Some disappointing ways to start the semester. Actually, just one thing, I forgot to bring my external hard drive's power source so I am stuck with watching videos off of youtube. Oh, the joys of video hunting, how I miss thee. The experience is making me inclined towards getting a portable hard drive without a power source. But... i feel like I would lose considerable quality in hard drive-ness if I did. I guess I should stick to the more permanent kind, plus it makes me feel cooler to use.
Classes have started, and I am doing the readings! My public health econ classes seems... well I don't have impression of it because the professor wasn't there. He was traveling back from Europe, hopefully he will have delightful stories about public health in Europe. Amsterdam, anyone? History of Battle was alright, but the class was completely full. Talk about learning phalanx formation...
I also have the PS2 here and definitely started to think a bit about the quality of Japanese video games, specifically RPGs. With FFXIII and the rise of western RPGs such as Mass Effect, I could definitely tell there has been a decline in the quality of Japanese RPGs relative to Western RPGs. Why is that? During the better times of Japanese RPGs, there were scarcely any equal-leveled competition from Western RPGs. I don't even remember hearing of Western RPGs when I was in middle school and high school. This made Japanese RPGs the only game in town: whether they were actually good is a different question and difficult to answer because there were not many comparable games at the time. Western RPGs were lagging behind.
But that all changed as Western RPGs saw what Japanese RPGs were doing and made their own games better. Nowadays, you'll be hard-pressed to find an RPG that lacks some sort of encyclopedia, character classes, and more side quests than you can shake your Ultima Weapon at. With the advent of quality Western RPGs, Japanese RPGs finally had some competition. But does this mean that Japanese RPGs will get better in response, or will they maintain their status quo of quality?
To be honest, I only play Square-Enix games, so my view is slightly (largely?) skewed. So of course I am going to talk about (surprise surprise) FFXIII. Which I thought was a good game, don't get me wrong. But it does not compare to its earlier predecessors such as FFVI - which I just started playing. Also compared against FFVII - FFIX, FFXIII illustrates a growing trend for Square: sacrificing the plot line for graphics. Sure the characters look great as my desktop wallpaper, but do I really feel for them? Not really. In some cases, I am more frustrated than awed by their decisions (Hope, anyone?). Square needs to step up its game - but can it? The likes of Mass Effect 2 and other great (yes, they are good) Western RPGs make it difficult for Square to stand out.
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Monday, 24 January 2011
Thursday, 13 January 2011
School Soon
Going back to Ithaca in six days. It's going to be a fun time, I hope. I'm really looking forward to my History of Battle class and Econ of Health Policy classes. I'm taking econometrics too, but since it's just the theoretical aspect of what I already know and I've had more than enough of my fair share of proofs from analysis. I'm definitely excited to finish my thesis too! I also happen to be presenting it at the National Conferences of Undergraduate Research in late March to early April. While exciting, this also means that I have to have something presentable by late March!
I also started replaying xenosaga, to be continued during the semester. It was so easy to remember that xenosaga is more like a movie than a video game - all the frustration for the story to progress so that I could get to a save point. I can also spot the horrible lip-syncing job they did with the first one too. Hopefully that has changed with the later games...
I also started replaying xenosaga, to be continued during the semester. It was so easy to remember that xenosaga is more like a movie than a video game - all the frustration for the story to progress so that I could get to a save point. I can also spot the horrible lip-syncing job they did with the first one too. Hopefully that has changed with the later games...
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Ridiculously Busy Procrastinating
Okay so taking 20 credits wasn't entirely in my plans... I am getting my hands into some real research. I am pulling data files from the Displaced Workers Survey Supplement to the Current Population Survey for my thesis. This involves looking at a codebook, finding the right column numbers to pull data from, and then using Stata to pull them out. Apparently it's easier with SAS but... I don't know how to use SAS. Crap.
On top of that is my original research project from the summer that I have to reconcile (aka, actually do). Although it is part of one of my classes, I definitely feel more invested in it then I would be if it were a typical class. My other classes so far don't seem like a lot of work. Oh, wait, there's the real analysis class. yeah...
On the other hand, courses for next semester - my last undergrad semester - have come out! Some out of the way classes that seem interesting so far are CS1110 with Java, and the History of Battle. Yes, the history of warfare. Hell yes.
On top of that is my original research project from the summer that I have to reconcile (aka, actually do). Although it is part of one of my classes, I definitely feel more invested in it then I would be if it were a typical class. My other classes so far don't seem like a lot of work. Oh, wait, there's the real analysis class. yeah...
