Tag Archives: college

OH GOD THE SPRING 2021 UI SCHEDULE IS UP – COMMENCE FAKE SCHEDULE BUILDING!!!!

(Sorry, I’m excited.)

M/W
ENGL 391: Intermediate Poetry Writing (3:30 PM – 4:45 PM)

M/W/F
MATH 504: Fourier Analysis (1:30 PM – 2:20 PM)
GEOL 435: Glaciology and the Dynamic Frozen Earth (2:30 PM – 3:20 PM)

T
GEOL 404: Geology of the Pacific NW (3:30 PM – 5:00 PM)

T/R
IFIT: Advanced Wall Climbing (9:30 AM – 10:20 AM)
FCS 275: Experimental Foods Lab (12:30 PM – 2:30 PM)
CS 453: Advanced Robotics I (5:00 PM – 6:15 PM)

SUPA FUN!

An Exercise in Fucking Around

What up, NERDS?!?!?!?

So today, let’s do something that – for whatever reason – I’ve never done before: let’s make a semester class schedule for U of C rather than UI!

And just for funsies, I’m going to do one for last semester (Winter 2020) rather than the upcoming fall semester, since COVID botched up everything and the vast majority of classes will be online in the fall. I want to make a fake schedule where I have to actually plan out the course meeting times as well.

Because that’s how I roll with these things.

GO!

M/W/F
CPSC 491: Techniques for Numerical Computation (9:00 – 9:50)
STAT 533: Survival Methods (10:00 – 10:50)
HIST 361: The United States Since 1877 (14:00 – 14:50)

W/F
CPSC 491: Techniques for Numerical Computation Tutorial (13:00 – 13:50)

M
GEOG 310: Landforms and Soils Lab (13:00 – 13:50)

W
ENGL 594:  Studies in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction (18:00 – 20:45)

F
STAT 533: Survival Methods Tutorial (16:00 – 16:50)

T/H
GEOG 310: Landforms and Soils (9:30 – 10:45)
ART 341: Drawing the Figure (11:15 – 12:30)
ART 341: Drawing the Figure Lab (12:30 – 13:45)
DRAM 413: Directing I (15:30 – 17:20)

Woo!

I AM IN PANIC MODE SO HERE’S A U OF I COURSE SCHEDULE

EEEEEEEE I’m nervous about stuff. Let’s pretend I’m going back to undergrad at the U of I this coming semester. What would I take?

M
JAMM 323: Sports Reporting – 15:30 – 18:20

M/W/F
MATH 555: Groups and Fields I – 8:30 – 9:20
CS 121: Computer Science II – 10:30 – 11:20
GEOG 390: Cartographic Design and Geovisualization – 12:30 – 13:20
MATH 575: Graph Theory I – 13:30 – 14:20

T/H
GEOG 313: Global Climate Change – 9:30 – 10:45
FS 110: Introduction to Food Science – 11:00 – 12:15
ENGL 419: Writing for the Web – 12:30 – 13:45

Yes, I know I’ve done this like ten times. I don’t care, it’s fun.

Also, that set of classes is 24 credits total, but we all know I gave zero shits about credit caps when I was actually in school (and in fact had one semester with 25 credits), so…

I miss my friendies.

I am extra lonely tonight for some really weird reason. So I’ve been thinking of friends of the past (since I don’t really have any friends right now).

I’ve had three main groups of friends in my life (I don’t count elementary school, ‘cause all those “friends” I had in first and second grade were quick to abandon me once I was deemed “uncool”): my high school group, the band geek group in college, and the guys at the house in college.

Things that remind me of my high school friends:

  • Being hooligans in the hallway during lunchtime.
  • That one lady (I don’t know if she was a teacher’s aide or what) who thought our shenanigans were hilarious.
  • That one guy who thought our shenanigans were blasphemous.
  • Harassing Alan.
  • Harassing Aneel.
  • Those stupid cardboard stilts that almost killed me in the bathroom.
  • Going to the Co-Op, buying a loaf of bread, and then just sharing that amongst us for our lunch.
  • Zach and those “Emergen-C” pouches. He would just chug those.
  • That time I accidentally* threw the loaf of bread at Aneel and almost got detention.
  • Stalking Lead around. All the time.
  • That stupid “porn” reading of “To Kill a Mockingbird” that I did that had everyone cackling.
  • Prom dress shopping at Ross!
  • Being hooligans in that field across from the university.
  • MSN conversations!

