October 17, 2002

Midterm Review (Of Sorts)

So check this out: EE midterm coming up and we get some review problems (a week before the midterm) but no solutions, because we are to try to solve them. Well, that's just great—so what we are really doing here is doing problems and have no way of telling whether we are doing them correctly or not. Why not look at the homework and see what you did wrong, and then do the review problems?? Well, HAVEN'T gotten a SINGLE homework back in 8.5 weeks of school!! Oh OK. All right. Use the book to try and figure out if we are doing the problems right or wrong. Wait, the book has no problems or examples anywhere near the difficulty of the problems assigned, nor does it use the same conventions or notation. Meaning? That's right, you guessed it...entirely useless. Well, let me be clear: I have tried to do the review problems and now it is 12:30 a.m. on the night before the exam, and I would like to know if what I spent many hours doing is correct or just completely off so I can brace myself for failure (because at this point, it doesn't even matter if I realize I don't know how to do a certain problem, because it's to late to do anything about it). BUT wait, I can't even brace myself...why?? NO SOLUTIONS...NOT ONE SINGLE PROBLEM. All the review sessions were scheduled so they conflict with OTHER classes' midterm reviews & midterms themselves. HOW?? Well, I knew where & when my CS review was going to be the first day of class. How did EE get scheduled at the same time when more than half the people in EE are also in the same CS as me, and more importantly, WHY!? So what does this all mean?? This means one simple thing...I am going to go into this test completely unaware of how well I know/understand the material, because there are no resources to indicate to me ANYTHING. This is rather frustrating because in a subject such as EE (i.e., MATH & PHYSICS), having review problems with no solutions is even worse than having no problems at all. And it's not like there is any excuse either! Solutions could be posted the same time as problems, and we could take it upon ourselves to try the problems or not, instead of being force fed high school crap such as try the problems so you won't cheat. WHY THE HELL WOULD ANY ONE CHEAT ON REVIEW PROBLEMS THAT ARE ENTIRELY OPTIONAL?? Does that make sense AT ALL??? What is the harm in posting the solutions at the same time as the problems, so we can check our answers rather than solve the problem in the way we think and pretend that we know that this is the right way to solve the problem. And now, to study for math.

October 01, 2002

Sell Out

You know, this blogging thing is kind of addictive. I never kept a journal, for many reason, including, but not limited to:

October 08, 2002

So Much to Do (in Life)

Right now I'm feeling as if there are so many different things, whether they be classes, or jobs, or experiences, or whatever, that I want to try out and participate in, but not enough time to even begin to accomplish them all. I only have 3 years here at Berkeley left, and already I have packed my schedule nearly to brim in each of these semesters and summers following this one, until I graduate. I hate knowing that as a sophomore, I have my entire undergraduate future planned out, because, if something really cool comes along in the future, I won't be able to participate because I'm already at max capacity. I'm working on trying to manage everything, but the lack of room for addition is what is rather annoying...oh well, too bad there aren't more hours in a day, huh??

October 16, 2002

Register to Vote, Get Free Candy

I was walking out of Bio this morning, and I saw multiple signs entitled: Register to vote & get free candy. I was tempted to go sign up to vote again, attracted to free candy like a moth to light. Then I realized, if I had followed the same instinct say 12–15 years ago, I would have ended up being molested in the back of a windowless van by a forty-something white male (the generic profile of child molester). After thinking about this, I decided to pass on the free candy. Just something to remember the next time you accept free candy from someone.

October 27, 2002

America's Sport

Let me extend a hearty congratulations to the World Champion Anaheim Angels, who tonight won the World Series, defeating the San Francisco Giants 4-1 in Game 7. A most anti-climatic ending to a most anti-climatic sport. I always loved playing baseball when I was a kid—I still do, but seriously...watching it just ain't my thing. I started watching Game 7, and after the first inning, composed of many foul balls, some strikes, and a general lack of excitement, I must say, even World Series action cannot make the sport much more exciting than it is.

October 12, 2002

Why Are All Refs Blind?

Dammit, good for the non-touchdown that resulted in a Cal football loss. The USC receiver plain dropped the ball as he dove to catch it, but it bounced back into his arms, and he came up with it. The Umpire, unable to see anything, called it a touchdown, and since there is no instant replay in college football, the touchdown counted, even though the Fox replay showed it clearly: no contest, no discussion, no controversy. He dropped the ball and that was it.

Minus seven points from the USC score, and what is the result? 28–23, Cal wins. But NO!!! Instead, 30–28 LOSS to USC! Stuff like this makes me bitter: there is nothing to blame specifically here—that's the worst part. It wasn't the umpire's fault; he couldn't see it. It wasn't the receiver's fault, he was just doing what anyone else would have done. I think the only entity to blame here would be the system, which doesn't allow for replays, but even that is questionable, considering instant replays lag games a LOT!! So I guess this result can be chalked up to luck. Damn!

October 04, 2002

Birthday Blues

You know what I find funny? I'm at work on a Thursday night, the day before my midterm. It was my birthday today (or yesterday . . . whatever) and instead of being out celebrating, I'm working and studying for math. And my co-worker is also studying for a math midterm he has tomorrow. And guess what: his birthday is October 3rd too. Wow, our lives suck.