
ART 111: Drawing I (10:30 – 12:20)
ART 261: Ceramics I (2:30 – 5:20)
W
GERM 101L: Elementary German I Lab (9:30 – 10:20)
That’s only 13 credits! There’s not a very good offering in the fall.
SOUL DESTROYER
For my presentation* in my seminar class, I’m basically presenting some of the main results of my MA thesis. This has required me to dredge up this old notebook from way back when.
This notebook brings back bad memories.
This notebook brings back thoughts of UBC.
This notebook brings back thoughts of how, every morning, I would dread going to campus with every fiber of my being.
This notebook brings back thoughts of how I would have a panic attack every Thursday because Thursday was the day I was supposed to meet with my supervisor.
This notebook brings back thoughts of how much I eventually stopped caring about school—something I hate admitting even now.
This notebook reminds me that I lost two years of my early twenties to misery, fear, dread, and depression, among other things.
This notebook brings back bad memories.
Aaaaaaaand now I’m sad.
*You may be asking, “if this brings back so many bad memories, why the hell are you doing your presentation on your old thesis results? Because the presentation is focused more on our presentation skills rather than the content, so it was recommended that we just use some results/ideas that we’ve come up with in the past and focus on the “presenting” part rather than try to come up with something new.
BOOSH
Hey, so it turns out that I won a Graduate Assistant Teaching Excellence Award for my TA work last semester. Snazzy!
Actually, I think I was the last person to find out I was one of the five six winners, considering the fact that an email regarding the awards was sent out last week to everyone but me, haha. I only found out once someone said congratulations to me and I had to ask, “For what?”
Also, Multivariate Analysis looks like it’s going to be awesome. We indeed get to do factor analysis. Expect nothing but joyful screeching that week.
Edit: I guess all the other four winners are from pure/applied math. I’m the only one from stats. Badass!
Edit 2: holy crap, I get $600 as part of that award? Badass!
Mitten Manufacturing: A Labor of Glove
What the heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell.
Alright, so Dr. Chen had our grades in for 701 last week. I got a B+, which is certainly not stellar by any means. However, the fact that it’s a B+ and not an A- (or maybe even an A) is most likely due to my low score on the first midterm. Why did I get a low score on the first midterm? Because I’m me and I panicked on it, which caused me to make a really dumb mistake on a question I knew how to do. I was able to catch the mistake and fix it during the test, but doing so cost me so much time that I was unable to even answer one of the other two questions, which got me a super low score on that third of the test.
But we’re not here to talk about 701.
We’re here to talk about 601, the class that I was really worried about. Up here we need a B- to “pass” a class* but are only allowed to have two B- grades every two semesters. So really we all want B’s or better. Calculating my grade before the project, I pretty much needed a perfect score on said project to get a B overall. And even though I was feeling fairly confident about the project after I’d finished it last week, I figured there was no way in hell I’d gotten a perfect score.
So I checked my grade today and somehow I pulled off an A- in 601. As you might expect, I’m pretty pleasantly shocked. He must have really curved things at the end. Either that or my presentation ROCKED HIS SOCKS.
But I’m guessing he just really curved things at the end.
Either way, though, I’m relieved. I was really worried throughout this semester that I’d do so poorly that they’d kick me out. Seriously. I’m the only** statistics student from the United States, too. Gotta represent!
*A note for my American readers out there (which I think is almost everyone): Canada grades are different than US grades in the sense that for us US people, a B is equivalent to a grade anywhere from 80% to 89% (at least in most cases). Here it varies slightly by class, but a B in 601 is a grade anywhere from 76% to 79.5%. That may make it sound “easier” to get a B, but compared to US grading, they’re quite a bit tougher up here. Both UWO and UBC were like that, too.
**I definitely know I’m the only incoming US stats student, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only US stats student in the entire department right now, too.
End!
Okay, NOW I am officially done with the semester! Turned in my final paper and the corresponding data and R code. My grade will be what it will be—there’s nothing I can do to influence it now.
I also went on a nice 13-mile walk, which was especially awesome considering the fact that I have basically walked ZERO miles over the past week due to all the panic.
