You've been on a full RA; this means that you've been putting in 20 hours a week of research since September (so hundreds of hours of research). What have you done since mid-December? As far as I can tell, last week you wrote one generic paragraph (that I can't really decipher). Anything else? Have you assembled unimolecular/bimolecular versions of Brian's modules? Run simulations on any of our modules? Produced new filter designs (say an IIR with programmable coefficients)? Assembled filters with full module locking?
Nope.
(I think it's safe to say I won't be getting an RA position this summer.)
Showing posts with label not research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label not research. Show all posts
Friday, April 17, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What I need to know to be officially in the Ph.D. program.
The year after obtaining a masters or the second year of a Ph.D. program, a prospective doctoral candidate has two chances to pass what is known as a "Preliminary Written Exam." With this exam, you are officially part of the Ph.D. program. Your basic knowledge of your field is expansive enough and detailed enough to be all doctory and shit.
I had kind of forgotten about this. Then I received an email about the last exam for this year. It included this link: PhD Written Preliminary Reading List. So I printed it off... The topics are:
So basically, EVERY CLASS I'VE EVER TAKEN IN THE EE DEPARTMENT IS RELEVANT AND COULD BE ON THE EXAM!!
So, you have 4 hours, 14 questions, department supplied scientific, non-graphing, non TI-89 calculators. Questions are graded by the faculty that wrote the question. You must turn in the answers for three questions. Four questions may be turned in as well (top three scores will be taken into account).
3 pass, 0 fail = pass
2 pass, 1 fail = careful scrutinizing, possible failure.
everything else = automatic failure
Two chances. November and April.
I think I know how my summer is going to be spent!! Reading my old textbooks and taking old exams. That, of course, is assuming I pass my classes this semester :-p. Scary shit, man.
I had kind of forgotten about this. Then I received an email about the last exam for this year. It included this link: PhD Written Preliminary Reading List. So I printed it off... The topics are:
- Computer architecture
- Magnetics
- Computer Aided Design
- Software
- Optics
- Fields and Transmission Lines
- Power Systems and Power Electronics
- Communications
- Signal Processing
- Controls
- Analog and Digital Electronics
- Semiconductor Materials
- Semiconductor Devices
So basically, EVERY CLASS I'VE EVER TAKEN IN THE EE DEPARTMENT IS RELEVANT AND COULD BE ON THE EXAM!!
So, you have 4 hours, 14 questions, department supplied scientific, non-graphing, non TI-89 calculators. Questions are graded by the faculty that wrote the question. You must turn in the answers for three questions. Four questions may be turned in as well (top three scores will be taken into account).
3 pass, 0 fail = pass
2 pass, 1 fail = careful scrutinizing, possible failure.
everything else = automatic failure
Two chances. November and April.
I think I know how my summer is going to be spent!! Reading my old textbooks and taking old exams. That, of course, is assuming I pass my classes this semester :-p. Scary shit, man.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Epigenetics and Memes
For my seminar today, the speaker is going to be lecturing about "epigenetics" for two hours. Now, this is a word I probably hadn't heard before reading an insightful review on the topic.
Basically, epigenetics asks the questions about both nature and nurture when determining a phenotype. Epigenetic inheritance is when the experiences of parents directly affect the expression of genes in offspring. Also, the initial definition of the word "meme" comes in to play here. It was thought that memes explained epiginetic inheritance.
However, findings in the field of epigenetics hold little clout, as there is not enough evidence to back up the claim of gene rememberance. The article also brings up Lamarckism, the concept that we all remember from high school biology, in which Lamark thought that giraffes had developed long necks due to generations of giraffes stretching their necks to reach food, thus affecting DNA. Instead, epigenetics inheritance does not rewrite DNA, but modifies the gene expression in offspring. This must be where the whole "If your maternal grandfather was bald, you'll be bald too" thing comes from.
I like this stuff. I can't wait until my seminar later.
Obligatory wikipedia links:
Basically, epigenetics asks the questions about both nature and nurture when determining a phenotype. Epigenetic inheritance is when the experiences of parents directly affect the expression of genes in offspring. Also, the initial definition of the word "meme" comes in to play here. It was thought that memes explained epiginetic inheritance.
However, findings in the field of epigenetics hold little clout, as there is not enough evidence to back up the claim of gene rememberance. The article also brings up Lamarckism, the concept that we all remember from high school biology, in which Lamark thought that giraffes had developed long necks due to generations of giraffes stretching their necks to reach food, thus affecting DNA. Instead, epigenetics inheritance does not rewrite DNA, but modifies the gene expression in offspring. This must be where the whole "If your maternal grandfather was bald, you'll be bald too" thing comes from.
