Pretty much every quarter, my graduation plan needs to be modified due to time conflicts between various classes. So instead of making a new post each time, I decided to put together this page that can change over time without creating a new post every time.
The latest change is that CSE 461 (Networks) gets delayed again because of a conflict with BioE 481.
Last night, I pulled the second all-nighter of the quarter. Yay.
For soccer captain Scott’s birthday today, a bunch of us headed out to New Kowloon in the International District for some scrumptous Dim Sum. It was my second time, I think, and it was very good.
After that, I retreated to the underground to pound out some user-level threaded code. I think it all works now!
I just stayed up to watch the depressingly short semifinal match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. I was of course rooting for Andy, but Roger put on another one of his seemingly routine show-for-the-ages routines, with a particularly amazing second set in which he blanked the hard-serving American 6-0. The rest of the match seemed to be on autopilot for Federer, who didn’t seem to even break a sweat.
Although Federer still has a few records to break (which I am convinced he will break), I am pretty sure that a tennis player of his dominance is unprecedented. Sure, he’s not perfect yet — he is weak on clay (thank goodness for Roland Garros), and he had a bad game in which Roddick broke him in the first set, but for much of the match it looked like a convincing reason that we don’t have college teams play in the NBA finals. One game might be fun, but after that it just wouldn’t be entertaining.
However, it is not in my nature to begrudge someone just for being good at what they do. I am in favor of great competition, but I prefer that competition to come from player’s rising to a higher level during competition rather than the better player having a bad day. So I want Andy to beat Federer — the sooner the better — but I want him to win by outplaying Federer at his best, and not because Federer has a bad day.
Until then, I guess we just have to wait for the French Open, when Nadal to call up his clay magic once again and restore a little bit of balance to the Tennis universe.
I am actually feeling really good right now. I turned in the second Bioengineering problem set of the week today, I’ve already finished my Wednesday CSE homework, my Operating Systems group amde good progress on our threads library, and I played in my first soccer game since 2003. I’m not in very good soccer shape, so I did what I always do after a sports game leaves me winded: I ate a really awesome meal (Teriyaki Tilapia, rice, veggies), and then I biked at high speeds around Green Lake. Except for the pot-smoking dopehead going the wrong direction in the wrong lane, it was a good ride.
On an interesting side note, my LED bike light doesn’t play nicely with my wireless cycling computer. When the light is in blinky mode, the computer reports a steady pace of 16mph plus the actual speed. When the light is on steady, the computer simply doesn’t count. Must be some of the energy efficient switching electronics wreaking havoc on the radio waves. So, I opted for safety over information (it was actually a hard choice — but the pot head should be happy), and I used my light instead of my bike computer. I used my wristwatch to time myself around the lake — 2.7 miles by previous measures — and I was able to complete it in about 9:30, about 17 mph if I’m doing my math right. I’ve one better, but I think thats pretty good for a late night ride.
Oh, and we tied the soccer game.
Winter quarter of the junior year is supposed to be the most intense of the Bioengineering core. In addition, they are forcing rotating groups this quarter, so instead of being able to rely on tried and true partners, I “get” to try out new partners each week. I’ve had good luck so far — after all, most BioE kids are overachievers — but I know there are a few bad apples out there. Next week alone is looking like sheer death. Two large problem sets, two lab reports, and a midterm (already!).
On top of this, I managed, out of sheer luck, to sign up for two of the most work-intensive CSE classes around — Operating Systems (land of neverending projects) and Software for Embedded Systems (land of neverending labs). Project 0 for OS kept me up all night. Project 1 was two straight days of team coding by three intelligent people. Project 2 is supposed to be the best yet. The first Embedded Systems lab took just 4 hours, the next was 8. I am told that for most of the rest, getting them done in 9 hours is doing very well.
And to top it all off, I am sick. My CSE partner, from whom I presumably contracted the disease, tells me that the worst is yet to come. But hey, its all downhill from here… right?
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