I wonder if the end-of-semester sadness is going to kick in this year. I haven’t felt it over the past few semesters, but who knows. That used to hit me really hard, man. Especially in the summer.
I should distract myself by packing. Instead, I’m going to distract myself by playing Quake. Non-semester mode, ACTIVATE!
(Sorry I’m so boring.)
My anaconda don’t want Huns unless we got Mulan, son
I am DONE with this semester!
Well, almost. I gave my final presentation in 601 today, but I still have to turn in my paper by the 15th. No big deal, though, ‘cause it’s already about 97% written.
So have some Ray to celebrate, because Ray is awesome.
Relief (sort of)
So this morning was the final for STAT 701.
(And I accidentally went to the wrong room at first because I totally forgot our final was in a different room than our normal one. Oops.)
It…it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, actually. There were a few super specific questions, but there were also questions that were very similar to the questions on our previous midterms.
So yeah. Now all I can do is wait for my grade and hope that I did well enough.
But that’s a huuuuuuuuuuge stress gone, at least. Now all I have to do is worry about my 601 project, which I’m really not too concerned about, since it’s just analyzing some data and then presenting said analysis, which is something I love doing, especially since I get to make a POWERPOINT!
(I love PowerPoint.)
Right now, however, all I’m going to do is go home and rock out to music for the rest of the evening.
Shock and Awful
I am inadequaaaaaaaate why am I even in grad school?
(It’s one of those days, sorry.)
(No, I’m not sorry.)
(I can feel like an incompetent piece of nonsense if I want to, dammit.)
(And I want to.)
(Parentheses.)
[I can also feel inadequate because I totally skipped over this post back in November when I was supposed to post it.]
Best Part of the Year
GUYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYZ IT’S SCHEDULE TIIIIIIIIIIIME!
Hi.
Okay, so…good news! I don’t have to take Stochastic Methods: U of C Version! I get to take two classes I REALLY am excited for!
Next semester’s classes include:
STAT 517: Practice of Statistics
This is technically for senior undergrads, but we can take up to two 500-level courses as grad students and have them count. This one is taught by my supervisor, Dr. Chen, and he recommended I take it, so there ya go. Apparently this is like a “real world stats” class intended for students going out into the work force as statisticians. Says the official description: “The emphasis is on how to address real world scientific and social issues by applying the various statistical methods acquired in the earlier years in a unified and appropriate way. This involves method selection, data handling, statistical computing, consulting, report writing and oral presentation, team work, and ethics.” Apart from the teamwork aspect, YAY.
STAT 621B: Research Seminar
This is a year-long course, so I’m already in it and know what it involves. It’s actually a cross-listed seminar required for all the statistics, pure math, and applied math students, and we all have to give a talk on a research topic of interest. This semester all the math people are going and it’s actually been really interesting stuff so far. I can’t wait ‘till I get to tell them about MEASURING MODEL FIT!
STAT 625: Multivariate Analysis
I’ve had like forty* multivariate analysis classes, but according to Dr. Chen, this one will focus more on the theoretical side rather than the applied side. Which will be super cool. If we get to do factor analysis, I’m going to pee my pants from joy.
ALSO:
U of I schedule is out!!!! Time to make my fake schedule for Spring 2015:
MWF
MATH 386: Theory of Numbers (9:30 – 10:20)
HIST 350: The Age of Enlightenment (11:30 – 12:20)
STAT 516: Applied Regression Modeling (12:30 – 1:20)
MUSA 317: University Chorus (2:30 – 3:20)
MW
ENGL 492: Advanced Fiction Writing (5:00 – 6:20) (I don’t care that I’ve already taken this)
TH
ART 241: Sculpture 1 (8:30 – 11:20)
PHIL 325: Existentialism (12:30 – 1:45)
Why does UI start offering the badass classes AS SOON AS I LEAVE? A lot of other good ones overlapped with these though (Concert Band, for one, which is why I’ve got University Chorus on there. I haven’t sung since elementary school but WHO’S GONNA STOP ME?!), so it would be hard to do this for real.
*Two. I’ve had two multivariate analysis classes.
F(l)ail
(This was supposed to be yesterday’s blog, but in the wake of the Ottawa incident, I decided to delay it until today)
The bad: So that midterm I had last Friday? 19/30.
