mountaineer to mathematician
Life has been great as of late. I finished the summer program with RMYC as a mentor and man I should say it was one hell of a learning experience. The only thing I really regret is not motivating more SEEDS (that's the environmental education aspect of the program), but nonetheless I am satisfied with the turnout. We climb three amazing Fouteener's and did a lot of spectacular trail building, but the part I most enjoyed was meeting truly inspiring people and growing from them day by day, month by month.
As of now, I've just attended my first day of classes at Oakland for fall '09 today. Classes actually started a week later then usual, because the new contract was not met and thus the professors went on strike. I don't blame them. In the end, it all works out and I'm happy to be back as a senior studying mathematics!
Here's the schedule: Advance Calculus I --> The "why" calculus works
Geometric Structures --> Euclidean and Non-Euclidean geometry
Differential Equations --> The language of the Universe
Japanese Culture --> Because Japan is so damn interesting to me
It's quite math heavy like all my past semesters have been at Oakland, but I'm truly excited for it. I just read in the undergraduate handbook that I need a 3.6 GPA or higher to graduate with honors, and a 3.0 GPA or better to graduate with commendation. Well, I was holding out at a 3.5 until I screwed up last semester and now I'm at a 3.33. This semester is going to be much different. I feel as if I've matured so much in the past year and I also feel, even more now, that mathematics is the right direction for my life. With that said, I'm going to push for a 3.6 or greater and get that Honors note on my degree.
With the beginning of my senior year and with the thoughts of "what's next", I've come to decide that graduate school is the right choice for me. The final destination is eventually teaching, but I've sat with so many secondary math majors who are going to be teaching math at the middle school and high school level, and their motivation just kills me. Some of these students have taken classes two or three times, and when you finally hear how they actually feel about mathematics, well... it just blows me away. Why would you major in math education when you have no passion for it! I know, I know, I am being a little harsh here, but it's so annoying, especially when I have such a passion for math and education. So, since I'm really not like them at all, and that I actually love advanced mathematics, I feel teaching at the college level or at least getting a taste of academia would be beneficial to my sanity. All this talk about graduate school thus leads me to the GRE's, applying for programs, and hopefully getting into a decent one. Which reminds me, it's mighty important to get a research internship over the summer. But that's for another post.
As of now, I've just attended my first day of classes at Oakland for fall '09 today. Classes actually started a week later then usual, because the new contract was not met and thus the professors went on strike. I don't blame them. In the end, it all works out and I'm happy to be back as a senior studying mathematics!
Here's the schedule: Advance Calculus I --> The "why" calculus works
Geometric Structures --> Euclidean and Non-Euclidean geometry
Differential Equations --> The language of the Universe
Japanese Culture --> Because Japan is so damn interesting to me
It's quite math heavy like all my past semesters have been at Oakland, but I'm truly excited for it. I just read in the undergraduate handbook that I need a 3.6 GPA or higher to graduate with honors, and a 3.0 GPA or better to graduate with commendation. Well, I was holding out at a 3.5 until I screwed up last semester and now I'm at a 3.33. This semester is going to be much different. I feel as if I've matured so much in the past year and I also feel, even more now, that mathematics is the right direction for my life. With that said, I'm going to push for a 3.6 or greater and get that Honors note on my degree.
With the beginning of my senior year and with the thoughts of "what's next", I've come to decide that graduate school is the right choice for me. The final destination is eventually teaching, but I've sat with so many secondary math majors who are going to be teaching math at the middle school and high school level, and their motivation just kills me. Some of these students have taken classes two or three times, and when you finally hear how they actually feel about mathematics, well... it just blows me away. Why would you major in math education when you have no passion for it! I know, I know, I am being a little harsh here, but it's so annoying, especially when I have such a passion for math and education. So, since I'm really not like them at all, and that I actually love advanced mathematics, I feel teaching at the college level or at least getting a taste of academia would be beneficial to my sanity. All this talk about graduate school thus leads me to the GRE's, applying for programs, and hopefully getting into a decent one. Which reminds me, it's mighty important to get a research internship over the summer. But that's for another post.