I like this stuff. I can't wait until my seminar later.
Obligatory wikipedia links:
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Best webcomic about grad school... ever.
Piled Higher and Deeper is the best comic about the graduate student experience. Not only is it funny, but it almost always nails what it's like to be a grad student. I might have to buy one of the books just to put on my coffee table.
Check it out at phdcomics.com
A sampling of my favorites:
Check it out at phdcomics.com
A sampling of my favorites:
Monday, March 9, 2009
Reflections (sans grad school bullshit)
I'm sitting in my new home in Minneapolis. I have my own, rather luxurious room. I have my bed and my computer and my bean bag and my desk... I have my books and clothes. All the essentials are here with me. Over the last five or so years, I've accumulated these things. Some of my possessions have moved with me several times. This is my fifth place of residence in Minneapolis... not including the apartments I semi-inhabited with my ex-boyfriend.
This is the first time I've lived in a house. Not a duplex, or a dorm, or an apartment, but a house. As I have progressed in years, my dwellings have also progressed. From a dorm room to a shared room in a "cookie-cutter" apartment building to sharing that same apartment with my ex and my sister to my own room in a duplex shared with men to the anomaly of the crappy one bedroom with my sister to my own room in a full house. Where am I going to move to next? Will it continue to be to bigger and better things? Will I continue to spend my days in this mill-worn city?
Life is a long and arduous journey. I sometimes ask myself... why can't I settle for mediocrity? Why can't I just get a crappy 9-5 job and be content with myself? When will I stop pushing so hard? I feel like the kid in that ubiquitous Far Side cartoon, pushing against the pull door at the school for the gifted. How hard to you have to push on a pull door before it opens? Shall we calculate the force required to break a hinge? How hard to you have to push before you give up and walk away? How long do you push before you realize you're making a mistake and need to pull instead?
When do I make a move? A move that doesn't involve packing and boxes and UHaul rentals... but one that involves the position of the swinging door in my mind that allows me to be content. In all my pondering on grad school and life, I still haven't made up my goddamned mind.
It's time to get the Magic 8-Ball and leave my happiness to the hands of fate... or, in the case of the Magic 8-Ball, a buoyant dice roll. As Einstein said, God does not "play dice." Good thing I'm human.
This is the first time I've lived in a house. Not a duplex, or a dorm, or an apartment, but a house. As I have progressed in years, my dwellings have also progressed. From a dorm room to a shared room in a "cookie-cutter" apartment building to sharing that same apartment with my ex and my sister to my own room in a duplex shared with men to the anomaly of the crappy one bedroom with my sister to my own room in a full house. Where am I going to move to next? Will it continue to be to bigger and better things? Will I continue to spend my days in this mill-worn city?
Life is a long and arduous journey. I sometimes ask myself... why can't I settle for mediocrity? Why can't I just get a crappy 9-5 job and be content with myself? When will I stop pushing so hard? I feel like the kid in that ubiquitous Far Side cartoon, pushing against the pull door at the school for the gifted. How hard to you have to push on a pull door before it opens? Shall we calculate the force required to break a hinge? How hard to you have to push before you give up and walk away? How long do you push before you realize you're making a mistake and need to pull instead?
When do I make a move? A move that doesn't involve packing and boxes and UHaul rentals... but one that involves the position of the swinging door in my mind that allows me to be content. In all my pondering on grad school and life, I still haven't made up my goddamned mind.
It's time to get the Magic 8-Ball and leave my happiness to the hands of fate... or, in the case of the Magic 8-Ball, a buoyant dice roll. As Einstein said, God does not "play dice." Good thing I'm human.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Vineland by Thomas Pynchon excerpt
I've been reading Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. I'm about 2/3 of the way done. One particular passage struck me as poignant and interesting. I will share it with you.
