Stuff...
First two days of classes have been on the intense side. The first day was fine. One class, then I did some supplies shopping, and then went to the gym, lifted weights for a bit, then went for a jog. Damn, I'm out of shape. I made it down to the tow path, but fairly slowly, then kinda walk/jogged back up. I need to do this more often. Also, stretch before hand. Me calves have been killing me all day.
Today was kind of crazy. Class from 10-4:30, with only an hour break (I've done worse schedules). Quantum was fine, except for the fact that, upon receiving the problem set (due this thursday... who does that??), I looked at it and realized I had no idea how to do it. The lecture made perfect sense, but the problem set was total bafflement. I guess this is what happens when you don't take QM for a year between the first and second courses in the series. It's mostly all come back to me, now, and I'm mostly done (after a problem session), but there's a fair amount of slogging through algebra that I still need to do. I really don't like problems that are like: "Part a: Do this the hard way, so you can see just how awful it can be. Part b: Use one formula that makes the problem take 3 minutes". It just seems like hazing.
I feel really bad... partly 'cause of food coma stuff, I ended up drifting off in MOL455. It was mostly biology recap, but I'm not sure how much I missed. Afterwards, I ran into Nikolai, an old Integrated TA, and he may have a senior thesis idea for me. Awesome! I'm meeting with him on friday to hash things out. I don't know what he has in mind, but knowing him it's probably fairly computational, and there may even be room for some lab based stuff. Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for.
Came back to the room, started browsing through Griffiths, then, through my giant picture window, I saw people slacklining, so I said "Fuck Quantum," and went out to join them (which, bee tee dubs, is the exercise which earned me this entry). Lots of fun. I'm almost to the point where I can stand up on my own and balance. Well, I can stand up on my own, and balance, but only for about 3 seconds. But I'm getting better, and one of the people there said it's a more or less linear improvement with time invested, as opposed to something with quantum leaps.
Today was kind of crazy. Class from 10-4:30, with only an hour break (I've done worse schedules). Quantum was fine, except for the fact that, upon receiving the problem set (due this thursday... who does that??), I looked at it and realized I had no idea how to do it. The lecture made perfect sense, but the problem set was total bafflement. I guess this is what happens when you don't take QM for a year between the first and second courses in the series. It's mostly all come back to me, now, and I'm mostly done (after a problem session), but there's a fair amount of slogging through algebra that I still need to do. I really don't like problems that are like: "Part a: Do this the hard way, so you can see just how awful it can be. Part b: Use one formula that makes the problem take 3 minutes". It just seems like hazing.
I feel really bad... partly 'cause of food coma stuff, I ended up drifting off in MOL455. It was mostly biology recap, but I'm not sure how much I missed. Afterwards, I ran into Nikolai, an old Integrated TA, and he may have a senior thesis idea for me. Awesome! I'm meeting with him on friday to hash things out. I don't know what he has in mind, but knowing him it's probably fairly computational, and there may even be room for some lab based stuff. Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for.
Came back to the room, started browsing through Griffiths, then, through my giant picture window, I saw people slacklining, so I said "Fuck Quantum," and went out to join them (which, bee tee dubs, is the exercise which earned me this entry). Lots of fun. I'm almost to the point where I can stand up on my own and balance. Well, I can stand up on my own, and balance, but only for about 3 seconds. But I'm getting better, and one of the people there said it's a more or less linear improvement with time invested, as opposed to something with quantum leaps.