hey there, remember me?
Apparently it's been two years since I've started this blog. It's been almost a year since I've posted anything. I bet some people I've met in the past year don't even know I have a blog. But I kind of want to start doing this again, so here goes.
My life has been kind of crazy since I last blogged. Junior year was an experience, both academically and personally. Class-wise, I ended up doing as well as I hoped, although it was touch and go for a long time in both fall and spring semesters. I still love math and particularly abstract algebra, and I still have a love-hate relationship with computer science. I also discovered that I am really interested in artificial intelligence and machine learning and have enjoyed my classes in both of these fields. I'm not sure if I'll ever have the chance to seriously pursue this interest, but hopefully I will at some point in the future. Currently, Category Theory is blowing my mind, to the extent that I always feel two steps behind in that class. I am really enjoying it still, and am really glad that I have the chance to take yet another class with Dr. Pardue. But I don't feel like I have a great support system in that class, so homework can sometimes be very frustrating. My other math class is Game Theory with Dr. Armstrong, which is going just about how you'd expect (and by that I mean fairly easy but also terribly boring). Software Engineering is gross, but I at least have a really good team, so it could be a lot worse. Machine Learning is fun, like I said before, but the format of the class makes me feel really unprepared for our midterm on Tuesday. So yeah, that's my semester in a nutshell as far as classes go...Oh, I'm "swimming" twice a week for PE (air quotes included because we don't have to actually exert effort) and it's been fun because Katy and Kayla are taking it as well.
I'm still TAing for CMSC 201, although I'm not head TA anymore. Being head TA in the spring took so much out of me and I was constantly forgetting to do stuff. Last year really burned me out as far as 201 was concerned (I mean, it did in all the ways, but 201 in particular), especially because my section in the spring wasn't nearly as fun as my fall section. Basically, it's led to me stepping back and doing basically only the minimum for 201 this semester. I'm a little bit annoyed that I have a section that meets twice a week again, but it's going well so far and they're good kids. I have been spending way less time in ITE though, so I miss my TA friends. TBH, hanging out with the other TAs is the most fun part of the job, and I wish I was less busy this semester so I could do that.
I'm still super involved in InterVarsity, which is my favorite thing about school currently. I finally started consistently going to a small group in the spring, and it helped me spiritual life in a huge way. I also went to my first Chapter Camp, which was incredible and probably should go in it's own post (probably won't, but maybe if I have time). At this point, 90% of my friends in campus are from IV, and it feels almost like a family to me. But just the sheer amount of IV things that happen is awesome because I have a tangible way to prioritize my spiritual life. I'm really looking forward to Fall Conference next weekend, maybe I'll make a post about that too when it happens.
This summer was also really crazy. I don't know if I ever officially talked about this, but I spent most of my summer in Springfield, Missouri at a research experience for undergraduates. And it was a really great experience, I learned a ton about what math research would look like and it made me feel a lot better about doing grad school. That's yet another thing that should get another post, or else this one will be forever long.
Anyway, I'm actually working on grad school applications now, which is still really crazy to me. I actually have a list of 13 schools that I'm probably going to apply to. Honestly, the process is really daunting. I took the GRE Subject test about a month ago, and it was one of the most exhausting experience of my life. But I'm also really excited about future opportunities. The idea of being fully independent has always been enticing to me, so I get more and more excited as it gets closer and closer. Personal statements continue to be the worst thing to write, and as always, the process comes with a decent amount of imposter syndrome and self-doubt, but I'm used to dealing with that, so it's fine.
But yeah, overall, I'm doing okay. I'm in the middle of probably the most stressful part of the semester, aka midterms, but I'm hanging in there. In the past I've waited to write blog post until whatever was going on in my life was figured out, but I realized that if I wait to do that now, I'll probably never write another post. I also realized that it's okay to not appear put together all of the time, which has been really good for me and I'm appreciative of those who helped me realize that.
Hopefully you enjoy this still pretty vague life update. I'll try to post more often, but I can't promise anything (TBH, some accountability on that front would be nice. Accountability is another thing that has really helped me recently).