The “good”: The class average on that midterm I had last Friday? 15/30. All the people I study with got 14s. The obscenely smart 2nd year guy got like a 25. A few people got a “see me” written on their tests by the prof (not sure who, though).
Seriously, a 19 out of 30 BLOWS HEAVY METAL DICKS, but I probably would have gotten a higher grade had I actually finished (I accidentally screwed up on one question and had to go back and correct a bunch of math and lost a lot of time), so there’s that. Also, a 19/30 is a 63%, which is actually a high C here. Also also, this midterm (and the next one) are each only worth 20% of our grade.
So I’m certainly not proud, but I’m not in panic mode (yet).
Edit: I talked to my supervisor (who teaches the class, haha), and he said my grade was actually one of the highest ones and told me not to panic. He said some people got 7s and 8s.
So yeah.
Stop blaming it on the bossa nova. The poor guy just wants some friends.
No Canadian Mall installment today, ‘cause the majority of the day was spent driving to EDMONTON with the rest of the new stats grad students.
It was pretty meh. You can tell that the city’s waaaay older than Calgary. Same thing with the university, which reminded me of UI except it was like 20 times bigger. It’s also flatter than hell up there. We drove down one hill and got all excited for the change in elevation.
Also this:
The ride back was spent listing super nitpicky reasons why Calgary > Edmonton (examples: “Edmonton’s buses are ugly!”, “WE have a bridge that lights up, too!”, “OUR sunset is better!”, etc.)
Also, you’d think stats grad students would have high enough spatial skills (or memory) to recall where we parked the rental van.
Or how to get back out of Edmonton and onto the highway.
Nope.
I Write Tragedies, not Sins. OH WAIT THAT’S WRONG—
START BLOG!
Finally updated my “About” page to reflect the changes that have occurred over the past few months.
Uh, yeah.
Also, I basically condensed 23 complete pages of notes onto 1 side of a 8.5”x11” sheet of paper for my midterm, ‘cause of my MINISCULE HANDWRITING!
I always like it when professors allow “cheat sheets” on exams, mainly because by the time I’ve made the final version, I’ve written everything down so many times that I don’t even need the sheet on the test.
Which is probably half the point of making a cheat sheet anyway.
END BLOG!
Grad School: Round 2.5
SCHOOOOOOOOOOOOL!
I’m only taking two classes (plus the seminar course) this semester, but I’m also TA-ing two labs (which will start next week) and running two hours of the continuous stats tutorial (which is Canadian for “drop-in stats help” similar to the way we do it at UI).
I had Stat 701: Probability this morning. It’s taught by my supervisor, Dr. Chen, who seems super cool (even though I haven’t met him one-on-one yet).
I also don’t have access to my office yet ‘cause they lost the key (?!), but hopefully they’ll find it sometime this week. In the meantime, I’m hanging out in the giant Taylor Family Digital Library, which is huge and warm and library-ey.
YAY!
(These blogs will get more interesting soon, I promise. I’m still getting into the swing of things up here and so I don’t really have much to say.)
Social Time
So today was “math/stats graduate student department orientation day” and what happens to me a half an hour before I’m ready to go to campus? A freaking migraine aura! So I stumbled around all my unpacked crap to find my Excedrin (luckily it was accessible), stumbled around trying to get dressed, then finally got to the math/stats building with help from my mom, ‘cause I couldn’t see a damn thing.
I also learned that while neither sound nor light bothers me when I’m having my aura (or the headache following it), riding in the car makes me want to puke up my soul.
Luckily, my vision started to return about an hour into orientation and I’d taken the Excedrin early enough so that I didn’t have a SUPER bad migraine, and by 11 or so I felt back to normal.
The universe is sure giving me a rough time about Grad School Part 2.5, lemme tell ya.
I wish they’d had these when I was a kid
This would have helped me so much in elementary school, you have no idea. I definitely think best when I’m moving (especially if it’s “light” activity like shaking my foot or even walking); I remember having trouble sitting still in elementary school just because I knew my thought process was a lot “fuzzier” if I had to stay motionless. Luckily my second grade teacher was super chill and liked me a lot; I remember swinging my legs and kicking the legs of my chair so much that I’d actually move my desk all the way across the tile floor.
