Shamazing?!Shamazing?!A simple college student trying to keep his life in order. Read what he has to say, you might find something useful. Articles
Surreal Moments
2008-02-20 16:35:00 I walked into a lecture by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. It was a really strange feeling. I had gone through the exact same lectures, read all of the informational packets (or propaganda...if you so please), and there I was, entering a classroom full of hopefuls and their parents.I felt like telling them to relax, and enjoy their senior years. If you've worked hard enough to contemplate applying to Northwestern, the rest of the process is mainly out of your hands. Just make sure the documents arrive in time and the recommendations get written. After that, just chill out and enjoy the rest of the year. But of course, I saw anxious faces, and notebooks full of notes. It's a different feeling to be in and look out as compared to be out and look in. Maybe a year from now, those who make it in will have the same experience I did. You come to realize that a lot of the work you put into high school doesn't matter when you start college. The SAT scores, the extracurriculars, th... More About: Surreal , Moments
Study Tool: RescueTime
2008-02-19 16:27:00 A common curse of every student is wasting time on the computer. Chatting with friends, playing video games, or just watching videos, we meander away the precious time we had set aside for study purposes. This can be a significant problem, but knowledge and acceptance is the first step to refocusing your prime work time.Rescue Time is a small application that is installed on your computer, then stores your usage data. It keeps track of what program you had open and for how long. A more complete description can be found on RescueTime's FAQ.In order to track your data, RescueTime requires a free registration. Yea, another piece of free software. Hope it's useful!RescueTime URL:http://www.rescuetime.com More About: Study , Tool
Monday starts on Friday
2008-02-18 17:17:00 For most students, Monday is the bane of our existence (unless you don't have classes on Monday...then you hate Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc). We wake up tired, without any energy or the desire to go to classes. We wish we could just sleep, and ignore the week. But as much as we hate it, we cannot blame Monday for being so terrible. We know exactly what it's going to bring and what we'll have to do. But even so, we face it unprepared.Every dreary Monday starts on the Friday that precedes it. We go out on Friday, have a good time and return at ungodly hours of the night. We have fun, but it does nothing to eliminate the stress we must deal with during the week. A late Friday spills over into a late Saturday, and a late Saturday only sets us up for a draining Sunday.We wake up on Sunday, and work until we have no work left to do. We labor on Sunday, going to bed late as the deadline for the project due on Monday creeps forever closer. So how can we blame poor Monday for being so terr...
How-to: Tie Tying
2008-02-17 20:05:00 Learning how to tie a tie is quite important. If well done, it can differentiate the man (or woman) from his peers. It truly is an art form, and surprisingly few people know how to correctly wear a tie. Kinowear breaks down the basics and keeps us looking our best. How To Tie a Tie: The Pursuit of the Perfect KnotNote: I don't know how to tie a tie well, so don't ask.
Above freezing!
2008-02-17 19:32:00 Every once in a while during the Chicago winter, we have a day where the temperature is above freezing. And today happens to be one of those days! According to Google, it's:Which means I can actually go outside and have some fun! Oh, and I can also open my window!Warm days are a blessing. Great timing too, I finished my homework for the weekend yesterday. If I take pictures, though very unlikely, I'll post them. The simple joys of being above freezing.
Maybe the basketball game wasn't that bad...
