Master Rocket Scientist
I managed to get my thesis all turned in by the Friday deadline. That means I've completed my master's degree. I'm very happy to be done with school. My classes were interesting, but overall it was a ton of work. Compared to a lot of other students, I was not very engaged in the department. By that I mean I didn't do anything extra like work on the satellite design team or other stuff. I basically did the minimum, and I still barely had a life outside of school.* That's why I have no plans to go for a Ph.D. I've got a "real" job now, and I look forward to being done with my work when I go home for the day.
I thought about going home for graduation ceremonies. I don't usually go out for such things (skipped my B.S. graduation, for example), but it seems like there should be a formal conclusion to my many years of schooling. I looked into what that would entail today. The timing is okay, falling on an RDO weekend (RDO=Regular Day Off. I get every-other Friday off in exchange for working 9-hour days). Airfare looks pretty expensive, though. I could probably afford it, but since I'm so half-hearted about the whole affair I might just write it off. Maybe I'll call my dad and see what he thinks. I know he said he'd like to go...
I spent the majority of today playing a computer game (World of Warcraft). I didn't really want to play (especially not all day long), but alas I have friends in the game, and it's the only thing we can do together. I hadn't seen them since I've been inundated by my thesis and other responsibilities the last few weeks. I'm also paying a monthly fee for the game, so may as well get my money's worth.
Last week JPL hosted the 2009 IEEE radar conference, and I went as a "volunteer." (Quoted b/c I got paid as if I'd been doing real work the whole time.) It was illuminating in many ways. First of all, I got to see that the section manager had to do a lot of the nitty-gritty conference organizing: a cautionary tale against getting promoted, in a way. Also it was striking just how much work goes into planning such an event. The conference also illustrated how important it is to communicate clearly and with enthusiasm. IMO the best talks were those that conveyed the essence of their paper without getting lost in the details. The worst talks made me feel like I was in the 7th level of equation Hell with no idea how I got there. That's not to say detail makes a talk bad, just that details need to have context and be important to the message. I think I have a lot of work to do in this regard. For example, I think my thesis could have been written MUCH better. I'll have to do better in the future.
Speaking of the future, I'm optimistic. I have a job I like. I'm finally in a position where I probably won't be living paycheck-to-paycheck anymore. I'm in a great city with lots of things to do. I feel like the world is mine, I just need to go get it. (cheesy, sorry)
I want to make a computer for Bongo.
*(Technically one could get an ASE masters at UT without writing a thesis, but you're expected to write one if you get funding.)
I thought about going home for graduation ceremonies. I don't usually go out for such things (skipped my B.S. graduation, for example), but it seems like there should be a formal conclusion to my many years of schooling. I looked into what that would entail today. The timing is okay, falling on an RDO weekend (RDO=Regular Day Off. I get every-other Friday off in exchange for working 9-hour days). Airfare looks pretty expensive, though. I could probably afford it, but since I'm so half-hearted about the whole affair I might just write it off. Maybe I'll call my dad and see what he thinks. I know he said he'd like to go...
I spent the majority of today playing a computer game (World of Warcraft). I didn't really want to play (especially not all day long), but alas I have friends in the game, and it's the only thing we can do together. I hadn't seen them since I've been inundated by my thesis and other responsibilities the last few weeks. I'm also paying a monthly fee for the game, so may as well get my money's worth.
Last week JPL hosted the 2009 IEEE radar conference, and I went as a "volunteer." (Quoted b/c I got paid as if I'd been doing real work the whole time.) It was illuminating in many ways. First of all, I got to see that the section manager had to do a lot of the nitty-gritty conference organizing: a cautionary tale against getting promoted, in a way. Also it was striking just how much work goes into planning such an event. The conference also illustrated how important it is to communicate clearly and with enthusiasm. IMO the best talks were those that conveyed the essence of their paper without getting lost in the details. The worst talks made me feel like I was in the 7th level of equation Hell with no idea how I got there. That's not to say detail makes a talk bad, just that details need to have context and be important to the message. I think I have a lot of work to do in this regard. For example, I think my thesis could have been written MUCH better. I'll have to do better in the future.
Speaking of the future, I'm optimistic. I have a job I like. I'm finally in a position where I probably won't be living paycheck-to-paycheck anymore. I'm in a great city with lots of things to do. I feel like the world is mine, I just need to go get it. (cheesy, sorry)
I want to make a computer for Bongo.
*(Technically one could get an ASE masters at UT without writing a thesis, but you're expected to write one if you get funding.)