Anyway, it’s not surprising to me that this would be beneficial to a LOT of students. And hell, if we’re starting to take away their recess time, at least let them freaking bounce their feet in class.
I’m tempted to buy one for my office in Calgary.
Fake Schedules are Just as Fun
Hello friends!
To distract myself from the craptastic summer this is becoming, I made myself a “fake” schedule for next semester. This is what I’d be taking if I were to stay at UI in the fall:
MWF
HIST 404: History of Science – 9:30 – 10:20
MATH 315: Topics in Pure Mathematics – 10:30 – 11:20
PHYS 103: General Astronomy – 11:30 – 12:20
MATH 388: History of Mathematics – 1:30 – 2:20
STAT 565: Computer Intensive Statistics – 2:30 – 3:20
TR
MUSA 321: Concert Band – 4:30 – 5:20
T
PHYS 104: General Astronomy Lab – 5:30 – 7:20 (T)
Yes, I would choose History of Mathematics over Intro to Analysis I, which is required for the “general” math degree option but conflicts with History of Math. I WANT TO TAKE THAT CLASS SO FREAKING BADLY.
Also, I’d take Astronomy because I would like to take that class. It doesn’t do anything for any degrees I would (likely) be trying to pursue.
FINALLY
I’ve decided. Have a look at where I’ll be living in a few months.
I’mma go throw up from anxiety now.
List Time!
So I’m trying to make this Calgary vs. Ottawa decision as objectively as possible, but I’m still having a lot of trouble with it. You might be thinking, “hey, you idiot, it’s not that hard of a decision.”
Well, it is for me, okay?
So let me look at the pros and cons for both choices and see if that helps me decide.
Calgary PROs:
- University of Calgary is a research university and it’s ranked fairly high in Canada.
- I’m already in love with the city, even after just watching some walking tours on YouTube.
- I’d be about the same distance away from Moscow as I was in Vancouver, which was a pretty ideal distance.
- The move up there won’t be too expensive and will only take a day (or two).
- Mayor Nenshi!
Calgary CONs:
- Monthly rent is approximately the same as in Vancouver (i.e., expensive).
- Since my original supervisor is leaving, I’m basically going to get stuck with someone who didn’t originally want me. That’s really stressful to me, especially given my last supervisor/student relationship and how horrible that whole thing was.
- I’m scared of the city flooding as badly as it did last summer.
Ottawa PROs:
- My supervisor who’s moving there seems like a really nice and genuine person and really wants me to work with him.
- I’d get more money there, especially if I decided to be a TA.
- Lower cost of living than Calgary.
- It’s the capital of Canada! How cool?
- Carleton University (where my supervisor’s headed) has a math department that does a lot of things jointly with the University of Ottawa, which means a more diverse offering of classes.
Ottawa CONs:
- I’d have to move all the freaking way across the continent again. Expensive and time-consuming and stressful.
- I’m not “feeling” the city of Ottawa the same way as Calgary.
- Carleton isn’t a research university. It’s actually the level below a true university, which is a bit concerning to me (it’s on the same level as Simon-Fraser University, which is a “comprehensive university” and not a research university).
- I already have my study permit for Calgary; I’d have to get that changed if I go to a different school. PLUS I’d have to get all sorts of new paperwork showing that Carleton “accepted” me.
- If I end up going for a PhD, one of the requirements that must be fulfilled is that I’d have to be fluent in another language enough so that I could read and comprehend a mathematical paper in said other language. While that’s a good skill to have, obviously, I am about as unilingual as a person can get and I don’t know if I even have the capacity to learn another language. Y’know, ‘cause I’m an idiot.
- I’m scared of Quebec.
THAT DIDN’T HELP AT ALL.
WOO
I graduated!
In my defense, there was a Master’s degree and a year off in between those two degrees, so yeah.
And yes, I dropped down to magna cum laude from summa. I got a B in Stochastic Methods and I HATE MYSELF FOR IT.
FARTFARTFARTFART time for Minecraft.
…
All I’ll ever be is a disappointment.
Eigenblogger 