" If patterns of ones and zeros were 'like' patterns of human lives and deaths, if everything about an individual could be represented in a computer record by a long string of ones and zeros, then what kind of creature would be represented by a long string of lives and deaths? It would have to be up one level at least -- an angel, a minor god, something in a UFO. It would take eight human lives and deaths just to form one character in this being's name -- its complete dossier might take up a considerable piece of the history of the world. We are digits in God's computer, she not so much hummed to herself to a sort of standard gospel tune, And the only thing we're good for, to be dead or to be living, is the only thing He sees. What we cry, what we contend for, in our world of toil and blood, it all lies beneath the notice of the hacker we call God. "
" If patterns of ones and zeros were 'like' patterns of human lives and deaths, if everything about an individual could be represented in a computer record by a long string of ones and zeros, then what kind of creature would be represented by a long string of lives and deaths? It would have to be up one level at least -- an angel, a minor god, something in a UFO. It would take eight human lives and deaths just to form one character in this being's name -- its complete dossier might take up a considerable piece of the history of the world. We are digits in God's computer, she not so much hummed to herself to a sort of standard gospel tune, And the only thing we're good for, to be dead or to be living, is the only thing He sees. What we cry, what we contend for, in our world of toil and blood, it all lies beneath the notice of the hacker we call God. "
Busy couple of weeks
It has been a busy couple of weeks in my life.
I had my birthday (including rainbow cake, a drunken evening, and a weekend at home with a lovely crab dinner and fancy cake).
Then I had a week in which I was just plain crazy, capped off by a wonderful weekend in New Jersey with Keith. We went to the ocean, saw Lucy the Elephant, and had some tasty cheese in Philadelphia. We also watched a fair number of action movies and played some fun video games.
Whilst I was visiting Keith, I received a number of emails from a possible subleaser and set up a meeting with her that Tuesday. She came and viewed the apartment and decided she wanted it. I think this was mostly because she HAD to have an apartment for March 1st and Florence Court is only a half-shit hole. (If I were optimistic about it would I say half-best-place-ever?)
Last week I finished setting up renting our new place of residence: a lovely house up in the Como neighborhood. This involved many phone calls, scraped-together bank checks, and of course, MOVING. This Friday, my sister and I managed to move all of our belongings (save for a few boxes). This involved a full 9am to midnight run at it. Luckily, David, Moose, and Mat were there to help us out.
Now I'm back to normal Adriana life.... troubles with my adviser, problems with grad school, etc.
I'm going to post a link so that I have it for later. It may interest anyone who actually reads my blog as well: History of Computability
That's all, folks.
I had my birthday (including rainbow cake, a drunken evening, and a weekend at home with a lovely crab dinner and fancy cake).
Then I had a week in which I was just plain crazy, capped off by a wonderful weekend in New Jersey with Keith. We went to the ocean, saw Lucy the Elephant, and had some tasty cheese in Philadelphia. We also watched a fair number of action movies and played some fun video games.
Whilst I was visiting Keith, I received a number of emails from a possible subleaser and set up a meeting with her that Tuesday. She came and viewed the apartment and decided she wanted it. I think this was mostly because she HAD to have an apartment for March 1st and Florence Court is only a half-shit hole. (If I were optimistic about it would I say half-best-place-ever?)
Last week I finished setting up renting our new place of residence: a lovely house up in the Como neighborhood. This involved many phone calls, scraped-together bank checks, and of course, MOVING. This Friday, my sister and I managed to move all of our belongings (save for a few boxes). This involved a full 9am to midnight run at it. Luckily, David, Moose, and Mat were there to help us out.
Now I'm back to normal Adriana life.... troubles with my adviser, problems with grad school, etc.
I'm going to post a link so that I have it for later. It may interest anyone who actually reads my blog as well: History of Computability
That's all, folks.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thoughts on Gradschool (Part 4 of Many)
Events of late have made me ponder my existence as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. In my opinion, I have been failing most splendidly at adopting the life of a grad student. Granted, the flooding in my office and other events in my life have not helped, but I can't use that as an excuse. I must be willing to devote myself entirely to my research. I must be willing to spend all day, every day, in my office, at my computer, working. Thinking about new ideas... developing new software... forgetting about friends and fun and food.
For the first month or so of this semester, I have rarely spent a full day in my office. A full day to me involves coming in during the morning, before a first class, and staying until at least dinner time. Last semester, I was in my office (not including class time) from approximately 9 or 10 am to 9 or 10 pm. Full day, me working... not necessarily enjoyable, but that was mostly because I'd forget to bring food.
I dunno. Is this a sign? Do I really not feel attached to my work? Do I even belong in graduate school? My classes frustrate me, my adviser pisses me off, my research is going nowhere... *sigh*
I apologize to blog readers for this rant.
I need to get my head on straight and decide what the fuck I am doing. And soon...
