Rant aside, if you’d like to see the real misery, boredom, hopelessness, and outlets that the University of Chicago provides its students… I advise you to look here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/collections/72157622661408694/

It’s a great set of real graffiti from the university. By the looks of it – completely uncensored. It’s probably not very reassuring, but it’s closer to truth than the propaganda the admissions department puts out.

Hey, but look on the bright side… you’ll be a well paid worker-bee when you’re all done with your time in hell.

P.S.
I stumbled on this other site that has a real and current discussion of the UofC as an educational option. It may be useful for some of some of you parents weighing in on your child’s university education:
http://therealrevo.com/blog/?p=14506

http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0910/arts_sciences/philosopher.shtml

it’s worth the time, in my opinion.

Specifically, I think that the Subject hits a few ideas right on the head. Most importantly, to me:

“Too often,” he declares, “the defenders of free markets forget that what we really want is free men.”

and, following close behind:

Rejecting the false dichotomy between thinking and doing …

I’ve got another six months of institutionalized education, and then it’s off to the “real world”. That fact has me thinking about what I want to do, where I want to go, what kind of a person I should struggle to be. (I’m convinced that in a capitalistic system “being” is a struggle.) A mode of thinking that’s always been useful for me before is to look at what isn’t or shouldn’t be – and those thoughts leave me rejecting the corporate rat race. Sure, the money is nice – but the time stolen is irreplaceable. The exploitation is insulting and the alienation nauseating. I’m with Marx on at least one idea, alienation is not good: I want to have a connection with what I make. And I do want to make things. Those things don’t necessarily have to be tangible, but they ought to be perceptible.

There’s something about being a cog that just upsets my very being. The quote on “free men” speaks to me loudly and clearly. It’s hard for me to believe that the idea could ever be received with dismissal. Which leaves me wondering if it ever is, or if the more pressing demands of life (hunger, shelter, etc.) simply push the more philosophical and principal-based ‘necessities’ clear out of the picture.

To what extent must rigorous thought, freedom, and “success” be opposed? Clearly, there are some of us out there who simply reject the existence of the opposition as an insurmountable obstacle, but why is that so rare? (Why does the story usually go like: pick two.)

Food for thought… (foreshadowing my future, albeit in an externally-inaccessible way.)

If it’s the best in its class – then you bought it here and it comes with a 100% money-back guarantee!

Well, it turns out that, strictly speaking, they haven’t made their statement false by refusing to give you your money back. The antecedent is false – or so the assumption goes – so regardless of how the consequent turns out, the statement is logically true. Odd, you think…me too. I’m more in favor of pegging such statements as “maybe” or “unknown” statements. I’m not sure if I’ll be given that option this quarter.

It’s cold here. 37° F now. Rainy too. I’ll write more later.

Now, answering that question – as a college student, with an assigned GPA – I may be slightly biased. The best I can do is try not to be. I claim that the GPA is a practically useless number in almost every regard, and here is why:

Someone looking at only your GPA has no information about grade distribution. Perhaps you were a poor mathematician, but in attempt to be a well-rounded English major you took mathematics class anyway. Doing poorly in that subset of discretionary classes is not immediately obvious by looking at your GPA alone. And how important is it? It is ambiguous (at least to me) if you should be penalized for refusing to study as narrowly as a 4.0 English major. Even the “Major GPA” can be manipulated through lenient instructor selection or lower level courses.

Realizing that a transcript is often supplementary to any GPA, one can still make the case that too much relevant information is unavailable. What type of work the course involved, how assignments were weighted, grading trends of the professor. None of these are available to someone looking at a GPA, with or without a transcript. The roles that so many variables play in a student’s eventual GPA are condensed into a mostly information-less number. What is worse, it that this number is used to benchmark students. (It would likely a better benchmark of instructor or institutional trends.)

This has been a cause for concern for me since well before college. I knew many highly ranked (high GPA) students that were capable only of “regurgitation” – no original thought. They were poor problem solvers, but good test-takers. I am beginning to see that the issue does not vanish at the end of high school. As I look at the data across institutions, years, and majors – it seems painfully obvious to me that the GPA is not useful for comparing students. Yet it lingers, it stresses, it represents information it does not contain.