2008-02-17 03:07:00 So apparently, the basketball game we went to on Thursday wasn't as bad as I thought it was. As you can see, there were a couple very good plays:It was probably how far away we sat. I just couldn't see any of the good stuff. More About: Basketball , Game
Studying Tool: jMemorize
2008-02-17 02:51:00 Memorizing is a fact of life in college. Whichever university you attend, you will undoubtedly have to memorize loads and loads of information, and be required to recall it at a moments notice on an exam. With vocabulary, formulas, or just important facts, flash cards are easily the best manner for learning a lot of material in a short period of time.Now, if you are anything like myself, a computer is the main tool used in studying, from looking up key facts to typing up essays. Additionally, my handwriting is so terrible that writing flashcards would be futile. I would spend more time decoding what I had written rather than taking in the information. And here is where jMemorize comes to the rescue.This open source software allows you to input and save multiple sets of flashcards, even in multiple languages. jMemorize uses the Leitner Method for sorting out your cards. You input the amount of time you have to spend in a given session, and let the computer test you.Oh, did I mention ... More About: Tool , Studying
Reader Suggestion: College Lectures
2008-02-16 03:27:00 I had asked yesterday if anyone desired a specific entry. The first reply wanted me to discuss what a typical college lecture was like. So, I'll do my best to describe class fairly, without my bias interfering with the facts.Disclaimer: Every lecturer is a bit different in style and delivery, so this is what to generally expect.Classes fall under three different categories. The first is a lecture, the second is a discussion, and the third is a read-along.Lecture classes are typically the toughest for students. They require constant note taking and incessant attention. The lecturer bases his exams on the material presented in class, so if you miss a day try to get the materials from a classmate. A lecturer, using the blackboard, white board, or power point, presents and discusses the information he deems most important for the subject at hand. He may refer students to the text book if they want to explore other topics, but on the whole, he is only interested in what he himself has t... More About: College , Lectures , Reader , Suggestion
Valentine's Day in Chicago
2008-02-15 05:52:00 For those of you who care, I hope St. Val's Day was fun.My roommates and myself (so two Bulgarians, an American and me) went to the Bulls vs Heat basketball ball game tonight. The company was good, but the game was terrible. Not to mention that the row 17 seats we were so excited about getting happened to be the exact last row in the stadium. The view was wonderful:Econometrics homework beacons, so I need to go now. I am not too sure what to write about tomorrow. If you have any ideas about what you want to know, email me (or call, or IM). Cya tomorrow! More About: Chicago
Oh!
2008-02-14 05:14:00 And not to forget today's video: Bear Grylls' Man vs Wild isn't all it appears to be:Enjoy!
Eating Well
2008-02-14 03:27:00 No witty statements or any other kind of subterfuge. There's no real point in dancing around the issue. Food defines the person. If you are exercising properly and still not seeing any of the results you're looking for, chances are you are not eating well.In the barest of terms, you need to eat more to look better.A typical college student eats twice in the day. Lunch and dinner. It's easy to miss breakfast in the rush to get to classes, and it's hard to find time (not to mention there's limited access to food) to eat more often. But two meals a day is not enough.You need to eat three times as much. Six meals a day.Now, what is a meal?It comes in two main parts. First, your carbohydrate source (brown rice, whole wheat, etc) and second your protein (beef, chicken, turkey). An ideal meal is about a fist size serving of each. Now, you do have some options. Say for breakfast, replace the protein with egg whites and the carbs with a couple slices of toast. For two meals, add a servi... More About: Eating
College and the Gym
2008-02-13 02:04:00 Everyone has heard of the dreaded freshman fifteen -- the simple result of eating low quality food, not having time to exercise and the high stress of college life. It seems as though gaining weight is unavoidable. But in truth, it's preventable, and not that difficult.Simplest answer? Go to the gym.As herculean of an effort it may seem, going a few times a week can really pay off and soon becomes second nature. Create a good workout regime and you'll be itching to go and hit the weights. On average, the best approach for most people is to weight-lift 3 times a week for no more than 45 minutes each time. Every workout day, though, you'll be exercising a different part of your body. For instance Monday's are for chest and arms, Wednesday's for back, and Friday's for legs. Now if you are really up to the task, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, you can add in a short aerobics session. Usually 25 minutes will do your heart and your body good.One of the best online resources for ... More About: College
Short post. Time lapse.
