Just got back from meeting with Dr. Warren about my Professional Science Master's program. I feel a lot better now. I had been telling the other grads I came here for the PSM, and they just looked at me funny. It is a two year program after all, so I don't have to worry about trying to get everything done in one year. I think I even have summers off (though I still need to make money, and TA'ing in the summer is as good a way as any to get it). I'm glad I got this taken care of now because Dr. Warren is going away for five weeks on Friday.
My program does not have any graduates from it yet. Dr. Warren was hoping to have two by now. One guy was called up to Iraq...twice. The other was hit by a car and he's still recuperating. Hopefully I have better karma than them. With those guys out for now, Dr. Warren says there are going to be all of three Applied Physics PSMs in the program. I'm one of them. A second is one of the guys I met during the open house last spring, he seemed pretty cool but he is not here yet. The third is a second year physics grad who defected from the Ph.D. program. She's got some core physics classes done already, but still needs to start the business core. That sounds like the full roster for the Applied Physics track. There are three other PSM tracks at Oregon State though, and those people will be taking the same business core we take, so there will be others in the same boat.
03 August 2005
02 August 2005
ugh
Lab was painful today. It was an astronomy lab, so everything was on the computer (which is always a harbinger of doom). In addition, the students had to do a ton of number crunching and I had to hold their hand every step of the way. They would make the same mistake (like forgetting to square a quantity) over and over. They screwed up units left and right even after I told them they had to be converted. One guy in the afternoon session tried to get ahead by ignoring what I told the rest of the class, but he ended up being the last one to leave because he had no idea what he was doing. I tell these guys I'm not talking just to hear the sound of my own voice, I'm not writing up on the board just to amuse myself, but they ignore me anyway. The few students that did know what they were doing weren't showing their partners how they got the right numbers.
A lot of the grads are not here for some reason, so there weren't enough people for hearts for the second day in a row.
The next lab is on work and energy, a concept they should have an easier time with. The lab also has hands-on stuff, which I think helps them learn better. We'll see how things go on Thursday. Tomorrow I'm going in to meet with Dr. Warren for advising about my Professional Science Master's program, so hopefully I'll come out with a clear idea of what I'm going to be doing for the next year.
I am done teaching for the day so I am just going to read my Lewis and Clark book.
A lot of the grads are not here for some reason, so there weren't enough people for hearts for the second day in a row.
The next lab is on work and energy, a concept they should have an easier time with. The lab also has hands-on stuff, which I think helps them learn better. We'll see how things go on Thursday. Tomorrow I'm going in to meet with Dr. Warren for advising about my Professional Science Master's program, so hopefully I'll come out with a clear idea of what I'm going to be doing for the next year.
I am done teaching for the day so I am just going to read my Lewis and Clark book.
01 August 2005
2008 Pontiac GTO
Is this a hot car or what? Apparently GM's Zeta platform has been delayed/cancelled though, so don't get your hopes up (at least for 2008). But still - daaaaamn.
31 July 2005
a low frequency inversion field
It's quiet out tonight. Also much cooler out. I decided against making my own dinner and got some Papiano's (locally called Papa John's, but it'll always be Papiano's to me), so I went into town a little. Qdoba is closed for the night - that is not in the Qdoba spirit! Qdoba is supposed to be there at 3 AM when the concerts let out. Maybe it's just summer hours. I saw at MSU how summer and the academic year are very different. Papiano's is on 9th St across from the Mitsubishi dealer, so I got to see my Lancer Evos. I get the feeling that nights like tonight are going to be very full of physics in a couple of months so I'm enjoying it now. I didn't touch the PS2 today, which is good. I was either out exploring or reading my Lewis & Clark book, which I intend to return to after I've had my fill of pizza.
Edit: Unrelated to anything, I think a good DJ name for Einstein would be E=DJ^2. Also, I am thinking about naming my iPod.
Edit 2: Paul says I should learn to drive stick better so I can test drive the Lancer Evos. If only I had something to practice on...
Edit: Unrelated to anything, I think a good DJ name for Einstein would be E=DJ^2. Also, I am thinking about naming my iPod.
