Another day at the office... what, with grading and homework and studying and more studying... what could possibly be more boring than a day like that. Oh well, at least it's not nice outside like it was earlier this week. Otherwise, I really would not have the patience or attention span to even consider studying and doing work. I'm concerned about the exam I take on Tuesday of this week, but I am far more concerned with the comprehensive exam that I have to take at the end of this year. If I don't pass, I get to take it again, but if I don't pass the second time, I guess the policy is that I get axed from the master's program. Frankly, I don't want that. What I really want to do, is to finish what I started. Otherwise, I tend to view myself as inadequate. Does anybody else feel that way in situations like that?
And so, as I take the time I should be using to study to write this post, I am very fearful of what lies ahead. However, I should keep my chin up. Where there's a will, there's a way! I will persevere!
Well, back to the grind. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
It's been a week...? Already...?
And we're back...
Sorry I've been absent the past week. It's been a long one. Having significant trouble with one of my classes, but I'll keep plugging away. It's bound to get better at some point.
I am really looking forward to the end of the semester. I am taking this class entitled "Design of Experiments" for my master's degree, and I am having a tough time with it, as I have failed the first midterm exam. I'm attempting another form of studying that I have not used before, and it seems to be working so far. I would think that my understanding of the material has increased in magnitude, if only a little bit. I'm happy with the progress so far, but we'll see the "fruits of my labor" when I take the next test. Cross your fingers!
As for the teacher, I am having a hard time learning from them. This individual goes at a very fast pace and barely stops for questions from the students. I think this had some contribution to why a large portion of the class (myself included) failed the first test. I endeavor to study harder, go see him during more of his office hours, and hopefully pass the class so that I do not have to take it again next year. That would set my program back a year, and I don't want that to happen. I refuse to let it happen, in fact. I will persevere, and I will not falter anymore. I will pass all the classes this semester and the comprehensive exam this year! Believe it!
Anyway, I think that's a good attitude to have, given the circumstances surrounding it. Thanks for all who listen to my rants!
I'M OUT!!
Sorry I've been absent the past week. It's been a long one. Having significant trouble with one of my classes, but I'll keep plugging away. It's bound to get better at some point.
I am really looking forward to the end of the semester. I am taking this class entitled "Design of Experiments" for my master's degree, and I am having a tough time with it, as I have failed the first midterm exam. I'm attempting another form of studying that I have not used before, and it seems to be working so far. I would think that my understanding of the material has increased in magnitude, if only a little bit. I'm happy with the progress so far, but we'll see the "fruits of my labor" when I take the next test. Cross your fingers!
As for the teacher, I am having a hard time learning from them. This individual goes at a very fast pace and barely stops for questions from the students. I think this had some contribution to why a large portion of the class (myself included) failed the first test. I endeavor to study harder, go see him during more of his office hours, and hopefully pass the class so that I do not have to take it again next year. That would set my program back a year, and I don't want that to happen. I refuse to let it happen, in fact. I will persevere, and I will not falter anymore. I will pass all the classes this semester and the comprehensive exam this year! Believe it!
Anyway, I think that's a good attitude to have, given the circumstances surrounding it. Thanks for all who listen to my rants!
I'M OUT!!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Unexpected
Well, this is unexpected. I just got a call from another company that I applied to for an internship this summer. Apparently, they want me to come down for an interview sometime next month. I'd be happy to work for them simply because I'm looking into becoming an actuary/analyst in some capacity. On the other hand, I'm already lined up with another internship at a biometrics facility in the state as well. Quite the dilemma... I'll just have to go through with the interview and see what's what with this particular company. I'm pretty excited, but I'm kinda terrified. Anybody have any advice?
Sunday, March 11, 2012
My Spring Break was good, how was yours?
Well, spring break has come and gone. I had a nice, quiet break at home with the family. I'm feeling pretty good about it.
