So my hand has been steadily hurting for the past week due to all the note taking, re-copying, and equation re-writing I've been doing. This compounded by my use of the old faithful mechanical pencil I think. So in order to keep studying, I've invested in a few pens, some more legal pads (will probably end up being less then buying more erasers too), and I'm moving my "study space" back down to the cube in order to get the support of a desk. Frustrating how I get going on studying and then have to break to let my hand rest. I would just type the notes, but typing out the equations would just take too long and in the end would look too confusing. You try typing out the equation for a normal distribution. No seriously. I'll give you a simple form:
(1/(sigma*sqrt(2*pi)))*exp{-(x-mu)^2/(2*sigma^2)}.
See what I'm dealing with? If you see me in person next, just ask me to write it out for you. It will take less time, and look a lot better than that mess.
Also got lots of nuts, raisins, and cookies at the store, which will be well hidden in the department to discourage certain foragers from plundering my bounty. This will hopefully cut down on the trips to get snacks or food. ... hell, why don't I just take a pillow and a blanket down there too?
... actually... hm...
The department has gone quiet for finals. No one was in this weekend, and I have only made marginal progress on the metrics final. Good thing it's not until Friday. Can't wait to get that out of the way and just focus on the quals.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Public Service Announcement
I've gotten a few out of the blue e-mails and phone calls from very nice people from high school and college who are in the DFW area who want to have dinner, hang out, etc. I would just like everyone to know though that for the next month (yes the entire month), I'm either going to be studying so hard that I forget to respond (which has happened a few times now), or I'm just going to be so wiped out that I won't have the energy or motivation to write a response.
This is only temporary though. Here's why:
Friday, May 5th - Econometrics Final
Monday, May 8th - Microeconomics Final
Wednesday, May 10th - Macroeconomics Final
Thursday, May 18th - Ardilla's parents get in town.
Friday, May 19th - Ardilla has a graduation ceremony.
Saturday, May 20th - Ardilla has another graduation ceremony (so proud :) ).
Sunday morning, May 21st - Ardilla moves back to Juarez for the summer.
Monday, May 22nd - Macroeconomics Qualifier
Wednesday, May 24th - Microeconomics Qualifier.
Friday, May 27th - Move in to new apartment.
(*anything in bold is what I'm immediately worried about)
So uh... yeah sorry folks. Once I pass quals (which I will!), I'm good to go. But until then these are the things that have been sidelined:
1) Going out for more than one hour.
2) TV except in the case where I just can't function for anything else.
3) Late nights (in bed by midnight, up by 8 AM).
4) Afternoon naps.
5) Alchohol.
6) No IM chatting for more than one hour a day.
Things will probably be added. As it is I'm spending most of my time in the library, or with la ardilla.
This is only temporary though. Here's why:
Friday, May 5th - Econometrics Final
Monday, May 8th - Microeconomics Final
Wednesday, May 10th - Macroeconomics Final
Thursday, May 18th - Ardilla's parents get in town.
Friday, May 19th - Ardilla has a graduation ceremony.
Saturday, May 20th - Ardilla has another graduation ceremony (so proud :) ).
Sunday morning, May 21st - Ardilla moves back to Juarez for the summer.
Monday, May 22nd - Macroeconomics Qualifier
Wednesday, May 24th - Microeconomics Qualifier.
Friday, May 27th - Move in to new apartment.
(*anything in bold is what I'm immediately worried about)
So uh... yeah sorry folks. Once I pass quals (which I will!), I'm good to go. But until then these are the things that have been sidelined:
1) Going out for more than one hour.
2) TV except in the case where I just can't function for anything else.
3) Late nights (in bed by midnight, up by 8 AM).
4) Afternoon naps.
5) Alchohol.
6) No IM chatting for more than one hour a day.
Things will probably be added. As it is I'm spending most of my time in the library, or with la ardilla.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Just a quick little blurb...
The other day a friend of mine was reminiscing about how happy and care-free her days were in undergrad. So over IM I shared her this small story about fellow suffering graduate students.
"M and I go out on the balcony and sometimes watch the undergraduates laughing and smiling... we've decided they are unfairly more happy then we are. ... that's usually about the time we start throwing things at them."
This was apparently good enough to be put in an AIM profile, and looking back on it I think it's one of my better stories. So with a bit of ego, I'm posting it here to preserve it for future readers. And if you ever walk by the Lee Center, be sure to either not look too happy, or watch out for various projectiles made of Styrofoam cup, bits of paper, and the not-as-often paper clip. Disgruntled grad students roam those parts.