There needs to be an alternative for comparing student “progress”. I give the GPA a C-.

I wavered back and forth, indeed enrolling in a few computer science courses over the past few years – and always being sorry I did. As I suspected, the regiment destroyed my internal desire to explore. No more computer science “classes” for me.

I set out to study something that I had no desire to ever pursue. I took advantage of the university’s reputation and picked economics as my major. Something I already disliked – and should I ever be in the very undesirable situation of having to employ my degree, I supposed a degree in economics might provide semi-lucrative.

That thought process – however skewed – had a very nice side-effect. Not only did it leave my love for technology mostly untarnished – it has just recently revealed to me something I likely would have never known otherwise, I am a very poor and obviously uninterested economist.

Consistently, those courses have yielded for me: poor grades, poor attendance, and occasionally even poor spirits. If I were ever to have to employ an economics degree in the future, I can most confidently say – I would starve first.

And so, perhaps the often overlooked, yet undeniably important skill, of folding must come into play. I must fold my plan of pursuing a degree in economics, before I spend another lackluster day working towards a piece of paper with the ability to seal me into a life I would surely not enjoy. I must act while I still have options on my side.

So, I have finally said it. I should have done that yesterday.

Now, to pick some other area of investigation. (because they do the mandate some “cohesive” program of study.)

Math, undeniably powerful and revealing – goes against my natural intuition at every chance it gets. Surely not making it impossible or even uninteresting for me to explore, my exploration is just painfully slow. Having already taken a wide offering of mathematics courses providing me a fairly solid mathematical foundation, I think it better to leave further investigations for independent study. Also, I am in want of a break from numbers for a while.

So, what have I left but humanities and some social sciences at this small university? And what good is a degree in philosophy (a subject I think I would very much enjoy), if I ever need to employ a degree? Would I be content spending a fifth year at this institution under any circumstances? Those are the questions I face tomorrow…

I had my schedule for next quarter all planned out, then I ended up getting only one out of my four classes. So, how can you get the classes you want with a computerized system? That was my question, and the answer, at least here, is pretty simple.

Class registrations are updated in real time, so for me to fit into a class I didn’t get, I just need someone to drop. Sniffing passwords over wifi would not be impossible, but the odds that I’d grab a useful password are nearly nothing. There are only about one hundred students that I could log in as to drop the classes I need. There are over 5k undergraduates alone. It just did not pencil out, and besides that – it is illegal.

So, plan B – let them drop of their own accord – just be there the instant they do to take the spot. Easy. Any campus course request system I have ever seen works just like a regular form. POST or GET data. You need to know where and what data is being sent for your course request. Then resubmit it constantly.

In my case, this was easy. JavaScript is used to post data to a single processing page that either works or notifies you of an error. If the class is full, you cannot just click the “add” link. You have to type the JavaScript in the action bar. Luckily, the script is on every page, whether click-able/visible or not, so copying and pasting the script from one page and typing it in on the address bar of the closed course works just fine. IMO this should probably be fixed to make things a little harder.

After you do that, because success and failure share a  common page – you are never forwarded anywhere – you can simple refresh the page to re-post your request. Download a nifty little program to reload your page at set intervals, and you can request all your courses (simultaneously even, at least here) as often as you like.

I now have 3 out of the 4 courses I wanted. With the 4th being requested every thirty seconds. Its a tiny class of ten people, but if one of them decides to move around – I’ll be in.

This is why they invented captchas.

Which also means that over the next few days I’ll be doing nothing but… economics. Horrible.

So, perhaps I’ll be posting plenty, to distract myself from my uninteresting alternative.

I have posted some of my artwork, with more on the way soon. You can look at it here.

I’ve also redone my homepage, so check that out too.

I’ll try and write later. Adios.

That twenty-four hour creative stretch came at a cost. I now have some terribly uninteresting computer science homework due this last Tuesday at 5PM. So, yes, its late already. Which makes completeing it even more difficult.

Other news: there is none. Midterms next week. Blogging might slip a little.

After reading about mathematically described recursive data structures all day, I’m taking a little break to write. So, here we are. You, me, and some extemporaneous thoughts to follow:

Well, the holidays are quickly approaching… and that means expectations are in place for everyone to mingle with family and friends. Which gets me wondering if that is a worthwhile use of time. More generally I start to wonder how much time people should really be spending outside of solitude. Refrain from deeply gasping, it will interfere with your attention.