It was also a pretty productive week. I set up a time for my study group to meet. I finally got the internship I was seeking to get for months. I caught up on my sleep. Overall, it was pretty good. I'm not going to say that I didn't have my downturns this week, but all in all, the week was good.
I was also looking at a the University of Notre Dame website, and found out that there is a one year master's degree program there that interested me. If I weren't already in grad school, I'd probably apply to that program. However, I'm pretty happy where I am now, and if I work hard during the summer, I'll be able to pass my comprehensive exams for my master's degree program, finish my capstone project, and be in a prime spot to get a job with a biometrics facility in the state. I'm pretty pumped.
I would say that this is not a normal spring break, what with preparing for a summer internship and my capstone project and my comprehensive exams. One of the people I work with asked me, "Cody, it's spring break. Shouldn't you be in the Caribbean now?" The correct answer is 'yes', but I haven't really gone on any kind of trip like that. I'll do it when I have steady income and paid days off (which I've never had, and am very much looking forward to that after grad school).
I notice that some people are actually reading this blog, and I have to say thank you to those who do. It's great to know that things I write are being read.
Thanks all and have a good night!
Cody
It was also a pretty productive week. I set up a time for my study group to meet. I finally got the internship I was seeking to get for months. I caught up on my sleep. Overall, it was pretty good. I'm not going to say that I didn't have my downturns this week, but all in all, the week was good.
I was also looking at a the University of Notre Dame website, and found out that there is a one year master's degree program there that interested me. If I weren't already in grad school, I'd probably apply to that program. However, I'm pretty happy where I am now, and if I work hard during the summer, I'll be able to pass my comprehensive exams for my master's degree program, finish my capstone project, and be in a prime spot to get a job with a biometrics facility in the state. I'm pretty pumped.
I would say that this is not a normal spring break, what with preparing for a summer internship and my capstone project and my comprehensive exams. One of the people I work with asked me, "Cody, it's spring break. Shouldn't you be in the Caribbean now?" The correct answer is 'yes', but I haven't really gone on any kind of trip like that. I'll do it when I have steady income and paid days off (which I've never had, and am very much looking forward to that after grad school).
I notice that some people are actually reading this blog, and I have to say thank you to those who do. It's great to know that things I write are being read.
Thanks all and have a good night!
Cody
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Hodgepodge Second Post
ESPN.com finally confirmed that Peyton Manning has been released by the Indianapolis Colts. Why? From what I saw on SportsCenter, it seems to have something to do with the Colts picking up the remaining 4 years on his contract (worth $63.6 million), or paying him his $28 million bonus by a set date and then letting Manning go. At least, that's what I understand. If anyone has any insight on what the specifics are, please comment. I'm a little too lazy and nerdy to actually go onto ESPN.com and read about it. I'd rather just hear about it from the fine people who read this. :P
Anyway, back to the nerdy-ness of the author. I recently played a board game called "Civilization" with a couple of friends of mine this weekend. To the gamers of the world who might find this interesting, this was a board game that was based on the computer game. I thought board games came first. This may be the exception to the rule. But I digress...
This game is very dynamic in how one can play it, and there are multiple ways to win. Some of the ways you can win (I assume they are similar to the computer game) are called "economic victory", "military victory", "cultural victory", and "technological victory." To achieve an economic victory, one must accrue a certain amount of wealth before the other players (some call this an easy way to win, but I don't find that to be the case at all). In terms of the game, it pretty much means that you are able to buy anyone in the game off such that the victory will be yours, or something of the sort. A military victory, as one would come to expect from a strategy game in any medium, is to take over the other player(s) capital cities before they can conquer yours. This makes you seem like such an overwhelming military super-power that nobody can fight back against you. A cultural victory entails that you go through cultural events and gain "great persons," which entitle you to various advantages and abilities that other nations or players would not otherwise have. I don't know how the victory would be phrased in the game, but one of the great persons that I got while playing was Henry Ford, which allowed me to "increase my movement speed by 1." I was playing the game as the Americans, so it was a good fit whether or not I won. Finally, a technological victory was attained by achieving all the levels of technological advancement or intellectual stimulation, from philosophy to space flight. I thought it was funny that achieving space flight entitled a player to an automatic victory, but I couldn't help but wonder if that meant that I was ready to take on exploring the galaxy with a Warp 5 engine like they do in Star Trek: Enterprise. I really hope that's the case, because I'd love to have the ability to travel the universe at 10,000 times the speed of light and form a galactic federation. That would be so sick! ... oh crap, I got way off topic... but nonetheless, I stand by the fact that exploring the universe like that would be extremely exciting... I really hope that somebody is working to develop that kind of technology so I can go up into space and potentially interact with other life forms.