"M and I go out on the balcony and sometimes watch the undergraduates laughing and smiling... we've decided they are unfairly more happy then we are. ... that's usually about the time we start throwing things at them."
This was apparently good enough to be put in an AIM profile, and looking back on it I think it's one of my better stories. So with a bit of ego, I'm posting it here to preserve it for future readers. And if you ever walk by the Lee Center, be sure to either not look too happy, or watch out for various projectiles made of Styrofoam cup, bits of paper, and the not-as-often paper clip. Disgruntled grad students roam those parts.
Friday, April 21, 2006
The best offence is...
So the dissertation defenses have begun!
So far I've missed the first two, seeing as I spend so much time in my cube or in the library. However I had the good luck of not missing the department after party of one defense. Mmm... cake... There are four more from this batch (I believe four fifth years, and two sixth years were graduating and had jobs lined up), but those are not exactly high on my list of priorities.
I heard my micro prof. talking to one of them about job hunting, and was pleased to hear, "They are always looking for English speaking professors, or researchers in 'such-and-such' university in Barcelona." Hopefully that remains the same in four years.
This batch apparently did not keep their options as open as previous years, which led to a bit of a panic last month about jobs. They all applied to American university jobs (no professional applications turned in, purely academic job market) and heard nothing back during the first round. This of course made the department a happy, sunny, place to spend time in where you could always talk to a fifth year without getting depressed. Wait... no. But one of them suddenly nabbed two offers (one in TX, one in Louisiana), and the flood gates opened during the second round. One student however was forced to put the job offer on hold for a year as he had yet to complete his military obligation to his country (Turkey). So he is going back in July to enlist for the required 6 (8?) months, where's he's hoping to God he's not sent South East (take a look at the map if you're unsure of what I mean). His fiancee of course is just ecstatic about this. When they asked him why he didn't put it off a few more years, he said that the deadline for his age (26, or 27) had nearly passed, and if he put it off another year he would lose his citizenship. At that point he would lose his student visa and status as a resident alien in the States, and basically become a man without a country. Another Turkish student is planning to serve his term in a year, and the others that I've met have already served. So the graduating batch seems to have made it out alright. Not necessarily where they all thought they would be, but I learned a few important things. Don't narrow your search too much, apply to as many places as possible, and look at both academic and professional track careers.
And before that we had the make-up micro class and "lunch with the prof." at a Turkish restaurant somewhere near Inwood Theater. That was nice of him.
In other news an old friend of mine from high school came into town, and the ardilla, another old friend of mine, and "Berlindy" had dinner and wandered aimlessly around Greenville for a bit trying to figure out what to do. Aimless wanderings... brings back memories of high school. Got to hear some interesting Gerry stories and expose (or perhaps "subject" is a better word for it) ardilla to more people who will vouch for my lunacy.
As la ardilla is swamped tonight (pobrecita) I am most likely going to study study study... then head out for karaoke at this place my friend knows. Then back at home and in bed before 12:30. Then up before 8 to... you guessed it... study study study.
K has decided that after six years of smoking a pack a day, he is going to quit. This decision occurred this past Monday, and Wednesday morning he was found in the fetal position in the library on the couch, whispering strange Indian curses (as well as a few English ones), and shivering while sweating. He has also developed a twitch, and it looks like has gained some weight over the week. Dang...
When M and I asked him how he ended up in the library all night, his explanation went, "I was at home, and I had just aired out my apartment completely. No smoke. I figured this was fine. The air was clean, and I would sleep. At about 3 AM, the air seemed too clean. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't sleep. So I went to department to study. But air in department too clean, so I went to library. But library is too cold" (at this point I should mention that the library in the Lee Center is freezing at night due to the air conditioner which for some reason always runs at full blast) "So I decide to sleep. But I don't sleep. But I don't want move. And all night I'm thinking 'damn I want cigarette.'"
Again I say... dang.
He had one relapse on Wednesday when one of the more devious Turks offered him a cigarette, but so far has not gone back. He apparently did not sleep from Monday to Thursday, and only showed up this morning for an hour or two to work on a few things before going back home. The worst of it has seemed to subside for now, but he still has a twitch (and I mean a full body wince every now and then just randomly), and every morning when I ask him how he's doing he has said, "I really want cigarette, but I haven't taken it."
So M and I offer as much support as we can, and try to keep him away from the chain-smoking Turks. At least until the twitching dies down. Man that's creepy... and also strangely funny.