For the first month or so of this semester, I have rarely spent a full day in my office. A full day to me involves coming in during the morning, before a first class, and staying until at least dinner time. Last semester, I was in my office (not including class time) from approximately 9 or 10 am to 9 or 10 pm. Full day, me working... not necessarily enjoyable, but that was mostly because I'd forget to bring food.
I dunno. Is this a sign? Do I really not feel attached to my work? Do I even belong in graduate school? My classes frustrate me, my adviser pisses me off, my research is going nowhere... *sigh*
I apologize to blog readers for this rant.
I need to get my head on straight and decide what the fuck I am doing. And soon...
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Birthday, etc, etc.
Today is Valentine's Day. Have you had your allotted amount of chocolate today? I know I have. However, mine wasn't in the form of candies, but birthday cake.
That's right, it was my birthday two days ago. My mother got me the most delicious cake possible. Chocolate cake with bananas and cream cheese icing, all topped with ganache and fancy lettering. She also announced that she got me a gazelle (yes one of those horrible work out machines sold on the teevee) as a birthday present, but it has not come yet. Cake and work out machinery... oh mom.
I've had enough cake in the last few days. Tara, Whitney, and I baked six cakes on Tuesday. That's right six. Six boxes of cake mix, six pans, sick minds. Most people have seen the rainbow cake instructions that have been floating around the internet. I decided that was what I wanted to make. Three cakes were made with just coloring, and three cakes were made with coloring AND gelatin. Both kinds of cake were decidedly amazing. The gelatin cake did not have a cake-like consistency upon baking, but still was like eating gummy fruity pebbles. Mmm.
It was a hit at my Star Wars role playing group Thursday night. I supplied two cakes and a backpack full of hard liquor... both went over well. All-in-all, a very good birthday.
Hopefully my 24th year on the planet will be an eventful one. I'm going to be cliche and make a list of the things I accomplished in my 23rd year:
That's right, it was my birthday two days ago. My mother got me the most delicious cake possible. Chocolate cake with bananas and cream cheese icing, all topped with ganache and fancy lettering. She also announced that she got me a gazelle (yes one of those horrible work out machines sold on the teevee) as a birthday present, but it has not come yet. Cake and work out machinery... oh mom.
I've had enough cake in the last few days. Tara, Whitney, and I baked six cakes on Tuesday. That's right six. Six boxes of cake mix, six pans, sick minds. Most people have seen the rainbow cake instructions that have been floating around the internet. I decided that was what I wanted to make. Three cakes were made with just coloring, and three cakes were made with coloring AND gelatin. Both kinds of cake were decidedly amazing. The gelatin cake did not have a cake-like consistency upon baking, but still was like eating gummy fruity pebbles. Mmm.
It was a hit at my Star Wars role playing group Thursday night. I supplied two cakes and a backpack full of hard liquor... both went over well. All-in-all, a very good birthday.
Hopefully my 24th year on the planet will be an eventful one. I'm going to be cliche and make a list of the things I accomplished in my 23rd year:
- Graduated
- Quit my job
- Saw Andrew Bird and Tim and Eric
- Said goodbye to my grandpa
- Moved (twice)
- Got my ears pierced
- Went on a diet (successfully)
- Stopped playing WoW (and haven't picked it back up)
- Started grad school
- Broke up with Adam
- Went to a dance club (verdict: awful)
- Visited the power-spot
- Helped redecorate two rooms at my parents house
- ... can't think of any more right now
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
the last instant message
(2:31:55 PM)
you took everything you wanted,
a roommate,
the circle of friends of a pervert you previously hated,
and you refused to even explain what was going on
for months
after you told me you hated me
and didn't want to talk,
and now you are the one with issues?
---
I gave you everything you wanted,
a best friend,
a confidant,
a whipping post,
I took it all in stride for as long as I could
and then I snapped.
For years, I tried to reconcile my feelings
I tried to convince myself that you were a good boyfriend
and somehow I was the bad one.
I don't want to talk.
We both have a lot of healing to do.
---
you have no conscience
I am proud
---
I don't love you anymore
I am happy.
you took everything you wanted,
a roommate,
the circle of friends of a pervert you previously hated,
and you refused to even explain what was going on
for months
after you told me you hated me
and didn't want to talk,
and now you are the one with issues?
---
I gave you everything you wanted,
a best friend,
a confidant,
a whipping post,
I took it all in stride for as long as I could
and then I snapped.
For years, I tried to reconcile my feelings
I tried to convince myself that you were a good boyfriend
and somehow I was the bad one.
I don't want to talk.
We both have a lot of healing to do.
---
you have no conscience
I am proud
---
I don't love you anymore
I am happy.