2008-02-12 05:01:00 Enjoy the video.The amount of time required to make a time-lapsed motion picture, especially one of this length, is enormous. Today is a lazy post day. I burned dinner, which threw off my mood. I'll have a nice post about working out tomorrow. More About: Time , Post , Time Lapse , Short
Communication
2008-02-11 05:11:00 One thing you'll learn in college is that reaching someone quickly and unobtrusively is really damn useful. Those times when you are in a pinch and just need a quick hand with something, a contact can save the day. So what are the best ways to collaborate with your peers?Cell phones are numero uno on the list. A call, a text message -- you can't beat the speed and convenience of a mobile phone. Generally most people carry their cells with them constantly, so it's just a matter of getting the number and getting them at a good time.If you can't find the phone number, the next best thing to do is search for the email address. Nearly all universities have a directory service which lets you look up students and professors. Just need the last name, and you're good to go. A lot of college students check their email compulsively, at every opportunity they get.Don't underestimate the power of an instant message. A lot of people, myself including, keep a messenger open at all times, kin... More About: Communication
Student Life, or the lack thereof
2008-02-10 04:00:00 It's 9:00 PM on a Saturday night. I'm a college student at Northwestern University. Can you guess what I'm doing?In the library, studying. Can you guess what I did earlier today?More studying.When I came to college, I expected freedom. I was away from the house for the first time, out of the grasp of my parents. But like any honeymoon, that feeling was short-lived. After the first week of class, I had already been completely bombard by work. Unforgiving professors, material presented at breakneck speeds, it was a torrent of work which enslaved me, chaining me to my desk and the library. From time to time, there was a slight respite, a day or two where no impending deadline loomed.But those breaks where short and far between. After getting that little breath of air that will momentarily keep you alive, the rip currents drag you under again. Studying here is like a job, you have no time for anything else if you wish to do well. Breaks are what pull you through -- the promise of a f... More About: Life , Student , Student life , Lack
Viernes!
2008-02-09 04:02:00 That's the Spanish word for Friday. In America, Friday is generally considered the last day of the business week. It's the day we get to kick back and have a bit of fun. Go out, enjoy the company of our friends...just have a good time.But as much as I would love to get out, I just don't have the energy to pick myself up and go anywhere. This last week has been so draining. I want to lie down and go to bed already. But, I'll be up for a few more hours, finishing off the odds and ends. Oh...and here's a really cool video. It's about human rights (derechos humanos). The Spanish syncs up well with the English.Oh, and the midterms are over! Hooray! No more stress till finals!
Test Preparation
2008-02-08 06:32:00 In 11.5 hours, I will be done with my final midterm. Which means I'll be studying from now till 10.5 hours from now. Given the circumstances, I wanted to share how I generally go about test preparation. With slight variation based on the class, I try follow the same basic model. I'm going to start backwards and work to the beginning. By backwards I mean the guide will go from the morning of the exam to essentially when the class starts.The morning of is always a bit intimidating. Nervousness, apprehension...we all feel them. Just accept them and move on. You have a test to take :)The night before the exam needs to be calm. Don't go out, just chill out and look over your notes a bit. Go to bed kinda early.The days before the exam are all for studying. This is usually the best time to go to the professors office hours so you can ask questions about what you don't understand or what you missed on the homework.The week before the exam is about homework. Go through and do all your ho... More About: Test , Preparation
4-2=2
2008-02-07 03:06:00 Two midterms down, two to go.Spanish was a breeze, mainly because the professor gives us vast amounts of homework and constantly forces us to practice our Spanish in class. As much as I gripe while I'm doing the work, I see the results of it and I'm loving it. In case anyone wants to know, the guy's name is Joel Colom-Mena. I wholeheartedly recommend him as a professor. What could be better than learning Spanish from a full-blown Spaniard?Econometrics is a totally different story. Thus far, we have done maybe a dozen applicable problems. And just to show how involved the math is...it took the TA almost 45 minutes to solve a subsection of a problem. Yea, a SUBSECTION. There were 11 problems total on that practice exam. The actual exam, however, was a bit more forgiving, only 5 problems. But even then, I was unable to finish the last part of the last problem. Insane mate, insane. Hopefully the curve is lenient.In other news, I read Dan Brown's Digital Fortress yesterday. I was qui...
Quick Post
2008-02-06 06:20:00 Two midterms tomorrow, so today's post is going to be quick. First off, I can't figure out how to get rid of all this extra blank space I have around the outside edges of the blog. Something about the html I'm just not understanding. Second thing....isn't this video great?And finally, a friend of mine from Corpus Christi (he's up in college now) has started his own blog. Check it out, he's a cool guy. His blog is here.I'll get a more substantial post up this weekend. Hopefully, I'll survive this week without completely losing my sanity. Though being insane does have it's benefits... More About: Post , Quick
EeePC is Alive!