The NYU guy was hired, which is good. They might do another round of hiring next year to see what else can turn up.
That's it for now. Gotta get through chapter 12 Mas-Colel this weekend and study for the metrics final. Fun fun fun.
So far I've missed the first two, seeing as I spend so much time in my cube or in the library. However I had the good luck of not missing the department after party of one defense. Mmm... cake... There are four more from this batch (I believe four fifth years, and two sixth years were graduating and had jobs lined up), but those are not exactly high on my list of priorities.
I heard my micro prof. talking to one of them about job hunting, and was pleased to hear, "They are always looking for English speaking professors, or researchers in 'such-and-such' university in Barcelona." Hopefully that remains the same in four years.
This batch apparently did not keep their options as open as previous years, which led to a bit of a panic last month about jobs. They all applied to American university jobs (no professional applications turned in, purely academic job market) and heard nothing back during the first round. This of course made the department a happy, sunny, place to spend time in where you could always talk to a fifth year without getting depressed. Wait... no. But one of them suddenly nabbed two offers (one in TX, one in Louisiana), and the flood gates opened during the second round. One student however was forced to put the job offer on hold for a year as he had yet to complete his military obligation to his country (Turkey). So he is going back in July to enlist for the required 6 (8?) months, where's he's hoping to God he's not sent South East (take a look at the map if you're unsure of what I mean). His fiancee of course is just ecstatic about this. When they asked him why he didn't put it off a few more years, he said that the deadline for his age (26, or 27) had nearly passed, and if he put it off another year he would lose his citizenship. At that point he would lose his student visa and status as a resident alien in the States, and basically become a man without a country. Another Turkish student is planning to serve his term in a year, and the others that I've met have already served. So the graduating batch seems to have made it out alright. Not necessarily where they all thought they would be, but I learned a few important things. Don't narrow your search too much, apply to as many places as possible, and look at both academic and professional track careers.
And before that we had the make-up micro class and "lunch with the prof." at a Turkish restaurant somewhere near Inwood Theater. That was nice of him.
In other news an old friend of mine from high school came into town, and the ardilla, another old friend of mine, and "Berlindy" had dinner and wandered aimlessly around Greenville for a bit trying to figure out what to do. Aimless wanderings... brings back memories of high school. Got to hear some interesting Gerry stories and expose (or perhaps "subject" is a better word for it) ardilla to more people who will vouch for my lunacy.
As la ardilla is swamped tonight (pobrecita) I am most likely going to study study study... then head out for karaoke at this place my friend knows. Then back at home and in bed before 12:30. Then up before 8 to... you guessed it... study study study.
K has decided that after six years of smoking a pack a day, he is going to quit. This decision occurred this past Monday, and Wednesday morning he was found in the fetal position in the library on the couch, whispering strange Indian curses (as well as a few English ones), and shivering while sweating. He has also developed a twitch, and it looks like has gained some weight over the week. Dang...
When M and I asked him how he ended up in the library all night, his explanation went, "I was at home, and I had just aired out my apartment completely. No smoke. I figured this was fine. The air was clean, and I would sleep. At about 3 AM, the air seemed too clean. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't sleep. So I went to department to study. But air in department too clean, so I went to library. But library is too cold" (at this point I should mention that the library in the Lee Center is freezing at night due to the air conditioner which for some reason always runs at full blast) "So I decide to sleep. But I don't sleep. But I don't want move. And all night I'm thinking 'damn I want cigarette.'"
Again I say... dang.
He had one relapse on Wednesday when one of the more devious Turks offered him a cigarette, but so far has not gone back. He apparently did not sleep from Monday to Thursday, and only showed up this morning for an hour or two to work on a few things before going back home. The worst of it has seemed to subside for now, but he still has a twitch (and I mean a full body wince every now and then just randomly), and every morning when I ask him how he's doing he has said, "I really want cigarette, but I haven't taken it."
So M and I offer as much support as we can, and try to keep him away from the chain-smoking Turks. At least until the twitching dies down. Man that's creepy... and also strangely funny.
The NYU guy was hired, which is good. They might do another round of hiring next year to see what else can turn up.
That's it for now. Gotta get through chapter 12 Mas-Colel this weekend and study for the metrics final. Fun fun fun.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Jesus has foiled my plans once again...