Things that remind me of my band geek group:

  • Band (duh).
  • Playing at the football games while paying zero attention to the game itself.
  • “Please touch my butt…please touch my butt!”
  • Being hooligans at Shari’s.
  • Being hooligans at Denny’s.
  • Drag shows!
  • Rock Band basement parties at my dad’s.
  • That basement party that was basically an orgy, let’s not lie.
  • That time we all drove out to Idler’s Rest and spent half the night crying/venting about how our lives were not what we wanted at the time.
  • R O B  D R A M A
  • The nerd-fest that was the band table in the Commons. Oh my god, that table was fun.

Things that remind me of the guys in the house:

  • NOODLE FRIDAYS.
  • Incessant Rock Band playing.
  • Quoting pretty much every viral YouTube video from 2008.
  • All the weird relationships in that house.
  • Getting impulse piercings in Missoula.
  • Late night conversations with Sean (he got off work after midnight and I was always the only one still up).
  • Reliving our childhoods via movies on Netflix (and making fun of said movies).
  • Being hooligans in Shari’s.
  • Otter Pops!

I miss having friends.

*It really was an accident. I was swinging the bread bag around like a nun chuck and the bread launched through the bottom seam and nailed him in the face. Right in front of our security guard.

Sigh…

I miss undergrad. Especially that group of math nerds I hung out with while I was getting my math degree. Mostly because we did this kind of nonsense when we were supposed to be studying.

10-15-2017

JUBL

It is taking

EVERY
FIBER
OF MY BEING

to resist applying for an undergraduate degree here. Any undergraduate degree. Hell, throw ‘em all in a hat and let me pick one that way.

You know how normal people have these primal psychological/physical urges to do things like eat and sleep and make babies?

I have that for school.

What’s up with that, seriously?

Twas the night before blogmas

Who wants to make a fake Fall 2017 UI class schedule with me?

No one?

FINE SCREW YOU ALL I’MMA DO IT BY MYSELF

M/W/F
HIST 350: The Age of Enlightenment: European Culture & Ideas, 1680 – 1800 (11:30 – 12:20)
PEB 106: Cardio Blast (12:30 – 1:20)
CS 328: Introduction to Computer Game Development (1:30 – 2:20)
MATH 438: Mathematical Modeling (3:30 – 4:20)

T/H
THE 441: Foundations of Screenwriting (11:00 – 12:15)
THE 471: Directing (3:30 – 5:20)

Man, what’s happened to the UI’s philosophy department? It’s dead.

Also, this is getting harder and harder to do without repeating classes I’ve picked in previous fake schedules.

BACK2COOL

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNFFFF I have such an urge to go back to undergrad and get another degree.

I really want to study physics for some reason, though I’m pretty sure I’m not smart enough to study physics. Of course, I never thought I’d be able to get a math degree (or a Masters in stats), so there ya go.

But seriously. Look at all these options at U of C. I want to explore all of them. I’m pretty sure if I ever won the lottery (or somehow ended up with a lot of money some other way) I’d just be a student for the rest of my life. How awesome would that be?

SPRING 2017 UI SCHEDULE, BITCHES

Yo.

So it’s time for that semi-annual joy of joys event: making a fake UI schedule for the upcoming semester.
Because even when I’m no longer in school, I’m always in school in my mind.

Let’s do it!

M/W/F
PEB 106: Road & Trail Running (8:00 – 9:15)
CS 210: Programming Languages (9:30 – 10:20)
STAT 504: Introduction to Bayesian Statistics (10:30 – 11:20)
MATH 536: Probability Theory (11:30 – 12:20)
PLSC 205: General Botany (1:30 – 2:20)
MATH 476: Combinatorics (3:30 – 4:20)

T/H
PLSC 205: General Botany Lab (9:30 – 12:20 T)
MUSA 121: Concert Band (12:30 – 1:45)
GEOG 401: Climatology (2:00 – 3:15)

This is a few more credits than you’re allowed per semester, but since when did I ever pay attention to that even when I was actually in school?