Edit 2: Paul says I should learn to drive stick better so I can test drive the Lancer Evos. If only I had something to practice on...
the high road
I went to Mary's Peak today. It was insanely better than Bald Hill. First of all, the road to Mary's Peak is a trip in itself. I took the same highway out of town as I did for Newport, but when the highways split I took the smaller one this time. The road goes through some heavily forested area. As you get several miles out of town the road starts getting crazy. The sign says it all - a 'squiggly road' symbol, followed by NEXT TWO MILES. It's basically a slalom. Some of the curves have huge bankings, almost like a racetrack. Pretty wild.
Then I turn onto Mary's Peak Road. The new road doesn't have the slaloms, but it's got ups. Mary's Peak is the highest point in my county and is the highest of Oregon's coastal mountain range, so the road has a lot of altitude to cover. (Fortunately, the road goes like 95% of the way to the summit.) There were a couple scenic points to pull off at, but I went straight for the top. There's a parking lot at the top that you're ostensibly supposed to have a pass for, but there were no booths to sell them anywhere, so I parked there anyway.
There was a picnic area where lots of people were hanging out, checking out the good view of Philomath. However, my goal was the summit, not the tourist area. There was a decent trail up to the top because of the TV / radio transmitters up there. I'm still out of shape so it was rough going, but nowhere near as bad as Bald Hill.
The payoff was great. The summit has no trees on it so you can see everything around you. I could see Mt. Hood, among other mountains. One of them (Three Fingered Jack) was where the OSU grad student died last weekend. To the west you could see the Pacific. Unlike the picnic area, there were only a couple other people at the summit, and at one point I was alone. It was amazingly quiet up there. It was also cooler, the breeze felt very nice.
I went back down and was relieved to see my car had not been ticketed or towed. As I descended I remembered a Car Talk call from a guy whose brakes caught fire after going downhill (and braking constantly) for several miles. So, I decided it would be a wise idea to learn how to use the Malibu's overdrives. They work very well if you put them in that kind of situation. After cruising a couple of miles in Overdrive 2 I leveled out, put the Malibu in Drive and went through the slaloms again.
On my way back I took some side stops in Philomath. There was a thrift store, but it didn't have much that I was looking for. There is also the Re/Max Quantum Properties place. (How does that work? "We've got a lovely two-story overlooking a magnesium atom.") Philomath has a furniture store too. As I've previously stated, a primary goal of mine is to locate a sofa or futon. They had a futon that might fit my needs (it's not as expensive as others), but I need to think about it. Maybe I'll get the frame from them and the mattress somewhere else.
I took lots of pictures. I tried to make a panorama, but Fischer has more patience with learning idiosyncrasies of computer programs than I do. I might pick one or two and post them later. I know I could be dumping the lot of them to the Yahoo site, but I'm lazy.
My eating schedule is off, it's 8:30 PM and I might stall a little longer before fixing dinner. I have to get my sleep schedule back on track first. I have been staying up late to read my Lewis & Clark book.
In iTunes news, there is now a fierce battle for the #10 spot on my Top Ten, and some of the other Top Tens are battling their way up. (Of course, nothing is going to touch #1 because it has 60% more plays than #2.) It's kind of interesting watching how the songs interact with each other.
Tomorrow I pay rent, get lecture notes, and it's not supposed to be above 90 outside. The PH 211 kids have their midterm, and I should find something productive to do. It's also a birthday for someone I'm not on speaking terms with anymore (they know who they are). Whee.
Then I turn onto Mary's Peak Road. The new road doesn't have the slaloms, but it's got ups. Mary's Peak is the highest point in my county and is the highest of Oregon's coastal mountain range, so the road has a lot of altitude to cover. (Fortunately, the road goes like 95% of the way to the summit.) There were a couple scenic points to pull off at, but I went straight for the top. There's a parking lot at the top that you're ostensibly supposed to have a pass for, but there were no booths to sell them anywhere, so I parked there anyway.
There was a picnic area where lots of people were hanging out, checking out the good view of Philomath. However, my goal was the summit, not the tourist area. There was a decent trail up to the top because of the TV / radio transmitters up there. I'm still out of shape so it was rough going, but nowhere near as bad as Bald Hill.