So aside from waking up early everyday for the past two weeks to study, review last semester's classes, keep up with homework this semester, pine for my lost cube, and generally wander about campus looking for a good study place (harder than you think as a grad student), life has been pretty care free. The weather is good, the squirrels are well fed and have become less aggressive, the cats once again stalk the nights of the campus. Yup, summer has returned from the ... uh... "winter"... we had. Those chilling temperatures of 44 F, and that sorta-kinda-not-really wintry mix that stuck to the sidewalks and roads causing accident after accident (those of course were not caused by Texas drivers thinking they could 65 MPH just as easily over an overpass during winter as in summer... no no no... godforbid we hold them responsible for negligent -see stupid- driving). Yes... the long hard winter of Texas is over.
In other news, room 126 has been recarpetted, and my desk has been re-built. I grabbed a chair from the "storage room" (the half of 126 that all the SMU maintenance folks decided to stack everything up on) and replaced a few of my books. My cube has been returned! Huzzah! Three cheers! Arriba! ... all that. Life has returned to normalcy, and I don't have to go into Fondren to study to the pithy soundtrack of undergraduates "cramming". ("Hey Marco, is Sancho Panza a Mexican?" "I dunno man, but that chick over there is hot." "We have our next test tomorrow... want to get drunk tonight and take it hung over?" "Hm... *ponders*... yes... yes I do."
... sheer...
... unadulterated...
... brilliance... nice to know that some things are just universal in university. Although I do appreciate and love many undergraduates who are cool).
So with my cube back in business, and a better grasp on the things that I just didn't understand last semester (Chapter 3 Mas-Colel is suddenly less of a nightmare), I woke up this Friday morning ready to take on the day and take some micro homework in to ask my prof. about, then finish up as much of the metrics and macro as I could to reserve Saturday for last semester studying. This was about 7:40 this morning. I then stood up, and immediately decided to hit snooze. Somewhere along the way, I managed to hit "alarm off" instead. At about 9:40 I wake up again (well rested, and still feeling good), take a quick shower, then dress in whatever clothes are closest (and don't smell funny), and head out to the Lee Center.
Huh... no cars to wait for while crossing Daniel. I must've lucked out.
... huh... campus sure seemed empty.
... huh... the econ library door was locked, and no one was out in the lobby.
... huh... the computer lab was locked.
... huh... there was uh... nobody in their offices either.
Did I just sleep through Friday? I went outside and did some homework by the fountain (mostly retouching a few already worked problems and re-copying) and enjoyed the weather. A few families were out riding their bikes along campus, and the weather was just perfect.
I must have slept through Friday. How the heck did that happen? I wasn't tired yesterday, and I pretty much got to bed by midnight. Am I more stressed then I thought? Has grad school really started taking it's toll? What do I do? WHAT DO I DO???
So I go home and check my computer. Sure enough. Friday. But NOBODY is on campus. What is going on??? And then, in response to an IM, my good friend in law school (who only found out about this last week) explained to me:
"We go to a Methodist school now. It's Good Friday, there's no class."
...
...
come again???
No class for Good Friday???
I recall at KU I was usually reminded that it's Good Friday by a comment in the editorial section about the dangers of the Christian mainstream, or maybe a cultural group on campus would have an inter-faith conference on "Jesus: Prophet or Messiah" etc. etc. etc. But class cancellation? In fact it was pretty much like that at Booker T. too. Good Friday just came and went. This is... weirding me out... there are campus wide religious observances.
On top of that, now that I look back... the Christmas Party (not "Winter Break" party) the econ department held, the Easter Egg hunt all this past week... and I have not heard one person complain. In fact the most rabid seekers of the Easter Eggs in the Department were the Turks and a couple of the Indians (especially after they heard one of them had 3 dollars in it... suh-weet). But I have, so far, not heard one complaint about religious observances on campus. Not even other faiths. There were tables and signs set up during Ramadan, and many of the groups invited the students to join a "fasting pledge drive" for example. What am I getting at with this? I just find it odd that a university, considered to be a conservative Republican bastion of intellectual thought and education (or brain-washing as the democrats might say, but you know... whatever), is just as varied in its activities (although they are much smaller in attendance due to student population size) as the public university I went to. And not only that, there is a lot less bitching (about religion. Plenty of bitching about other topics). Granted, I don't read the student newspaper very often, so maybe I'm missing out. But in person to person interaction, I have not seen anyone complain about one group putting on a festival, or fund raiser, or religious observance.
But on the other side, I was going to ask my micro prof about two questions that have been bugging me since I started the assignment a week and a half ago (2/9 not done, and no clue how to do them... on top of that, I'm the only one of my classmates who's gotten that far, and nobody has those two. Can't get help from them).