2008-02-05 04:11:00 As you may know, the Asus EeePc had died over the weekend. But, I was able to get it working again, and fully functional! Long story short, I was dumb. So here's what I did:First, I reinstalled the OS on the machine. Result: Nothing.Second, I took the machine apart and checked all the hardware. Result: Nothing.Third, I reinstalled the OS again. Result: Nothing.As you can see, I don't seem to be making much progress.So, I decided to get online and see if I could figure out what the problem could be. Basically, what I found was that files can get corrupted and need replacement From here, all you can do is hope to find the files again. So eventually, I was able to pull up the software that I needed and put it back on my machine. Result: Nothing.I reinstalled the OS one last time to see if I could get it working, but again...result: Nothing.At this point, I quit. I decided just to call Asus and see if they could fix my computer. I just pulled out my homework and set to work. About an ... More About: Alive
Midterms!
2008-02-04 04:58:00 It seems to me that attending college and having to take exams have a strong positive correlation. But even then, how do four professors who likely never meet with one another and are in four completely separate departments plan out midterms to such accuracy that they all fall this Thursday, plus and minus one day.Sometimes it feels like you can never get ahead enough that a ton of work won't hit you in the face like an anvil falling from the sky. With all the work I have to do, I foresee many sleepless nights and listless days. If you care to know, the classes I'm taking are:Econometrics (statistics, but designed for people in Economics)Intermediate Spanish (¡sí, puedo hablar Español!)Organic Chemistry (you know, that post about borneol...)Economic History of the US from 1865 to Present (long title, says it all)Well, you can guess what I'm going to be doing this week. Study, study, study!Here's something to lighten up the mood:Any advice? Post a comment!
Death and Dinner
2008-02-03 06:06:00 I'll start off with the fun news.Went to dinner with a friend at an Italian place here in Evanston, Illinois called Gio. It was great. I had some shrimp spaghetti and my friend had a stuffed pasta. I didn't even approach finishing my meal, a culinary crime I had never committed before, but this Concerta really kills my appetite. After a couple bites, I couldn't eat any more.But...I did share some tiramisu and we each had a cappuccino. The coffee and dessert were awesome. Friend, if you ever read this, dinner was great and I love your company.On to the death. My little, portable Asus EeePC died on me tonight. Well, it didn't completely die, but the wifi connectivity is gone. Just suddenly, it can't see anymore connections. I'm a bit broken-hearted: I used it to type up blog entries. Hopefully, I'll figure out a way to get it working again, but the probability of having to send in for repairs is quite high.Stay safe. More About: Dinner , Death
Friday, and what's a cam for?
2008-02-02 00:58:00 The end of the week is here again. I always look forward to Friday s, but usually end up wasting them on very trivial pursuits. Like laundry.I hate laundry.Regardless of what I do, I hope to fall asleep at a decent time. I've found that sleeping well on the weekend really helps with my productivity during the ensuing week. Even so, I predict many sleepless nights. Three midterms, a lab report, hundred's of pages of reading...it will be grueling.Speaking of lab reports....we did a fun lab today where we made camphor from borneol. Of course those names don't mean much to you, but camphor is an ingredient of Vick's Vapor Rub. It's the stuff that sublimates (goes directly from solid to gas) when you put it on your chest. Here's a picture:End of post three. Stay safe, I'll be back tomorrow.
Sleepless nights, long days.
2008-01-31 20:03:00 Last night was interesting. I was awake until 5 AM.It was a productive night too. I finished a lot of the work I had planned for tonight and tomorrow. But I wasn't awake because I had to do work. Most of it was long term, not due for at least a week. For the first time in my life, I was awake because I wanted to do work. So why the sudden surge of motivation?I think it's the Concerta . I officially started the medication on Thursday, January 24, 2008. I had noticed some of it's other side effects earlier this week, most notably the appetite suppression and a constant low-grade headache. The headache has gone away, but I still don't feel hungry.I only slept a few hours, so we'll see how the rest of the day goes. End of post two. See you later today. More About: Days , Long , Nights
The Inception
More articles from this author:2008-01-31 07:28:00 Most things are born at some point or another. Some are spontaneous and seemingly arise from nowhere. Others brew much longer in the minds of those who hold an idea close to them. I am partial to the former.This blog represents my impulsiveness. The posts may be random. The post may be sporadic. Activity may come in bursts, or not at all.Most of all, this is a thought experiment, a rambling stream of conscious which will take me to who knows where. If you decided to read this, I hope you enjoy it. If you chose to ignore it, have fun at whatever else you are doing. End of first post. See you tomorrow. 1, 2, 3 |
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