On the other hand, courses for next semester - my last undergrad semester - have come out! Some out of the way classes that seem interesting so far are CS1110 with Java, and the History of Battle. Yes, the history of warfare. Hell yes.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
So much to do...
and less and less time to do it. I got my thesis approved (!) which means I'm taking 20 credits now. My thesis is on the signal effect of sources of unemployment on displaced workers' re-employment wages and probabilities. The proposal only skimmed the surface of a decent working model, so I have to work on the theoretical model as well as learn how a hazard model works. The work is far from menial and should definitely be fun.
Not as fun is that I'm also trying to stamp out a decent personal statement, but I have many different things to talk about. I hope I can fit everything into the 500 word limit.
Not as fun is that I'm also trying to stamp out a decent personal statement, but I have many different things to talk about. I hope I can fit everything into the 500 word limit.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
A weekend like never again...
So I didn't do anything this weekend. Why? Here are my moderately legitimate excuses:
Didn't learn enough in real analysis to do the next problem set,
Already did the industrial organization problem set,
Reading for radicals reactionaries is delayed because our last class was canceled Rosh Hashanah, and
Economic analysis of the university reading is... has always been optional.
And my thesis? Still waiting for approval... other people already heard back last Thursday, so what's taking mine so long? I didn't expect so many thesis proposals to be submitted. Maybe the academic standards committee had a very controversial thesis proposal - not mine, right? - that took a lot of discussion time. The "black box" is impermeable.
The idle weekend so far has made me reconsidering bringing my ps3 or ps2 to campus. I am waiting for the work to pile up... please dissuade me from video games!
Didn't learn enough in real analysis to do the next problem set,
Already did the industrial organization problem set,
Reading for radicals reactionaries is delayed because our last class was canceled Rosh Hashanah, and
Economic analysis of the university reading is... has always been optional.
And my thesis? Still waiting for approval... other people already heard back last Thursday, so what's taking mine so long? I didn't expect so many thesis proposals to be submitted. Maybe the academic standards committee had a very controversial thesis proposal - not mine, right? - that took a lot of discussion time. The "black box" is impermeable.
The idle weekend so far has made me reconsidering bringing my ps3 or ps2 to campus. I am waiting for the work to pile up... please dissuade me from video games!
Friday, 3 September 2010
Here, There, Everywhere
It's the second week of school and Labor Day Weekend is here. I'm pretty excited to start the long weekend of reading and problem sets - no, really.
I ended up dropping the evolution class because (a) it's a freshmen class, and (b) I have to read 6 books to write three ten-page papers. Too much work for a three credit class I wanted to take just for fun. So I swapped it for an IO class - because (a) it's an economics class! (b) I kept on seeing IO as a research specialty for econ professors, and (c) because there are problem sets. Problem sets are always so straight forward compared to those convoluted readings.
The economic analysis of the university class is getting to be fun too. This afternoon I was shooting ideas for my research paper in my head and it was an absolute blast! I haven't done that since around July and the high I got out of it was amazing.
On the other hand... analysis is confusing. To make matters worse, my prof has parkinsons so whatever he wrong on the board starts normal sized and then gets smaller, smaller, and smaller. That and he always stands in front whatever he's writing so when I doze off for a bit (which happens often, it's right before lunch!) I immediately become lost.
Oh, and applications? Yeah, applications. Need to work on a good personal statement.
I ended up dropping the evolution class because (a) it's a freshmen class, and (b) I have to read 6 books to write three ten-page papers. Too much work for a three credit class I wanted to take just for fun. So I swapped it for an IO class - because (a) it's an economics class! (b) I kept on seeing IO as a research specialty for econ professors, and (c) because there are problem sets. Problem sets are always so straight forward compared to those convoluted readings.
The economic analysis of the university class is getting to be fun too. This afternoon I was shooting ideas for my research paper in my head and it was an absolute blast! I haven't done that since around July and the high I got out of it was amazing.
On the other hand... analysis is confusing. To make matters worse, my prof has parkinsons so whatever he wrong on the board starts normal sized and then gets smaller, smaller, and smaller. That and he always stands in front whatever he's writing so when I doze off for a bit (which happens often, it's right before lunch!) I immediately become lost.
Oh, and applications? Yeah, applications. Need to work on a good personal statement.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Not Really the Way School is Supposed to Start
My first class is Intro to Analysis. It's too bad that the professor never showed up because he was "lost somewhere" in the building. Since he is a math professor, I want to think that he was working away on some complicated, ground-breaking mathematics in the library somewhere, but most likely he forgot...