The payoff was great. The summit has no trees on it so you can see everything around you. I could see Mt. Hood, among other mountains. One of them (Three Fingered Jack) was where the OSU grad student died last weekend. To the west you could see the Pacific. Unlike the picnic area, there were only a couple other people at the summit, and at one point I was alone. It was amazingly quiet up there. It was also cooler, the breeze felt very nice.
I went back down and was relieved to see my car had not been ticketed or towed. As I descended I remembered a Car Talk call from a guy whose brakes caught fire after going downhill (and braking constantly) for several miles. So, I decided it would be a wise idea to learn how to use the Malibu's overdrives. They work very well if you put them in that kind of situation. After cruising a couple of miles in Overdrive 2 I leveled out, put the Malibu in Drive and went through the slaloms again.
On my way back I took some side stops in Philomath. There was a thrift store, but it didn't have much that I was looking for. There is also the Re/Max Quantum Properties place. (How does that work? "We've got a lovely two-story overlooking a magnesium atom.") Philomath has a furniture store too. As I've previously stated, a primary goal of mine is to locate a sofa or futon. They had a futon that might fit my needs (it's not as expensive as others), but I need to think about it. Maybe I'll get the frame from them and the mattress somewhere else.
I took lots of pictures. I tried to make a panorama, but Fischer has more patience with learning idiosyncrasies of computer programs than I do. I might pick one or two and post them later. I know I could be dumping the lot of them to the Yahoo site, but I'm lazy.
My eating schedule is off, it's 8:30 PM and I might stall a little longer before fixing dinner. I have to get my sleep schedule back on track first. I have been staying up late to read my Lewis & Clark book.
In iTunes news, there is now a fierce battle for the #10 spot on my Top Ten, and some of the other Top Tens are battling their way up. (Of course, nothing is going to touch #1 because it has 60% more plays than #2.) It's kind of interesting watching how the songs interact with each other.
Tomorrow I pay rent, get lecture notes, and it's not supposed to be above 90 outside. The PH 211 kids have their midterm, and I should find something productive to do. It's also a birthday for someone I'm not on speaking terms with anymore (they know who they are). Whee.
30 July 2005
saturday = supply runs
I've run out of a bunch of supplies for food again so I have to get out to the store today. I also have to do laundry - I haven't done laundry since I got here. I might have been able to get a little further even but one of my favorite pairs of khaki shorts finally got holes in it, and the other needs to be washed. At least I've got a good book to read while I'm waiting - I got my dad Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose for his bday, and I liked the looks of it so much that I got myself a copy. It's about the Lewis and Clark expedition.
I might head up to Albany as well to check out some of the bigger stores they have there. I really need to find a sofa or a futon, but they're either horrendously expensive or I need to move them myself. Finding a decent couch is my primary apartment mission now.
I'm still going to try to do exploring this weekend, just tomorrow. I haven't decided where yet, maybe Mary's Peak.
The PH 211 kids have a midterm on Monday. I think they might get hosed. Fortunately I've only got labs next week, I don't even have to grade the exams. It could be fun to see what they write though. One of the other grad students said that because I'm new I'd probably get PH 201 or something for fall, and those classes can have 700 students - almost four times larger than ISP 209! She said grading all their exams could take thirteen hours. On top of that, their helproom here is more flexible. If I work helproom, the students can ask me anything from any class. That will certainly keep me on my toes - at least it's good practice.
I really don't know too much about how my program works yet. I'm going to try to get some advising next week. I think I might have to take a lighter version of the PhD's comp exam. From what I can tell, this is actually a one year program instead of a two year like I assumed. I think I take three terms of classes (we're on the quarter system), do my internship, then come back to OSU and give a report, take the comp thing, and be on my way. It's going to be an intense year. At least I won't be stuck in grad limbo for a decade or something. The other grads mentioned yesterday there was a guy who went to grad school here for nine years and left without a degree. I think Piled Higher and Deeper helped me quit my PhD before I started. Maybe I'll do a PhD somewhere down the line, but right now it is definitely not being considered.
I might head up to Albany as well to check out some of the bigger stores they have there. I really need to find a sofa or a futon, but they're either horrendously expensive or I need to move them myself. Finding a decent couch is my primary apartment mission now.
I'm still going to try to do exploring this weekend, just tomorrow. I haven't decided where yet, maybe Mary's Peak.
