I think that this balcony would be so cool if it were actually oriented like this:
An exclusive Windows screenshot of a nice computer in my suite for your viewing pleasure:
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Proof
Just posting pictures to prove that the colors of leaves change at UVA too:
I think that this balcony would be so cool if it were actually oriented like this:
An exclusive Windows screenshot of a nice computer in my suite for your viewing pleasure:
I think that this balcony would be so cool if it were actually oriented like this:
An exclusive Windows screenshot of a nice computer in my suite for your viewing pleasure:
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Actual post about college? What?
Hello, few people that read my blog and even fewer that have any interest in what happens at the University of Virginia. I decided that I should actually write about the 1 or 2 interesting things I've done while here, and just for fun, some boring things as well!
Classes!
1. Multivariable Calculus
-I was under the silly impression that a multivar in college would involve less pointing at and reading of information on a projector. Luckily, this multivar teacher is much more legit: he uses a laser pointer instead of a wooden one! Hooray! And he reads off handwritten notes scanned into the computer! Huge improvement! We're even using a newer edition of the same textbook! MASSIVE UPGRADE!
2. Engineering somethingorother
-In this class, I am the designated cookie-bringer. I bring 5 or so cookies to class, so that Peter and some other nops in the class have some food to wake them up from their previous class so that they are able to avoid falling asleep until almost halfway through this class. The teacher is actually pretty smart, though, so he is fun to listen to. We spend most of the time in this class doing group projects such as trying to make a standard piece of paper fall to the ground more slowly using balloons, preventing old people from falling down stairs, and and the moment, designing a trophy. Peter unfortunately failed to push through his fantastic idea of a sword as the trophy, so my only remaining ideas involve glass and a lot of blue LEDs.
3. Chemistry
-Uh yea so I never took AP Chem so I have to take this class. Unfortunately, we have now progressed into a slightly more advanced area of chemistry than I was able to understand from shouted lectures and "Is this a joke?"s on chem labs in basic chem, so I might have to pay attention now.
4. Chem Lab
-Would prefer TAs that spoke English. Other than that and my 6/19 on a prelab due to my unwillingness to use a pen, going ok.
5. Science of Information
-What is this, a slightly interesting class? No way! We get to learn all the stuff I've forgotten from IBET tech and digital electronics, with some bonus stuff that I haven't learned before! Woohoo! Stuff like sampling/quantization of signals, coding/decoding methods, compression, information content, very basic digital logic and the like. Basically, intro electrical engineering stuff.
6. History and Strategy
-This is a seminar specifically for Rodman Scholars, some random group of engineers that were accepted with "Dear X, Very Impressed! This is how we felt when reviewing your application" and so on. You can tell that an engineer wrote that letter. Anyway, in this class so far, we've talked about Machiavelli, some random other guys, and the Cold War. We've watched two movies about nuclear war that have convinced me to move to Canada or Switzerland or something. This week, we are going to dress up in suits and act out a hypothetical crisis in which North Korea decides to do something with its nuclear weapons.
That's it for classes. Basically, I should be pwning up all of this, because it's all intro stuff, most of which I've done before, but actually studying material is an unfortunately necessary skill for said pwning.
Other Stuff!
Badminton Club!
-The single most legitimate thing I've done so far. Badminton is legit stuff. I originally decided to really get into it because I failed to make the club tennis team after making the first cut in the tryouts. Luckily, I made the badminton club team's first cut, and out of the 7 that made the first cut, they would take 5. Easy in, right? Unluckily, I am not very good at badminton, so I did not make the second cut, and am therefore successfully on neither team. Still, I think if I play a decent amount of badminton and actually learn how to play the game, I should be more successful next year. I can still do the club, I just won't get to play with people that are quite as legit.
My suite!
-For those that don't know, we have suite-style dorms, with 5 rooms (10 people) per suite. I'm in one of the "scholar dorms," so the people in my dorm are fairly legit. My suite is above average in my opinion, due to two other TJ people (Peter/Robert) and some other legit nops from various places. We finally decided to put a TV in our suite common room, so we have had some epic Brawl and Halo 3 matches. Conveniently, I am one of the better Brawl players, so I do fairly well when we play Brawl. Inconveniently, I am a terrible FPS player, so my biggest accomplishment in Halo so far has been defeating Casey (who has never played before) and his partner, my roommate, with the help of Jeremy, one of a suitemates and a quality teammate, scoring individually over 20 kills out of my team's 50. One step at a time.
Foosball!
-I'm still terrible!
Food!
-Dining hall 1 minute walk away, with all the cheerios, apple jacks, milk, and pizza anyone could ever need.
Windows 7!