Until next time.
-E.
P.S. It only took me two days to write this!
My life has been kind of crazy since I last blogged. Junior year was an experience, both academically and personally. Class-wise, I ended up doing as well as I hoped, although it was touch and go for a long time in both fall and spring semesters. I still love math and particularly abstract algebra, and I still have a love-hate relationship with computer science. I also discovered that I am really interested in artificial intelligence and machine learning and have enjoyed my classes in both of these fields. I'm not sure if I'll ever have the chance to seriously pursue this interest, but hopefully I will at some point in the future. Currently, Category Theory is blowing my mind, to the extent that I always feel two steps behind in that class. I am really enjoying it still, and am really glad that I have the chance to take yet another class with Dr. Pardue. But I don't feel like I have a great support system in that class, so homework can sometimes be very frustrating. My other math class is Game Theory with Dr. Armstrong, which is going just about how you'd expect (and by that I mean fairly easy but also terribly boring). Software Engineering is gross, but I at least have a really good team, so it could be a lot worse. Machine Learning is fun, like I said before, but the format of the class makes me feel really unprepared for our midterm on Tuesday. So yeah, that's my semester in a nutshell as far as classes go...Oh, I'm "swimming" twice a week for PE (air quotes included because we don't have to actually exert effort) and it's been fun because Katy and Kayla are taking it as well.
I'm still TAing for CMSC 201, although I'm not head TA anymore. Being head TA in the spring took so much out of me and I was constantly forgetting to do stuff. Last year really burned me out as far as 201 was concerned (I mean, it did in all the ways, but 201 in particular), especially because my section in the spring wasn't nearly as fun as my fall section. Basically, it's led to me stepping back and doing basically only the minimum for 201 this semester. I'm a little bit annoyed that I have a section that meets twice a week again, but it's going well so far and they're good kids. I have been spending way less time in ITE though, so I miss my TA friends. TBH, hanging out with the other TAs is the most fun part of the job, and I wish I was less busy this semester so I could do that.
I'm still super involved in InterVarsity, which is my favorite thing about school currently. I finally started consistently going to a small group in the spring, and it helped me spiritual life in a huge way. I also went to my first Chapter Camp, which was incredible and probably should go in it's own post (probably won't, but maybe if I have time). At this point, 90% of my friends in campus are from IV, and it feels almost like a family to me. But just the sheer amount of IV things that happen is awesome because I have a tangible way to prioritize my spiritual life. I'm really looking forward to Fall Conference next weekend, maybe I'll make a post about that too when it happens.
This summer was also really crazy. I don't know if I ever officially talked about this, but I spent most of my summer in Springfield, Missouri at a research experience for undergraduates. And it was a really great experience, I learned a ton about what math research would look like and it made me feel a lot better about doing grad school. That's yet another thing that should get another post, or else this one will be forever long.
Anyway, I'm actually working on grad school applications now, which is still really crazy to me. I actually have a list of 13 schools that I'm probably going to apply to. Honestly, the process is really daunting. I took the GRE Subject test about a month ago, and it was one of the most exhausting experience of my life. But I'm also really excited about future opportunities. The idea of being fully independent has always been enticing to me, so I get more and more excited as it gets closer and closer. Personal statements continue to be the worst thing to write, and as always, the process comes with a decent amount of imposter syndrome and self-doubt, but I'm used to dealing with that, so it's fine.
But yeah, overall, I'm doing okay. I'm in the middle of probably the most stressful part of the semester, aka midterms, but I'm hanging in there. In the past I've waited to write blog post until whatever was going on in my life was figured out, but I realized that if I wait to do that now, I'll probably never write another post. I also realized that it's okay to not appear put together all of the time, which has been really good for me and I'm appreciative of those who helped me realize that.
Hopefully you enjoy this still pretty vague life update. I'll try to post more often, but I can't promise anything (TBH, some accountability on that front would be nice. Accountability is another thing that has really helped me recently).
Until next time.
-E.
P.S. It only took me two days to write this!
do it
ReplyDeleteyou can
no really, keep going other E!