FAKE CLASS SCHEDULE OMFG

HEY, SO…

The Spring 2016 class schedule is out for the U of I. YAY! Time to make a fake schedule!
This schedule’s going to be filled with basically all the classes I find interesting rather than ones that I have the prerequisites for.

‘Cause why not.

LIFE IS SHORT; TAKE CLASSES YOU’RE NOT PREPARED FOR!

M/W/F
MATH 386: Theory of Numbers (9:30 – 10:20)
PLSC 205: General Botany (1:30 – 12:20) (shut up, it sounds cool)

F
THE 440: Playwriting (10:30 – 1:20)

T/H
MUSA 321: Concert Band (12:30 – 1:45)
ENGL 492: Advanced Fiction Writing (2:00 – 3:15) (I actually did take this class, but this time it’s offered with Orozco and he’s fantastic, so I’d take it again)

T
PLSC 205L: General Botany Lab (9:30 – 12:20)

Also: Alex (Dr. Woo) will be teaching Analysis of Algorithms in the spring? OH MY GOD, that would be a fun class to take with him as the prof. Alex is badass.
(Not that it wasn’t a fun class when I took it with Dr. Nielsen—‘cause it was—but Alex has a totally different style.)

Claudia’s Complete Undergraduate Classes: The Comprehensive List that Nobody Asked For

This was inspired by a conversation Nate and I had about the classes we’d taken in college. These are just the undergraduate ones, mainly because I’ve blocked out as much of my UBC experience as I can without physically removing part of the memory section of my brain. But I remember all these semesters!

There is absolutely no purpose for this list, other than perhaps as a reference sheet for myself when I’m old and gray and feel like reminiscing about school.

So yeah.

Fall 2006 (20 credits)

  • CORE 116 (The Sacred Journey): The only reason I took this particular core class was so that I could get that one “international” credit or whatever the hell it was for my psych degree.
  • ENGL 102 (College Writing and Rhetoric): I got to skip 101 because of my SAT scores.
  • MATH 143 (Pre-Calculus Algebra and Analytic Geometry): NO. Screw this class.
  • MUSA 119 (Marching Band): Awesome times!
  • PSYC 101 (Introduction to Psychology): I met Sean in this class! This was also my *very first* college class, since it was the first one I went to on that first day.
  • THEF 100 (Introduction to Theatre): I wrote a play for this class. It was goddamn horrible. My prof liked it though; she said it was like a weird mix between MAD TV and Chekov.
  • THEF 105 (Basics of Performance): We held this class in the combat room in the old gym. Most of our time was spent pretending to be children playing children’s games.

Spring 2007 (20 credits)

  • BIOL 102 (Biology and Society): UGH, BIOLOGY. Had to take this for the psych degree. My prof was cool, though.
  • BIOL 102 L (Biology and Society Lab): Labs are stressful.
  • CORE 166 (The Sacred Journey): Yes, this was a TWO SEMESTER THING. Blaaaah.
  • ENLG 258 (Literature of Western Civilization): This is one of the most impactful classes I ever took. It introduced me to Voltaire and philosophy and how everything across all disciplines really do connect to a certain level. I’m so glad I took this class.
  • ENGL 292 (Beginning Fiction Writing): Yay! I barely got into this class; I was on the waitlist until like the day before classes started.
  • MUSA 121 (Concert Band): Was this the he-brides semester? I think it was.
  • PSYC 310 (Psychology of Personality): Interesting class. My second one with Sean!
  • STAT 251 (Statistical Methods): I was terrified of this class. I had no idea I would be teaching it in five years’ time.

Summer 2007 (6 credits)

  • ENGL 208 (Personal and Exploratory Writing): This would have been a fun class, except for the fact that I was in a major writing slump at the end of the spring semester.
  • PSYC 499 (Directed Study): I had to read a book. That was pretty much it.

Fall 2007 (22 credits)

  • GEOG 100 (Physical Geography): I learned about clouds! This was also the first professor I had who couldn’t write tests. I think all 150+ of us failed the first one. He got better, though!
  • GEOG 100 L (Physical Geography Lab): I repeat: labs are stressful.
  • MATH 160 (Survey of Calculus): Also known as “business calculus.” Hated it. Why do you have a class like this at 8 in the morning? Where is the justice in the world?
  • MUSA 319 (Marching Band)
  • PHIL 320 (History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy): My first philosophy class! No Leibniz yet, though.
  • PSYC 218 (Introduction to Research in the Behavioral Sciences): Dr. Bustamante. That is all.
  • PSYC 320 (Introduction to Social Psychology): This class was surprisingly difficult, believe it or not. Probably because I no longer cared about any other aspect of psych after the glory that was Tests and Measurements.
  • PSYC 430 (Tests and Measurements): YES YES YES YESYESYESYESYES. This was the class that solidified my desire to do quant psych. I would’ve married this class if I could have.