-Yay! And for only $10! The default background is definitely the best default background for any Windows OS ever, not sure if it beats those bizarre Mac OSX ones though. Otherwise, haven't tested it much, other than that Wolfram wants me to junking fax them some form to transfer the Mathematica license to the new OS. Roar. Random tip: For anyone looking to upgrade their operating system and save time installing programs, use Ninite. It allows you to install a lot of common programs at once, which is kind of useful :/
I may post some pictures of some of this junk at some point, if I gather the motivation. ^^
BONUS FOR READING THIS FAR
Classes!
1. Multivariable Calculus
-I was under the silly impression that a multivar in college would involve less pointing at and reading of information on a projector. Luckily, this multivar teacher is much more legit: he uses a laser pointer instead of a wooden one! Hooray! And he reads off handwritten notes scanned into the computer! Huge improvement! We're even using a newer edition of the same textbook! MASSIVE UPGRADE!
2. Engineering somethingorother
-In this class, I am the designated cookie-bringer. I bring 5 or so cookies to class, so that Peter and some other nops in the class have some food to wake them up from their previous class so that they are able to avoid falling asleep until almost halfway through this class. The teacher is actually pretty smart, though, so he is fun to listen to. We spend most of the time in this class doing group projects such as trying to make a standard piece of paper fall to the ground more slowly using balloons, preventing old people from falling down stairs, and and the moment, designing a trophy. Peter unfortunately failed to push through his fantastic idea of a sword as the trophy, so my only remaining ideas involve glass and a lot of blue LEDs.
3. Chemistry
-Uh yea so I never took AP Chem so I have to take this class. Unfortunately, we have now progressed into a slightly more advanced area of chemistry than I was able to understand from shouted lectures and "Is this a joke?"s on chem labs in basic chem, so I might have to pay attention now.
4. Chem Lab
-Would prefer TAs that spoke English. Other than that and my 6/19 on a prelab due to my unwillingness to use a pen, going ok.
5. Science of Information
-What is this, a slightly interesting class? No way! We get to learn all the stuff I've forgotten from IBET tech and digital electronics, with some bonus stuff that I haven't learned before! Woohoo! Stuff like sampling/quantization of signals, coding/decoding methods, compression, information content, very basic digital logic and the like. Basically, intro electrical engineering stuff.
6. History and Strategy
-This is a seminar specifically for Rodman Scholars, some random group of engineers that were accepted with "Dear X, Very Impressed! This is how we felt when reviewing your application" and so on. You can tell that an engineer wrote that letter. Anyway, in this class so far, we've talked about Machiavelli, some random other guys, and the Cold War. We've watched two movies about nuclear war that have convinced me to move to Canada or Switzerland or something. This week, we are going to dress up in suits and act out a hypothetical crisis in which North Korea decides to do something with its nuclear weapons.
That's it for classes. Basically, I should be pwning up all of this, because it's all intro stuff, most of which I've done before, but actually studying material is an unfortunately necessary skill for said pwning.
Other Stuff!
Badminton Club!
-The single most legitimate thing I've done so far. Badminton is legit stuff. I originally decided to really get into it because I failed to make the club tennis team after making the first cut in the tryouts. Luckily, I made the badminton club team's first cut, and out of the 7 that made the first cut, they would take 5. Easy in, right? Unluckily, I am not very good at badminton, so I did not make the second cut, and am therefore successfully on neither team. Still, I think if I play a decent amount of badminton and actually learn how to play the game, I should be more successful next year. I can still do the club, I just won't get to play with people that are quite as legit.
My suite!
-For those that don't know, we have suite-style dorms, with 5 rooms (10 people) per suite. I'm in one of the "scholar dorms," so the people in my dorm are fairly legit. My suite is above average in my opinion, due to two other TJ people (Peter/Robert) and some other legit nops from various places. We finally decided to put a TV in our suite common room, so we have had some epic Brawl and Halo 3 matches. Conveniently, I am one of the better Brawl players, so I do fairly well when we play Brawl. Inconveniently, I am a terrible FPS player, so my biggest accomplishment in Halo so far has been defeating Casey (who has never played before) and his partner, my roommate, with the help of Jeremy, one of a suitemates and a quality teammate, scoring individually over 20 kills out of my team's 50. One step at a time.
Foosball!
-I'm still terrible!
Food!
-Dining hall 1 minute walk away, with all the cheerios, apple jacks, milk, and pizza anyone could ever need.
Windows 7!
-Yay! And for only $10! The default background is definitely the best default background for any Windows OS ever, not sure if it beats those bizarre Mac OSX ones though. Otherwise, haven't tested it much, other than that Wolfram wants me to junking fax them some form to transfer the Mathematica license to the new OS. Roar. Random tip: For anyone looking to upgrade their operating system and save time installing programs, use Ninite. It allows you to install a lot of common programs at once, which is kind of useful :/
I may post some pictures of some of this junk at some point, if I gather the motivation. ^^
BONUS FOR READING THIS FAR
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