Better Semester

My semester is getting better. I don't know if it's that my brain is functioning better, or just that it is nearing the end (the semester, not the brain)(3 weeks left) and it is starting to hit.

In math we finally got to Laplace transforms. I have been excited to learn about that for quite some time now. I didn't do as well on the math test as I would have liked (88) but most of my mistakes were algebra or arithmetic. That doesn't bother me as much as if I had lost more points because of the calculus. The last physics test didn't go well either. I was hoping for a 60 and got a 74 (which was the average). I can't remember the last time I got an average test score. I don't think I have since I've been at Flo. That's ok though, I wasn't as prepared as I would have liked. Physics got better recently also. I know stuff that rotates is much more difficult, but some of it just goes completely against what I think it would do. It's kind of fascinating. Bob also talked about protons and stars last night which was super ultra cool. I think this next physics test might be the most difficult aside from the first one. This next math test will be all Laplace. I seem to be picking up on that ok, so I'm not as worried about that one. It might backfire on me though. I might spend too much time on the physics and not enough on the math. We'll see.

Break is coming up. Thanksgiving is next week. Bob is going to give us a 60 point project that will help us improve our grade. We started with 12, and then there were 7. The class is pretty cool now though, like a family or sorts. The big break (Christmas) is coming soon too. I am excited to be off work for almost two weeks. I have no idea what I'm going to do with my time. My brother will be in town which is cool, but I wont be able to monopolize him the whole time.

After the break, school doesn't start until late January. I only plan to take engineering physics 2. This semester just about killed me. Granted, I had a lot going on, but still. It is my last semester at Flo and I might as well leave on a happy note. (That's funny, one of the most difficult classes and I think happy note). I hear there are a lot of integrals in EP2, but I'm not really afraid of integrals...yet... I hope I get to see a lot of F (dot) dr stuff. Who knows. I guess anyone who has had the class knows. lol

It's OK to Have a Bad Semester

I was doing fine until I wrecked my car. I had a hard time studying and focusing at work. I was able to fall just about two weeks behind, and with two hard classes. Is that even recoverable? I took a physics test last night. I was more prepared than I thought I was, but still missed a couple of the thinking problems and a BIG 24 point application problem. I do remember that I was in this to learn, even if it does negatively impact my GPA on my AA transcript.

I have a math test next week. I haven’t gotten all the homework done (which is not like me), but the good news is I understand it. I just need a little practice and I have this weekend to do that. Physics just takes so much more thought and time. Next semester I am only going to take Engineering Physics 2. That will finally allow me to have class only two days a week rather than four, and I can’t remember the last semester I only had one class. This will be my last semester at Flo. Off to UMSL after that. Will it be math? Will it be physics? Today, it is math, so I can get the BS a year earlier. Then I can finally do physics.

On a personal note, (Which I don’t do very often… I have found most of my writing is school related) I have some new friends. That makes me happy.

I am very excited for the break. Partially to have a break from school (which I rarely like) and the holiday work break. I cannot wait for that!!

Bullet Points

My last few days have been quite hectic. Instead of writing one huge entry, I will bullet it.

-Friday night - Did math homework
-Saturday morning - Did math (practically finished)
-Saturday night - Poker (H.O.R.S.E) did decent
-Sunday morning - Wrecked car (glad I had math done) Not physically injured
-Sunday night - good food, good pool, good company
-Monday morning - did NOT want to drive.. took a half day
-Monday night - Math class (decided not to do physic labs, not thinking clearly)
-Tuesday morning - Could not multi-task at work
-Tuesday evening - Went to visit UMSL physics dept. Mom's (loaner) car died
Got a jump
-Tuesday later evening - physics class.. didn't want to go, but it turned out well
Got a Jump
-Wednesday morning - car wouldn't start called Bob
-Wednesday morning - Bob came to jump/take car, leave truck.. car started
-Wednesday day - didn't enjoy work, but later it got better
-Wednesday night is tonight.
Friday is Halloween!

One thing though. I have been going on more intuition lately (The last few months). I don't know why I did my math Friday night, usually I do my physics first. I didn't plan on Sunday being so eventful. I allowed myself to be comfortable with my friends later that day, even though I was kind of... well, a little off.
My phone was almost dead (battery) Tuesday. I turned it off just in case I needed it for an emergency. Mom's car died and I needed it.


Small decisions I have made have not turned out badly. Are my intuitions on? I hope so. (There is the exception of the mistake I made which caused me to turn my car around 180 and up 90 into a ditch). It was an accident though. (I will presumably write more about that at a later time)

It is scary to make decisions on intuition rather than logic.

School Was Good This Week

So, I have been going through this agonizing decision again between math and physics. The only conclusion I can make is to do both. That may not be the correct conclusion, but if one falls out. I have the other.

I had a great week in school (Even though I had to miss physics Tuesday). Math got cool. We looked again at the Taylor series and complex numbers a little. I get very excited when I get to learn about complex numbers because I am so curious and can't let myself go learn that while in the middle of a semester.