Friday, February 6, 2009
My First "LAN"
I digress from the research and grad school themed posts to bring you one STRAIGHT OUT OF FUN LAND. Last night, I had an epic evening.
(Random thought: You know how you can say "evar" and put some sort of internet spin on the meaning of the word ever? I think epic has started to become overused and we need a new spelling/saying of it as well. Maybe EPUC or something.)
After a very long afternoon chasing keys (long story, won't go into it), I finally embarked on my role-playing, taco-eating, mountain dew-drinking, zombie-killing evening. Nobody reads my blog, but okay, I will admit it. I am a nerd. There, I said it. I've recently joined a tabletop role playing game known as Star Wars Saga Edition (or SWSE) for short. Think of it as a Star Wars themed Dungeons and Dragons. We role dice and talk about star wars and it's pretty cool. There are usually tacos involved as there is a Taco Bell near the house we generally play at. All-in-all, it is good times.
I've also been playing some video games with the guys involved in SWSE. One of these video games is Left 4 Dead. Here is a brief synopsis: Zombie invasion. You and three other players (Yes this is where the 4 comes from) must shoot and esplode your way through several levels of zombies before you can meet up with the rescue convoy. There are general "horde" zombies, and there are special zombies. These are hunters, smokers, tanks, boomers, and witches. These throw in more interesting situations than just BANG BANG BANG KILL ZOMBIES RAWR.
Anyway, this is a game created by Valve. There are several achievements you can unlock, one called ZOMBIE GENOCIDEST in which you must kill 53,595 zombies. This is a cumulative number and can be achieved over weeks or months of play. From a total zombie kill number of approximately 22,000, he was bet that he couldn't reach the magical 53,000 number in 24 hours. So, after SWSE, we travelled back to Moose's apartment and got ready for a VERY long day. We started playing at about 1am and basically played for 8 hours straight with a very specific strategy, running the starting area of one level OVER AND OVER again. I would not fire shots, and he would basically get all of the shots and kills from explosives. After lots of mountain dew and caffiene, by 9:30am, he had over 51,000 kills. EPUC.
At 9:30, I brought Moose to class and we called it "a night." I crawled into my bed at about 11am, but have been unable to sleep due to random techno music coming from one of the neighbors.
Perhaps I'll post about stochastic simulation later today if I still cannot sleep.
(Random thought: You know how you can say "evar" and put some sort of internet spin on the meaning of the word ever? I think epic has started to become overused and we need a new spelling/saying of it as well. Maybe EPUC or something.)
After a very long afternoon chasing keys (long story, won't go into it), I finally embarked on my role-playing, taco-eating, mountain dew-drinking, zombie-killing evening. Nobody reads my blog, but okay, I will admit it. I am a nerd. There, I said it. I've recently joined a tabletop role playing game known as Star Wars Saga Edition (or SWSE) for short. Think of it as a Star Wars themed Dungeons and Dragons. We role dice and talk about star wars and it's pretty cool. There are usually tacos involved as there is a Taco Bell near the house we generally play at. All-in-all, it is good times.
I've also been playing some video games with the guys involved in SWSE. One of these video games is Left 4 Dead. Here is a brief synopsis: Zombie invasion. You and three other players (Yes this is where the 4 comes from) must shoot and esplode your way through several levels of zombies before you can meet up with the rescue convoy. There are general "horde" zombies, and there are special zombies. These are hunters, smokers, tanks, boomers, and witches. These throw in more interesting situations than just BANG BANG BANG KILL ZOMBIES RAWR.
Anyway, this is a game created by Valve. There are several achievements you can unlock, one called ZOMBIE GENOCIDEST in which you must kill 53,595 zombies. This is a cumulative number and can be achieved over weeks or months of play. From a total zombie kill number of approximately 22,000, he was bet that he couldn't reach the magical 53,000 number in 24 hours. So, after SWSE, we travelled back to Moose's apartment and got ready for a VERY long day. We started playing at about 1am and basically played for 8 hours straight with a very specific strategy, running the starting area of one level OVER AND OVER again. I would not fire shots, and he would basically get all of the shots and kills from explosives. After lots of mountain dew and caffiene, by 9:30am, he had over 51,000 kills. EPUC.
At 9:30, I brought Moose to class and we called it "a night." I crawled into my bed at about 11am, but have been unable to sleep due to random techno music coming from one of the neighbors.
Perhaps I'll post about stochastic simulation later today if I still cannot sleep.
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