Archive for the ‘School’ Category
It’s been some time since my last update, and quite a bit has transpired since then. So here is a laundry list of what’s going on in my life these days:
- I graduated from my M.S. program at UCI. It was a tough process, and I spent a huge part of my free time during the Spring quarter preparing for one thing – a 2.5-hour date with destiny. That’s right, the real analysis comprehensive exam. After I had studied the hardest I have ever studied for anything, I took the exam on Monday, June 15. After taking it, I felt like I had failed (yet again). I conferred with a few friends in my situation, and they shared my feelings. I was mildly depressed after that, and it wasn’t until the end of the following week that I learned that I had actually passed the exam, along with all of my second-year friends. Needless to say I was ecstatic as this was the last step I needed to take to guarantee my degree, so I am now officially Todd R. Royal, M.S. (although you’ll never see this written anywhere).
- In addition to passing my real analysis comp, I also decided to take a qualifying exam in complex analysis (a test reserved for Ph.D. students), because I had taken the course and felt pretty good about my chances. Turns out I was right, and I passed that exam as well, sort of as a “hey, I’ve still got it” message to the UCI math department. I was pretty happy when I learned that I had passed that exam, especially since I really only studied for it for two days (the exam was on Wednesday, June 17, two days after my real analysis comp). I thought it was a nice way to wrap things up at school.
- I got a job. In my last post, I mentioned that it looked like I wouldn’t be able to stay on at Western Digital, but as it turns out, my boss was able to get a requisition for me to do the same job I had been doing as an intern during the school year, but now with a greater salary, benefits, and all the other good stuff that goes along with working full-time. The timing of it was pretty awesome – I finished school on the 17th, and I started my first day as a regular employee on Monday, June 22. So far, it’s been an awesome job, and a welcome change from the stresses of grad school.
- We moved. Since I graduated, it was mandated that we could no longer live in graduate student housing (makes sense). We moved to a new apartment community in Irvine called Villa Siena, conveniently located near “downtown” Irvine, just a block away from the 405 (which I take to and from work every day; the song by Death Cab for Cutie comes to mind). It’s also nice because Christine can walk to work instead of taking a bus. We’re still getting settled in, but we are really enjoying the new place.
- I became an uncle. My sister has been pregnant for the last several months (almost nine, in fact), and on Friday, July 17, her daughter Karsie Gene was born. The whole experience has been interesting for everyone involved since Karsie has a physical condition that has affected her in many ways – but she seems to be getting better and better every day. You can read her story at karsiegene.blogspot.com.
- I’ve been riding my bike a lot more these days. It has become a source of great enjoyment for me over the past year or so, and every time I go out I feel awesome. My current goal is to ride from Irvine to Point Loma by the end of the summer, so I’ve been ramping up the distances I ride in order to prepare for it. If you have a bike, or money to buy one, I suggest you get out and ride as often as you can – you’ll feel great. Also, if you have time, you should watch some of the highlights of this year’s Tour de France, which ended yesterday. It was an amazing race, and it has helped launch a very exciting time for the sport of cycling.
That’s about all for now. I hope to update more often now that things are beginning to settle down. Thanks for reading.
I’ve been pretty busy with school, doing homework and getting ready for the last finals week of the Master’s program. I have to take that real analysis exam again on June 15, so I’ve been spending a lot of free time studying to make sure I pass it this time.
That isn’t to say that I haven’t had any free time though. I’ve been able to ride my bike quite a bit still, play my guitar every so often, and last night Christine and I went to a MAE concert in Anaheim. The show was awesome, and we talked to the guys a bit after their performance. It was great to meet the band and hear more about what they are doing. I’m looking forward to seeing them play again when they tour to promote their next EP.
Work is going well, but it looks like I won’t be able to stay in my current department after graduation. I am looking into transferring to another department so that I can still stay at WD, but it seems like resources are stretched a little thin at the moment. I’ve also been looking at jobs at a few places in San Diego. So we may be moving back down south, but it really just depends on the job situation.
That’s all for now, but I plan to write plenty more after school is over.
So, as of 7:00 p.m. this evening, I’m done with my fourth quarter of grad school, which is pretty sweet. It’s nice to not have to worry about homework or tests for a little while. I’m looking forward to this nice long break (one month, to be precise). I’ll be working a full schedule at WD (more on that later) for the first two and a half weeks and then heading on down to San Diego on Christmas Eve. If any of you are gonna be around and want to hang out, we’ll be there until January 1st or 2nd. Then it’s on to the winter quarter.
I’ve been working at WD for the past three weeks now, and it’s been a pretty fun job. I’m learning a lot of things about hard drives that I never cared about before, but that I find pretty interesting. As far as saving on hard drives goes, I get a pretty decent discount for each item, but there are some conditions to using it. Technically, I’m only supposed to buy hard drives for mysef (as in, not for resale), and I can only buy three of any given SKU# per year. Also, WD keeps track of the serial numbers on the drives sold through the employee store, so if there is ever a problem with the drive, maintenance or whatever has to go through me. So that’s the deal. I’m also guessing that if I buy a ton of hard drives all the time someone will catch on. But whatever. If anyone is really in need of a hard drive, I can occasionally help you out.