DARN YOU JESUS!!!!!!!! You have foiled my plans once again! But I'll be back... oh yes... I'll be back.
... yeah... so uh... back to homework.
Quals are in 6 weeks.
In other news, room 126 has been recarpetted, and my desk has been re-built. I grabbed a chair from the "storage room" (the half of 126 that all the SMU maintenance folks decided to stack everything up on) and replaced a few of my books. My cube has been returned! Huzzah! Three cheers! Arriba! ... all that. Life has returned to normalcy, and I don't have to go into Fondren to study to the pithy soundtrack of undergraduates "cramming". ("Hey Marco, is Sancho Panza a Mexican?" "I dunno man, but that chick over there is hot." "We have our next test tomorrow... want to get drunk tonight and take it hung over?" "Hm... *ponders*... yes... yes I do."
... sheer...
... unadulterated...
... brilliance... nice to know that some things are just universal in university. Although I do appreciate and love many undergraduates who are cool).
So with my cube back in business, and a better grasp on the things that I just didn't understand last semester (Chapter 3 Mas-Colel is suddenly less of a nightmare), I woke up this Friday morning ready to take on the day and take some micro homework in to ask my prof. about, then finish up as much of the metrics and macro as I could to reserve Saturday for last semester studying. This was about 7:40 this morning. I then stood up, and immediately decided to hit snooze. Somewhere along the way, I managed to hit "alarm off" instead. At about 9:40 I wake up again (well rested, and still feeling good), take a quick shower, then dress in whatever clothes are closest (and don't smell funny), and head out to the Lee Center.
Huh... no cars to wait for while crossing Daniel. I must've lucked out.
... huh... campus sure seemed empty.
... huh... the econ library door was locked, and no one was out in the lobby.
... huh... the computer lab was locked.
... huh... there was uh... nobody in their offices either.
Did I just sleep through Friday? I went outside and did some homework by the fountain (mostly retouching a few already worked problems and re-copying) and enjoyed the weather. A few families were out riding their bikes along campus, and the weather was just perfect.
I must have slept through Friday. How the heck did that happen? I wasn't tired yesterday, and I pretty much got to bed by midnight. Am I more stressed then I thought? Has grad school really started taking it's toll? What do I do? WHAT DO I DO???
So I go home and check my computer. Sure enough. Friday. But NOBODY is on campus. What is going on??? And then, in response to an IM, my good friend in law school (who only found out about this last week) explained to me:
"We go to a Methodist school now. It's Good Friday, there's no class."
...
...
come again???
No class for Good Friday???
I recall at KU I was usually reminded that it's Good Friday by a comment in the editorial section about the dangers of the Christian mainstream, or maybe a cultural group on campus would have an inter-faith conference on "Jesus: Prophet or Messiah" etc. etc. etc. But class cancellation? In fact it was pretty much like that at Booker T. too. Good Friday just came and went. This is... weirding me out... there are campus wide religious observances.
On top of that, now that I look back... the Christmas Party (not "Winter Break" party) the econ department held, the Easter Egg hunt all this past week... and I have not heard one person complain. In fact the most rabid seekers of the Easter Eggs in the Department were the Turks and a couple of the Indians (especially after they heard one of them had 3 dollars in it... suh-weet). But I have, so far, not heard one complaint about religious observances on campus. Not even other faiths. There were tables and signs set up during Ramadan, and many of the groups invited the students to join a "fasting pledge drive" for example. What am I getting at with this? I just find it odd that a university, considered to be a conservative Republican bastion of intellectual thought and education (or brain-washing as the democrats might say, but you know... whatever), is just as varied in its activities (although they are much smaller in attendance due to student population size) as the public university I went to. And not only that, there is a lot less bitching (about religion. Plenty of bitching about other topics). Granted, I don't read the student newspaper very often, so maybe I'm missing out. But in person to person interaction, I have not seen anyone complain about one group putting on a festival, or fund raiser, or religious observance.
But on the other side, I was going to ask my micro prof about two questions that have been bugging me since I started the assignment a week and a half ago (2/9 not done, and no clue how to do them... on top of that, I'm the only one of my classmates who's gotten that far, and nobody has those two. Can't get help from them).
DARN YOU JESUS!!!!!!!! You have foiled my plans once again! But I'll be back... oh yes... I'll be back.
... yeah... so uh... back to homework.
Quals are in 6 weeks.
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