Physics was equally cool. One question I did ask in class was, "When do we get to learn that?" The answer was, if you are a physics major either mechanics or relativity (there were two subjects) and if you are not a physics major, you probably wont. It was about how F=ma breaks down at different velocities, and relative velocity when the inertial frame of reference is in the same frame as the observation. (Something like that)

I wrote on my pad of paper I carry around to not forget ideas.. while in class. I ended up asking Bob anyway rather than looking it up. "How can we observe the acceleration of the universe if we are IN the universe?" The answer was, we measure the velocities of other objects and we are the inertial frame of reference, but we cannot measure the acceleration of the universe.

I had a great lunch today with a math guy from work and his OA. Raj... He got his Ph D from Princeton in Math. He used to teach at WU and Rolla... What did he teach you ask? Complex math... He told me about some ideas his 'adviser' (Genius btw who had his Ph D at 19) taught him. It was great. I had a great time. He told me about some proofs... One was something about a line stretching from negative infinity to positive infinity, and that line being a circle, we would see it as a line. A circle with a point missing is a line. A sphere with a point missing is a plane. If my memory is poor I may be mis-understanding, both what happened at lunch and what happened in class. Pat said she had no idea what we were talking about most of the time, except for my interest in fractals.

My mind gets opened up to physics, and math just keeps getting more interesting. Fortunately for a physics degree there are still some math classes left.

When I finally get around to learning the stuff I am curious about, I wonder if I will come back and read this, only to find out that what I thought I remembered from class and lunch was just slightly skewed.

THANK YOU BOB COLLINS!

Well, I'm glad he got me thinking about it again. I woke up this morning, not wanting to go to this pesky job thing which I have to do in order to pay for life. I decided to take the physics classes for the minor first (when I start at UMSL). If I can't succeed at physics (or change my mind yet again), I can always switch back to math and minor in physics. I figure, why not do what has been keeping me tossing and turning for months? I love the math. I like physics so far, but am just scratching the surface. I think I should probably scratch a little deeper into the physics surface since it keeps me up nights. Maybe I would just do both if it weren't so time consuming. There is this thought in my head though... I don't see many people my age going back to school for these subjects, and very few people in general go for astronomy. The only way to guarantee that I will never be able to do this is to not even try. Physics is much scarier than math, but I don't want to guarantee failure by never trying.

October Weekend of FUN

Well, I spent basically all day Saturday on physics and all day Sunday on math. I thought I wasn't going to do my math, but it ate at me. How could I possibly have thought I wouldn't at least attempt my math? I should know myself better than that by now.. Anyway, I didn't finish my math, but I did finish the physics homework. I will have time Tuesday (physics test day) to study, but after about 6 hours of it my brain shuts down. I am afraid of over-studying, but I still don't have the time down to a reasonable time to finish a Bob test. I (amazingly enough) feel more ready for the physics than the math, but I need to put more energy into physics to improve my grade (and learn it). Again, for math I just have to hope that the work I have done is enough to get me through. Sure, I will do more work to get the first order methods down, but those population problems are a real bitch.

I tried to get a study group together Saturday, that didn't work. I did get a guy's number from class. We talked Sunday to compare answers and techniques. That was good, at least I found someone to work with. "Smart Girl" Molly had to go out of town this weekend.

Overall I had a good weekend, I was focused and got some things done.

The leaves are falling, I am not excited about cleaning up after those trees.

Reflections

Well, I joined Phi Theta Kappa.

I don’t know what this school has done differently, but it has made an obvious impact. It is no wonder I have so many previous entries about how much I like it there.

Thanks to all of those who have helped me (and are still).

Special thanks to the calculus series teachers and the friends with whom I studied. Had that series not gone so well, I may not be where I am now.

I know my reputation at Flo Valley is that of a good student. I do my homework, I get good grades, I go to class… All that…

I wasn’t always a good student. I did start out at Meramec back in the mid 1990’s where I didn’t do so well. I went to Blackburn College where I didn’t do so well. I went to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where I didn’t do so well. I went to the University of Missouri St. Louis where I didn’t do so well. Finally I landed at Florissant Valley, where I did do well (or should I say am doing well). Since I did poorly at Meramec and that is part of St. Louis Community College those grades carried over to my Flo Valley GPA. I didn’t have my GPA reevaluated for my General Studies AA, but I did for my Math AA. The General Transfer AA was just like a gimme degree (I had more than enough credits to earn it) (though it did put Webster out of the options because of their stupid policy about only accepting the first Associates). Enough about my poor academic history.

It’s funny. 4 years ago when I went to UMSL I declared math. I had to take a couple gen. ed. courses which SUCKED. I lost credits in my transfer to UMSL (and every other school for that matter) so I decided to go to Flo Valley for an associates. I figured that is something nobody can take away from me. The math AA was just the quickest and easiest path for me. I did think about (after FLO) getting my CS BS degree, but when I found out my math wouldn’t transfer to Webster I realized I wasn’t ready to quit math. When I found out physics was a real possibility it turns out math is the quickest way to get there. Everything brings me in a full circle back to math. Physics is killing me right now too. (I had to read the chapter, do example problems… I am doing everything within my power to do better in that class).

I will be going back to UMSL in fall '09. Fortunately I will have most of my gen. ed. done and wont have to deal too much with the part of the campus I dealt with last time I was there. I will get a whole new math department. At least now I know I am capable.

I never thought I would ever have a decent GPA or join any sort of academic something or other. I never thought I would be honored for anything I ever did in academia. I cried a little. I may be a good student, but it is difficult for me to accept. I don’t know that I ever will accept it.