Otherwise, I forgot how much school work there is to do. Definitely a lot of reading and work to get done in the next two weeks. I forgot how I managed how to do it these past semester. One way or another, it'll get done - there will just be a few more hours spent at the library.
Otherwise, I forgot how much school work there is to do. Definitely a lot of reading and work to get done in the next two weeks. I forgot how I managed how to do it these past semester. One way or another, it'll get done - there will just be a few more hours spent at the library.
Monday, 12 April 2010
Motivation...
Here I am, writing a post about how I want to be more motivated. So I'm going to keep it simple this time with a very brusque message I found from a very cursory Google image search.
Enough said. Peace out!
Enough said. Peace out!
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Is this it?
I just registered for Fall 2010 courses this morning, and a little while later I realized I just signed up for my last year of college. Real college. Graduate school, no matter how it may seem, is not college version 2. This freedom I have now, that I've had these past three years, will only last one more year.
On a related note, I just got a dabbling about "projection bias" in my behavioral econ class. It says although people can see how their preferences will change in the future, they will underestimate the magnitude of that change. Maybe right now I am underestimating how I will miss college after it's over. So have fun now!
In related terms, I am taking Intertemporal Econ next semester, and I found the textbook for the class in the mathematics library. Its a pretty tough read, and I think the professor already thinks I leaning towards wimping out and not rising to the challenge. Well, I can work through that book, so I accept your challenge! concede and now I am taking Causual Reasoning and Policy Evaluation instead.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Pre-Gaming
If you want to do something for a long time, you should try it out first to see if you like it.
Let's define "try it out." For most people this is an internship or research position at an organization or with a professor where they (let's face it) do bitch work. Things in the intern market have gotten better since the "get me coffee and make copies of this" phase." (I'm not even sure if that was the previous state of the intern market: any studies out there on intern conditions?) But it's still pretty monotonous stuff.
It's also pretty important monotonous stuff. I've been doing some thinking about my research project and where I am going to get my data from. I'm pretty sure I will have to go down to the SAS Registrar's office, get on both knees, and beg for data like my (academic) life depended on it. Then proceed to the Institutional Research and Planning Office, get on both knees, and beg for some more data. Did I mention they may not even have the data I am begging for?
"Have you no humility?"
In short, no. When it comes to getting a proper "try it out," I want to expose myself to every inkling of experience there is to offer. Down the road, I would rather not have to do these things when I could get it more easily at an equal or lower cost. But for now, this is going to be pretty cool! I'm excited.
Let's define "try it out." For most people this is an internship or research position at an organization or with a professor where they (let's face it) do bitch work. Things in the intern market have gotten better since the "get me coffee and make copies of this" phase." (I'm not even sure if that was the previous state of the intern market: any studies out there on intern conditions?) But it's still pretty monotonous stuff.
It's also pretty important monotonous stuff. I've been doing some thinking about my research project and where I am going to get my data from. I'm pretty sure I will have to go down to the SAS Registrar's office, get on both knees, and beg for data like my (academic) life depended on it. Then proceed to the Institutional Research and Planning Office, get on both knees, and beg for some more data. Did I mention they may not even have the data I am begging for?
"Have you no humility?"
In short, no. When it comes to getting a proper "try it out," I want to expose myself to every inkling of experience there is to offer. Down the road, I would rather not have to do these things when I could get it more easily at an equal or lower cost. But for now, this is going to be pretty cool! I'm excited.
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Goal in Sight
Right now I aspire to do an Honors Thesis about the effects of class distribution over various times on changes in majors for different departments at Cornell. I have already discussed doing it with a few professors and it sounds pretty certain I can do the Honors Thesis. It's a two-semester long stint and requires intensive background research and thinking before submitting an application with a faculty supervisor.
There are alternatives such as an independent study which provides assisted research over one semester with a faculty member. But an Honors Thesis takes much longer, includes a thesis defense, and allows me to pursue a research topic from start to finish! Unfortunately, not anyone can do an Honors Thesis. It requires an academic standing in the 20th percentile.
Admittedly, I am a nerd, but I am not the brightest crayon in the box. But it means I have a goal to work towards. Although having a higher GPA increases my chance of entering grad school, having a higher GPA pretty much guarantees getting to do an Honors Thesis because of a definite cut-off level. It is unlike high school when I was applying to college because I was not guaranteed admission based solely on my class rank or GPA.
Fortunately, now I have a greater incentive to do better. I have not been giving it my all recently and I have prelims coming up. I recently had a nightmare I had completely forgotten a class and did not realize it until the final had already passed. But here is the motivation!