The PH 211 kids have a midterm on Monday. I think they might get hosed. Fortunately I've only got labs next week, I don't even have to grade the exams. It could be fun to see what they write though. One of the other grad students said that because I'm new I'd probably get PH 201 or something for fall, and those classes can have 700 students - almost four times larger than ISP 209! She said grading all their exams could take thirteen hours. On top of that, their helproom here is more flexible. If I work helproom, the students can ask me anything from any class. That will certainly keep me on my toes - at least it's good practice.
I really don't know too much about how my program works yet. I'm going to try to get some advising next week. I think I might have to take a lighter version of the PhD's comp exam. From what I can tell, this is actually a one year program instead of a two year like I assumed. I think I take three terms of classes (we're on the quarter system), do my internship, then come back to OSU and give a report, take the comp thing, and be on my way. It's going to be an intense year. At least I won't be stuck in grad limbo for a decade or something. The other grads mentioned yesterday there was a guy who went to grad school here for nine years and left without a degree. I think Piled Higher and Deeper helped me quit my PhD before I started. Maybe I'll do a PhD somewhere down the line, but right now it is definitely not being considered.
28 July 2005
end of the week
Today sucked for work but was OK in other respects. The weather is hot and dry again, which is slowing me down and incapacitating the locals. I taught recitation today. I had one kid in the morning session and he asked me the one book question that I hadn't fully worked out, so I got to stand around pondering and looking like an idiot. I didn't figure it out in front of him. After hearts club I sat down and it took me less than five minutes to find the problem - it was just Physics Rule #1, I had just made a stupid mistake in the geometry. Which is to be expected, because I basically haven't done physics since April. I got some lunch and went to the next recitation knowing that I could handle the material now. Nobody showed up to the second recitation. I waited about half the time and then bailed. Fortunately I am only doing labs next week, those are much easier to wing.
I went back to the bank again. This time I brought my sack of loose change that I hadn't cashed out in years - my new bank has a coin counting machine that is free for members. I had $27.63 in change, none of it quarters and including over 600 pennies and several hundred nickels and dimes. That sack of coins must have been 2/3 of the weight I lugged around today. I also got an email from my friend Erin that I sent the MIT book too, it sounds like she loves it.
As for me, I put on a Hawaiian shirt and I'm going to take a siesta, then maybe find a book to read. Maybe some SImCity. In any case it's the weekend for me now and I'm taking full advantage of it.
I went back to the bank again. This time I brought my sack of loose change that I hadn't cashed out in years - my new bank has a coin counting machine that is free for members. I had $27.63 in change, none of it quarters and including over 600 pennies and several hundred nickels and dimes. That sack of coins must have been 2/3 of the weight I lugged around today. I also got an email from my friend Erin that I sent the MIT book too, it sounds like she loves it.
As for me, I put on a Hawaiian shirt and I'm going to take a siesta, then maybe find a book to read. Maybe some SImCity. In any case it's the weekend for me now and I'm taking full advantage of it.
27 July 2005
the red pen is back
I finished doing my first grading in a long time. Too bad there were only ten papers instead of 185. The other TA and I decided we are basically a good cop / bad cop team. Before you start making cracks - I'm the good cop, and that does not make it a bad cop / bad cop routine. I don't know why we decided to do this, teaching is basically the opposite of interrogation. But I'm feeling pretty laid back and the other guy wants to be more of an ass, so there we go. I'm also supposed to prep for recitation tomorrow, but I'm just going to slap something together in the morning like last week.
I love reading Piled Higher and Deeper, especially since I'm now a part of this culture. I'll ask the other grads tomorrow at hearts club if they read it. If not, then it's clearly my duty to bring it to them. I haven't seen any PhD strips posted in the halls, mostly just Dilbert. I've also seen one of the randomly generated papers by a group of MIT troublemakers.
I love reading Piled Higher and Deeper, especially since I'm now a part of this culture. I'll ask the other grads tomorrow at hearts club if they read it. If not, then it's clearly my duty to bring it to them. I haven't seen any PhD strips posted in the halls, mostly just Dilbert. I've also seen one of the randomly generated papers by a group of MIT troublemakers.
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