Boy, that was kind of a cluster of randomly thought up topics. NFL to Civilization to Star Trek... don't really know why that happened, but I had fun writing about it.
Archer, out!
Anyway, back to the nerdy-ness of the author. I recently played a board game called "Civilization" with a couple of friends of mine this weekend. To the gamers of the world who might find this interesting, this was a board game that was based on the computer game. I thought board games came first. This may be the exception to the rule. But I digress...
This game is very dynamic in how one can play it, and there are multiple ways to win. Some of the ways you can win (I assume they are similar to the computer game) are called "economic victory", "military victory", "cultural victory", and "technological victory." To achieve an economic victory, one must accrue a certain amount of wealth before the other players (some call this an easy way to win, but I don't find that to be the case at all). In terms of the game, it pretty much means that you are able to buy anyone in the game off such that the victory will be yours, or something of the sort. A military victory, as one would come to expect from a strategy game in any medium, is to take over the other player(s) capital cities before they can conquer yours. This makes you seem like such an overwhelming military super-power that nobody can fight back against you. A cultural victory entails that you go through cultural events and gain "great persons," which entitle you to various advantages and abilities that other nations or players would not otherwise have. I don't know how the victory would be phrased in the game, but one of the great persons that I got while playing was Henry Ford, which allowed me to "increase my movement speed by 1." I was playing the game as the Americans, so it was a good fit whether or not I won. Finally, a technological victory was attained by achieving all the levels of technological advancement or intellectual stimulation, from philosophy to space flight. I thought it was funny that achieving space flight entitled a player to an automatic victory, but I couldn't help but wonder if that meant that I was ready to take on exploring the galaxy with a Warp 5 engine like they do in Star Trek: Enterprise. I really hope that's the case, because I'd love to have the ability to travel the universe at 10,000 times the speed of light and form a galactic federation. That would be so sick! ... oh crap, I got way off topic... but nonetheless, I stand by the fact that exploring the universe like that would be extremely exciting... I really hope that somebody is working to develop that kind of technology so I can go up into space and potentially interact with other life forms.
Boy, that was kind of a cluster of randomly thought up topics. NFL to Civilization to Star Trek... don't really know why that happened, but I had fun writing about it.
Archer, out!
Mandatory First Blog Entry
Ok, here it is. I've been meaning to start a blog for some time now, and haven't really gotten the chance to until now. I guess this is as good a time as any. Here's a little about me and what I'm thinking right this second.
My name is Cody. I'm now a grad student getting my master's degree. With any luck, I'll be able to find a job sometime after graduation. From what I've heard from people that I know, or from what has been reported on the news, this has become more and more difficult. I think this kind of sucks. A lot. I know a good number of decent, hard working people who are well educated, but are having a really tough time finding any kind of gainful employment. I really feel bad for them, but I can't help but think, will something that extreme really happen to me? After I graduated from college, I went right into grad school, so I really didn't have to think about it too much. I admit that sometimes that is a part of my reality that I take for granted. I promise to be better about that. That's it, I'm done ranting about how much I worry about my future and now feel much better. :)
Well, now that that's out of the way, let me end this cliched, and probably pretty hammy, initial blog entry with a pledge to all of the people that may (or may not) read this. Things on this blog will get more interesting. I promise. This is Cody, signing off!
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