There are alternatives such as an independent study which provides assisted research over one semester with a faculty member. But an Honors Thesis takes much longer, includes a thesis defense, and allows me to pursue a research topic from start to finish! Unfortunately, not anyone can do an Honors Thesis. It requires an academic standing in the 20th percentile.
Admittedly, I am a nerd, but I am not the brightest crayon in the box. But it means I have a goal to work towards. Although having a higher GPA increases my chance of entering grad school, having a higher GPA pretty much guarantees getting to do an Honors Thesis because of a definite cut-off level. It is unlike high school when I was applying to college because I was not guaranteed admission based solely on my class rank or GPA.
Fortunately, now I have a greater incentive to do better. I have not been giving it my all recently and I have prelims coming up. I recently had a nightmare I had completely forgotten a class and did not realize it until the final had already passed. But here is the motivation!
Monday, 15 February 2010
Productivity of Diversity
Yesterday I went to Bing to hang out with a friend in the library.
That's right - a day long study date. Bring it on. I haven't done one since freshman year second semester at Rutgers. I had a ridiculously productive time: I finished up my paper, did my problem set, and finished my article for The Visible Hand. I am only so productive when I am studying with someone who is not in the same school I am. Unfortunately I've never been in such an ideal situation since I got to Cornell: everyone I have studied with has been in ILR with me.
I find it better to study with someone else in a different school because none of the idle conversations in between has to do with class. If anyone mentions anything about what they are studying, the other person cannot contribute much - the conversation stays short. Since we both study different things, we get a little 'break' from what we're studying to listen to a short blurb about another topic.
Or maybe I just don't like what I am studying and the offering of alternatives is amazing.
In other news, I plan on making dumplings for a friends' dinner party next week. I have never made them with beef before, so I am going to do a trial run this weekend or later this week.
That's right - a day long study date. Bring it on. I haven't done one since freshman year second semester at Rutgers. I had a ridiculously productive time: I finished up my paper, did my problem set, and finished my article for The Visible Hand. I am only so productive when I am studying with someone who is not in the same school I am. Unfortunately I've never been in such an ideal situation since I got to Cornell: everyone I have studied with has been in ILR with me.
I find it better to study with someone else in a different school because none of the idle conversations in between has to do with class. If anyone mentions anything about what they are studying, the other person cannot contribute much - the conversation stays short. Since we both study different things, we get a little 'break' from what we're studying to listen to a short blurb about another topic.
Or maybe I just don't like what I am studying and the offering of alternatives is amazing.
In other news, I plan on making dumplings for a friends' dinner party next week. I have never made them with beef before, so I am going to do a trial run this weekend or later this week.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
First Things First!
This is my new blog! My previous blog was tarobum27.blogspot.com
This blog (you're reading now) is attached to my new Google account, and I could not wait for the geniuses at Google to allow me to transfer blog accounts from one Google account to another. Ah, the wonders of technology.
My first semester back at school has gone pretty well. It's great to see familiar faces again - it is almost like when you come home from college to see friends from high school, but the time spend between them is far longer - and there is a significant time difference. And international phone calls are not cheap.
Classes-wise there has only been one significant bump. Professor Ehrenberg, who teaches the economics of education class I was taking this semester, took a nasty fall last week so he will not be able to teach the class. Unfortunately, I had to scramble to make a new schedule. I ended up taking two new classes to compensate for the one class I dropped. It made plenty of sense at the time, but I hope to be able to take the workload this semester. The last time I tried to take 18 credits at Cornell, I dropped a class. I do not want to drop any of my classes this semester, particularly with my fiasco with linear algebra last spring.
Well, here's to a smooth running rest of the semester!
This blog (you're reading now) is attached to my new Google account, and I could not wait for the geniuses at Google to allow me to transfer blog accounts from one Google account to another. Ah, the wonders of technology.
My first semester back at school has gone pretty well. It's great to see familiar faces again - it is almost like when you come home from college to see friends from high school, but the time spend between them is far longer - and there is a significant time difference. And international phone calls are not cheap.
Classes-wise there has only been one significant bump. Professor Ehrenberg, who teaches the economics of education class I was taking this semester, took a nasty fall last week so he will not be able to teach the class. Unfortunately, I had to scramble to make a new schedule. I ended up taking two new classes to compensate for the one class I dropped. It made plenty of sense at the time, but I hope to be able to take the workload this semester. The last time I tried to take 18 credits at Cornell, I dropped a class. I do not want to drop any of my classes this semester, particularly with my fiasco with linear algebra last spring.
Well, here's to a smooth running rest of the semester!
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