Spring 2008 (25 credits) [God, why did I do this?]

  • MUSA 321 (Concert Band)
  • PHIL 202 (Introduction to Symbolic Logic): This was a really difficult class for me at the time, but Dr. O’Rourke was awesome and helped me learn a lot.
  • PHIL 321 (History of Modern Philosophy): I discover Leibniz and the world is forever changed.
  • PSYC 305 (Developmental Psychology): Meh. I didn’t really care about this class too much.
  • PSYC 456 (Psychology of Emotion): Haha, another Sean class. We had lots of fun trying to decipher the tests.
  • PSYC 330 (Human Sexuality): Very chill and laid back, which is good for an 8:30 AM class.
  • PSYC 499 (I/O Psychology Research): My first research experience! Got to run participants and do stats.
  • STAT 401 (Statistical Analysis): I was also terrified of this class because we had to use SAS and I had no idea what that was. I still have the book we used and the topics are SO EASY now.
  • STAT 422 (Sample Survey Methods): Also terrifying. My first class with Dr. Williams, though, who is awesome.

Summer 2008 (6 credits)

  • PHIL 307 (Buddhism): This was a LOT of work over the summer, but fun.
  • PSYC 311 (Abnormal Psychology): I wish I would have taken this in a classroom setting rather than online.

Fall 2008 (22 credits)

  • MUSA 319 (Marching Band)
  • PHIL 103 (Ethics): We read Watchmen, which makes this whole class worth it.
  • PHIL 351 (Philosophy of Science): I really liked the material in this class, but was at 8 in the morning. Who can think at 8 AM? Not me!
  • PHIL 442 (Philosophy of Mind): Dr. O’Rourke! Very interesting class. Lots of heated debates.
  • PSYC 390 (Psychology of Learning): Online class. Super easy.
  • PSYC 421 (Cognitive Development): There were only like six of us in this class and the prof took a lot of pity on me because he knew I was trying to graduate early and was really stressed out about it.
  • PSYC 499 (I/O Psychology Research)
  • STAT 514 (Nonparametric Statistics): I was the only non-graduate student in this class. I think I needed more math, though.

Spring 2009 (22 credits)

  • ENGL 392 (Intermediate Fiction Writing): This class was taught by Dr. Orozco, who is super cool and really into running writing workshops.
  • MATH 330 (Linear Algebra): No.
  • MUSA 321 (Concert Band)
  • PHIL 240 (Belief and Reality): I was very fortunate that this class was offered when it was; normally it’s just offered in the fall, so I wouldn’t have been able to complete my philosophy degree if that had been the case this year.
  • PHIL 447 (Theory of Knowledge): More Dr. O’Rourke! Less debate, though.
  • PHIL 490 (Senior Seminar): This was a three-hour Thursday only class. Rough.
  • PSYC 499 (I/O Psychology Research)
  • STAT 519 (Multivariate Analysis): YAY, my introduction to R and factor analysis and PCA and all the fun things you can do with multivariate data. Dr Lee rules.

FAST FORWARD!

Fall 2012 (12 credits)

  • ENGL 293 (Beginning Nonfiction Writing): Wrote my Leibniz/Newton story in here. This was also the first class in which I made friends during my second round of undergrad.
  • MATH 170 (Calculus I): I was nervous about calculus after my business calc experience in 2007, but this class was SO MUCH BETTER. My prof was amazing.
  • MUSA 321 (Concert Band): Concert band was not the same without the old group of dorks.
  • STAT 426 (SAS Programming): I’ve forgotten pretty much everything about SAS since I use R so exclusively and so often, haha.

