A Series of (Seemingly) Random Events
Hello there.
I hope everyone survived their first week back, or just your first week ever. If you didn't quite make it, I'm very sorry and I hope you will eat some good food and get back on your feet for tomorrow. If you did well, good for you but no need to brag 😜.
I will warn you right now, this post will seem random, and that is okay. It is born out of my desperation to do anything but physics. Those of you in physics will understand.
For all you currently junior PSEOers, some semi-good but kind of odd news: did you know that you will be famous next year? For some odd reason everyone seems to think that you know what you're doing just because you've done this college thing for a year already. If I had a dollar for every time a freshman asked me a question concerning something about a class (even though I have no idea what's going on like 99.9% of the time myself) I could afford the tutoring that I obviously need...😄. But of course, it's also really awkward to remind them that I'm in this class for the first time too so uh, I don't know what to expect either.
I don't know if any of you guys have noticed but college kids will get impressed if you tell them you're PSEO. The most common reaction is "wow, you must be so smart". HA! You would think so wouldn't you? Just wait until finals week when we are all dying on the inside and then ask us how smart we feel about doing this college thing early. I'm not saying that you'll regret it, but I am saying that stress-induced responses will be a lot more negative than right now when you are still riding the excitement of the first week. Plus, saying that you are hardworking sounds so much more humble than saying you're smart, even though all of you are very intelligent.
It gets even better when you are in an "upper-level" course and as soon as you say the name it is basically automatic "wow, you're smart!". Take, for example, my MATH 2263 class (Multivariable Calc). The name sounds so impressive so naturally everybody must be smart right? Funny! I have never met a group who is winging it as much as this group of people. They are all intelligent, there is no doubt about that, but they made it this far out of sheer determination rather than raw talent. Raw talent tends to fall short after a while. We literally all have no idea what's going on, but we have learned to accept that and to figure it out one day at it time. On the first day, I wound up by this guy I knew who hadn't taken calc in over a year. When the TA found out, she took a class poll of how many had taken calc recently. I was surprised that only about 1/2 the class took the last calc course last semester. Everybody else was at least two-ish semesters from their last calc course. Imagine how integrating and differentiating multiple variables will go if you can't even remember how to integrate one...
Also, ladies, what is this with a male dominated class??? Where is my female representation in multivariable? We can do math just as well as the guys can, so let's show the world that!
Lastly, a quick shoutout to all my fellow seniors. Whether you have started college applications or not, have started your senior festivities or not, I wish you all the best of luck. With National Merit Semifinalists being announced in a couple of days and the rush to start letters of recommendation just beginning, it's a wonder how any of us have any sanity left.
Here is a LOTR meme for support and for good luck in the week to come!
I hope everyone survived their first week back, or just your first week ever. If you didn't quite make it, I'm very sorry and I hope you will eat some good food and get back on your feet for tomorrow. If you did well, good for you but no need to brag 😜.
I will warn you right now, this post will seem random, and that is okay. It is born out of my desperation to do anything but physics. Those of you in physics will understand.
For all you currently junior PSEOers, some semi-good but kind of odd news: did you know that you will be famous next year? For some odd reason everyone seems to think that you know what you're doing just because you've done this college thing for a year already. If I had a dollar for every time a freshman asked me a question concerning something about a class (even though I have no idea what's going on like 99.9% of the time myself) I could afford the tutoring that I obviously need...😄. But of course, it's also really awkward to remind them that I'm in this class for the first time too so uh, I don't know what to expect either.
I don't know if any of you guys have noticed but college kids will get impressed if you tell them you're PSEO. The most common reaction is "wow, you must be so smart". HA! You would think so wouldn't you? Just wait until finals week when we are all dying on the inside and then ask us how smart we feel about doing this college thing early. I'm not saying that you'll regret it, but I am saying that stress-induced responses will be a lot more negative than right now when you are still riding the excitement of the first week. Plus, saying that you are hardworking sounds so much more humble than saying you're smart, even though all of you are very intelligent.
It gets even better when you are in an "upper-level" course and as soon as you say the name it is basically automatic "wow, you're smart!". Take, for example, my MATH 2263 class (Multivariable Calc). The name sounds so impressive so naturally everybody must be smart right? Funny! I have never met a group who is winging it as much as this group of people. They are all intelligent, there is no doubt about that, but they made it this far out of sheer determination rather than raw talent. Raw talent tends to fall short after a while. We literally all have no idea what's going on, but we have learned to accept that and to figure it out one day at it time. On the first day, I wound up by this guy I knew who hadn't taken calc in over a year. When the TA found out, she took a class poll of how many had taken calc recently. I was surprised that only about 1/2 the class took the last calc course last semester. Everybody else was at least two-ish semesters from their last calc course. Imagine how integrating and differentiating multiple variables will go if you can't even remember how to integrate one...
Also, ladies, what is this with a male dominated class??? Where is my female representation in multivariable? We can do math just as well as the guys can, so let's show the world that!
Lastly, a quick shoutout to all my fellow seniors. Whether you have started college applications or not, have started your senior festivities or not, I wish you all the best of luck. With National Merit Semifinalists being announced in a couple of days and the rush to start letters of recommendation just beginning, it's a wonder how any of us have any sanity left.
Here is a LOTR meme for support and for good luck in the week to come!
I hope you all can get to class faster than Frodo can get to Mordor (aka in less than like 800 pages).
~Tempest
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