Finally, if you haven’t seen Coldplay in concert, you’re missing out on a whole different side of the Coldplay experience. We were lucky enough to see them on Tuesday, Nov. 25th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, and I must say that it was one of the greatest live shows I’ve ever witenessed. I’ve always been a fan of Coldplay, but after this show, I have to say that they are even dearer to my heart.
Now it’s time to enjoy my time off.
So, I’ve been keeping busy in school while still looking for a job. I spent the majority of today doing complex analysis homework (a 17-problem set, which is basically unheard of around here; most problem sets are 4-7 problems and take 6-10 hours to complete), but I managed to get in a tiny bit of job scouting. I have a few leads around here that I’m hoping will pan out…craigslist and CareerBuilder have been helpful in finding new possibilities (thanks to Mike for the craigslist lead). I’m staying pretty positive about this whole situation (thank you all for the encouragement), and I feel like this will end up being for the best.
In other news, I’ve been occupying my time engaging in conversation about political issues (both online, and offline), and reading things online (and in Time) to stay updated on what (in my opinion) is going to be one of the most important elections of our generation. I think the outcome of this election will shape our nation (and the world’s relations with it) for decades to come, and the changes made (or not made) will have very lasting effects on not only our lives but the lives of future generations.
On a semi-related note, if you are a California native (which I assume most of you are), I encourage you to vote yes on Prop. 1A, which if passed will allow the funding of a high-speed rail network similar to those found in Europe and Japan. You can research the details further yourself, but I have done a lot of thinking about this one and in my opinion this railway would provide a great all-around stimulus (economically, environmentally, infrastructurally [is this a word?], etc.) to California.
In closing, I recommend to all my readers to ride bikes more often, attempt tough math problems, stay informed on political issues (at least for this year), and listen to more Coldplay.
With regard to last night’s post, I’d like to point out that I’m not the only person who has been put in this position. Over half of the second year students that took the exam failed. Several of my friends have already left the program because they can’t afford to pay for this year or they chose not to. The ones that are staying are searching for some source of income in order to support themselves.
The outcome of this exam affected a lot of people, so please keep them in your thoughts as well.
Thanks.
Well, it turns out that I did not pass the all-important test I took a couple weeks ago. What this means for me is that I can no longer continue in the mathematics Ph.D. program here at UCI. However, I’m in the process of petitioning the school to stay on campus until the end of the year to get my Master’s degree. From what I understand, most students are allowed to stay through the end of the year, so I’m not to worried about the appeal process. Unfortunately, failing the exam means I lost my department funding (which came in the form of a teaching assistantship and fee fellowship), and the university will not offer me any other financial support.
So, since I don’t have any funding but we still want to stay on campus, I’m currently looking for a way to pay for a year of school. This kind of responsibility is really making me feel independent and maybe a little worried, but I think that a lot of good can still come of this. Namely, I’m hoping to find a new job that will hopefully help me decide what I’d like to do for the rest of my life.
Irvine is a good place to be for someone with my background, because there are a lot of tech companies in the area: Google, Broadcom, Microsoft and Blizzard all have a major presence in Irvine. Hopefully, one of these places can provide me with a part-time job to at least sustain us for this year. And it would really put the icing on the cake if I were offered a job that I’ll enjoy.
Keep us in your thoughts.
Today I took an exam that will effectively determine my eligibility to remain in my Ph.D. program here at UCI. All I can say is that I hope I passed, but since completing the test my mind has been racing with possible scenarios and situations that may come up if I failed.
However, rather than listing them here, I’d rather not think about them. If I failed, perhaps I will revisit the subject. Otherwise, I will congratulate myself and continue this chapter of my life.
In grad school, life happens in cycles…here is a breakdown of my week:
- Monday
Analysis lecture, two hours in the tutoring center, Algebra lecture, two more hours in the tutoring center, meeting with Calc 2B prof. Most Monday nights are spent reading the previous week’s material.
- Tuesday
Analysis discussion, one office hour, Algebra lecture, Calc 2B discussion (which I lead). I spend the evening attacking the week’s homework problems with a few friends.
- Wednesday
Analysis lecture, Algebra lecture. Arguably my shortest day. In the evening I eat dinner with friends and do more homework.
- Thursday
Early morning Calc 2B discussion (again led by me), Analysis discussion, one office hour, Algebra lecture. Thursday nights can be long, because homework is usually due the following day. I have pulled some long hours polishing my proofs in the office on Thursdays.
- Friday
Analysis lecture, Algebra lecture, Faculty research seminar. When the day is done, I ride my bike back to my apartment and usually relax for the rest of the night.
- Saturday/Sunday
Catch up on relaxation. Get ready for the upcoming week to repeat the whole process.
So as you can see, things can get pretty busy, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.
The second quarter is in full swing here at UCI, and life is just as chaotic as it was last quarter, if not more so, what with classes, TA duties, and wedding planning…but I’m loving it all. School is challenging and exciting, and the people continue to be great. My life may be considered stressful by some, but I like to think that I never really have a dull moment.
Expect more soon.
School is keeping me very busy but it is going very well. Grad school is a lot more work than undergrad in general, but I actually enjoy the work a lot more (so far at least). I had a midterm this last week and I have one more tomorrow, but as of yet I haven’t had to do anything too crazy or beyond my level so I’m pretty proud of myself.
Welp, time to hit the books.