Spring 2013 (15 credits)

  • CS 120 (Computer Science I): Fun and useful class. I wish I had a reason to use C++ more frequently so that I don’t forget how it works.
  • ENGL 393 (Intermediate Nonfiction Writing): The class in which I finally got all the Vancouver out of my system by writing a 50-ish page story about my time there.
  • MATH 175 (Calculus II): This class was pretty rough, but also very enjoyable. I somehow managed to get a 100% on our second test, which doesn’t happen with me and math tests. Ever.
  • MATH 176 (Discrete Mathematics): My first class with Dr. Abo! This was a super interesting and not too difficult class. This was also the first class in which I was explicitly taught summation notation (though I already knew what it was, of course, ‘cause of stats).
  • MUSA 321 (Concert Band)

Summer 2013 (3 Credits)

  • MATH 275 (Calculus III): Best summer class ever. I loved multivariate calc mainly because we got to write the integral symbol so often.

Fall 2013 (13 Credits)

  • ENGL 492 (Advanced Fiction Writing): Easily my favorite writing class, partially because of my classmates and partially because I was able to write two of my best short stories in it.
  • MATH 215 (Introduction to Higher Mathematics): OH MY GOD this was a fun class. Everyone was a total freaking nerd (including our prof) and it was fantastic. I was really nervous about this one, but it was actually pretty easy.
  • MATH 330 (Linear Algebra): Yes, I took linear algebra a second time. I had to make up for that B the first time. Also, Dr. Abo taught it this time around and it was so much better and made so much more sense. It helped that half the hooligans from MATH 215 were in this class as well.
  • MUSA 321 (Concert Band)
  • STAT 451 (Probability Theory): This was quite difficult when I was in it, but looking back on the textbook and comparing it to grad school stats, it’s not that bad at all.

Spring 2014 (13 credits)

  • MATH 395 (Analysis of Algorithms): Very laid-back and interesting class. Sorting algorithms FTW!
  • MATH 420 (Complex Variables): I have such an appreciation for imaginary numbers after this class, man. It makes me feel cool.
  • MUSA 321 (Concert Band)
  • STAT 452 (Mathematical Statistics): I have no idea how I did as well in this class as I did. Luck and fear, probably.
  • STAT 453 (Stochastic Methods): This was EASILY the most difficult class I’ve ever taken (apart from Algebra II in high school, but that doesn’t count). I got a B in this class and I was just glad it wasn’t lower, let’s put it that way.

That’s 72 classes in a total of five years. That’s a good number of classes.
(Yes, I would do it all again.)

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.

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.

Now Showing:

I’m writing a musical. It’s called “Fuck You, U of I” and features such show-stopping hits as:

  • “The ‘I’ Stands for ‘Incompetence’”
  • “This Class is Required to Graduate but is Only Offered Once a Decade”
  • “We Have No Money, so Let’s Renovate the Kibbie Dome!”
  • “Oh, We Promised You a Job? Sorry, You Out of Luck, Bro!”
  • “Fuck Bitches, Acquire Debt”
  • “Oops, We Lost Your Tuition Check!”
  • The Ballad of the Athletes on Academic Probation (Alternate Title: “Blame the Profs!”)
  • “We Have No Money, so Let’s Renovate the Kibbie Dome!” (Redux)

Every damn year with this place, man. Every. Damn. Year.

WOO

I graduated!

asdfgh

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.

DONE

I
am
DONE
with this semester.

Today has royally sucked overall, so I’mma go watch AH vids all night.

And then spend the weekend grading! YAY!

I hate this time of the year

Things I should have done today:

  • Studied

Things I did instead:

  • Had repeated panic attacks
  • Worked on my incredibly crappy fanfic
  • Dealt with unreliable people
  • Tried to ignore the present in favor of the future
  • Freaked out because ignoring the present will cause me to have no future
  • Made an obscene amount of stupid puns
  • Cried in the corner
  • Had more panic attacks

OH MY GOD THREE MORE WEEKS OF THIS

I’m almost done! I’m FREAKING OUT!

I’m so excited to go to Calgary. I’ve been looking up possible apartments and everything looks amazing up there.

Sorry for the short and pointless blog, but I’m just excited. Going to go listen to music and daydream for a bit.

Protected: FRUSTRATIONNNN

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Nonficpalooza

I finally had Advanced Nonfiction today!
It’s a Monday-only class!

I’m still in fiction mode and I have no idea what I’m going to write about for my three essays, but I never know what I’m going to write about until it happens, so yay.

Maybe this semester I’ll try an essay about anosmia rather than a fictional story. We’ll see.

MINECRAFT TIME!

SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL

YAY YAY YAY YAY

HERE ARE THE CLASS REVIEWS!

Mathematical Statistics (STAT 452): Part II of the “Journey to Fuse Math and Stats in a Glory of Distribution Orgies.” Super excited.

Complex Variables (MATH 420): DUDE THIS CLASS ALREADY LOOKS SO FREAKING INTERESTING. At one point in the semester we’re going to be doing calculus with imaginary numbers. Whaaaaaaaaaat I can’t wait.

Stochastic Methods (STAT 453): I think this is going to be the hardest class of the semester. Stochastic methods, from what I’ve gathered thus far, involve attempts to model randomly-behaving variables based on how they have acted in the past (or in the present).

Analysis of Algorithms (MATH 395): I’m going to flip out once we get to the sorting algorithms, I know I am. Excited about this, too!

Looks like a good semester so far. I have Concert Band tomorrow, which doesn’t really need a review, but once we finally meet for Advanced Nonfiction on the 27th, I’ll let you all know how that goes.

‘Cause I’m sure you all give a crap.

NOW break can start

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!

4.0 GPA plus my highest teaching evaluations yet (3.6/4.0 with a 37% student response rate).

Damn good early Christmas presents, if you ask me.

Another Productive Study Session Brought to You By End-of-the-Year Burnout

unnamed

Calculus Dragon is the product of three Linear Algebra students who have their final on a FREAKING FRIDAY and just want to go home.

Yeah.

(Ignore the “L’Hopital” in the corner. I just felt like writing his name.)

WELL I BROKE THE COPY MACHINE.

Elaboration: After our Proofs final this afternoon (which was surprisingly easy), I had to go copy the tests for STAT 251 (‘cause, you know, I don’t plan ahead like I should and instead waited until the night before the test to copy them). So Wayne and I went back to Brink. We went up to the stats department floor and he worked on his SAS project while I started the copier.

The first ¾ of the copies went fine, but then the machine stopped so I went to check on it. I figure it was just out of paper; I was making 145 copies, after all.
But no. What was it out of? Staples.
Replacing the staples in that particular copier is the hardest freaking thing ever.  

So I manage to mangle the damn staple holder to the point where I’m pretty sure it’s broken. I’m totally freaking out because I’ve got 37 more copies to make, and Wayne, with his seemingly boundless patience, tries to fix the staple holder for like 15 minutes before we’re both like, “okay, screw this” and I leave a frantic note with the gist of “sorry, I broke the staple holder ‘cause I’m an idiot” and went to Kinkos to make the remaining copies.

Got home at 9:45. I have my probability final tomorrow at 7 AM.

Screw finals week, man.

Haha

So we had a study session for Proofs today.

I use the phrase “study session” very loosely because we were all so stressed that we were just being off-topic as hell.

Things we talked about:

  • Our favorite books
  • Dante’s Inferno
  • The levels of hell
  • Getting masticated by the devil and how awesome that would be
  • Getting masticated in general
  • Doing the “getting masticated by the devil” interpretive dance
  • How “do an interpretive dance of getting masticated by the devil” would be fantastic extra credit on the final
  • How someone with parasigmatism would ever tell anybody they had it
  • REALLY DUMB MATH JOKES
  • “I’m not happy until I’ve been groped!”
  • Our favorite words
  • Trying to figure out what de-masticating would entail
  • Doing the “de-mastication” interpretive dance
  • How much better our final would be if we could just do interpretive dances of our proofs
  • How much better our final would be if we could just sing and/or play an instrument depicting our proofs
  • Plans to bring clarinets/saxophones/cellos/guitars/pianos to our final and just play Christmas music instead
  • The clarinet vs. saxophone debate
  • How sexy Word 2013 is
  • The meanings of our first names
  • Making fun of the meanings of each other’s first names
  • Making fun of each other’s majors (we’re a mix of math, physics, math ed., and engineering)
  • Making fun of each other in general


Things we didn’t talk about:

  • How to do proofs

Yes, our professor was there, too. I think he was just as burnt out as we all were; he was just laughing along with us (and telling the majority of the really dumb math jokes).

I’m going to freaking miss these dork bombs.