I’ve known a few hundred people, and have had some type of observational opportunity for thousands of others. What I always enjoy discovering, usually directly, is who people are. Specifically, what they want, where they want to be, how they intend on getting there, what’s driving them towards tomorrow, and what other common thought they entertain frequently. Very rarely do I meet someone who can answer those questions.

I know many college graduates that never put their degrees to use. They took on thousands of dollars of debt, only to work in unskilled jobs. So many people detest their employment.

Another common question I like to ask: is the person happy. So often I have seen people flee from the answer, and many times tears accompanied my prying investigation.

Everywhere people enjoy drugs, alcohol, sex, food in excess, etc.

My meandering thoughts are trying to get at a few simple ideas. In my experience, most people do not know what they want or who they are, and happiness is often dependent on things external.

These issues are insurmountably problematic for me, because they seem to warrant the severest form of personal attention, but are so often masked or neglected.

If someone’s happiness has external dependencies, it must be unstable. Revocable, destructible, temporary. A happiness like that would seem destined to cause unhappiness at some point. Assuming happiness is the ideal state, it seems like a person should devote plenty of time to cultivating a stable source of happiness. An internal source. And to do that, it seems like one would need to minimize the external. Spend time alone, with internally spawned ideas, looking for a happiness that can exist when nothing else is there.

Spend enough time alone, and one is bound to uncover things about one’s self. Which eliminates wasted time – trying to find yourself using someone Else’s directions is ridiculous. And once you’re fully aware of who you are, you’re much better equipped to enjoy others.

I’m running out of time to flesh out these thoughts in more detail, but I’m going to revisit these ideas soon.

For now: if you have issues with unstable happiness or an uncertain self, consider spending the holidays alone. The last thing you need is distraction from fixing problems that could potentially linger for life.

It’s true! I’ve changed the look of things here. I’ve gone and taken the easy way out until I get around to coding myself. Save your ooooooo-s and ahhhhhhh-s for whoever wrote this theme. It wasn’t me.

But, man, does it make things look different. Excuse me now, while I stare at the layout a while…

***

On to other news: I have a pile of homework, almost no motivation, and hardly anything to eat. I’m going to see about remedying those in reverse order. (Albeit I usually get stuck on number two.)

I may or may not be on later to discuss the philosophical importance of distance when choosing a mate…

… or some other equally absurd topic.

I’d also recommend doing some in depth research when registering for a computer science class, because you have about a 50:50 shot of inadvertently being in ANOTHER barely comprehensible MATH class. You probably ought not to take an onslaught of economics classes when you do not really care for the subject (hoping it will get better).

Finally, do not post your terrible artwork on the internet for others to see. Leave that to me… More on the way, since I am subject to a mandatory art class.

P.S.
Something nonacademic, that will potentially save you thousands of $$$: do not play online poker without having access to hundreds of thousands of past hands. It makes those with just such an edge feel guilty – and you will lose… terribly.

It’s a large studio apartment that needs some work – mostly cleaning, but a few repairs. The price is great and all utilities are included. It’s really exciting because next year I’ll be able to cook… which I love!

I’ll take some pictures of the place once I’ve gotten it how I want it. Until then, I just thought you’d like to know that I’ve got my first real “place” in the big city of Chicago.

What can I tell you about my exsistence since last time? I’ve gotten two “A” papers back and have only one more paper to write for the quarter. Biology exam approaching and a calculus exam just days away. If I do things right, I’ll have 3 assured 4.0′s and another possible.

No more wonderful stock picks, but I’ve managed to do fairly well in the midst of everywhere-declining stock prices the last two weeks.

My schedule is all set for next quarter… and things look just as grueling. Such is life as I know it. Come back when exams are over, I’ll update then.

I know a few of you are wondering why I haven’t been writing about life outside of school lately. There is none. The rumors about this school are true… I don’t mind that much though.

I have a few pending plans. I’ll be spending Thanksgiving with my grandparents. That should be good. I’m ready now, so I’m sure I’ll be double ready then, for a break from cafeteria food.

The hidden costs of college are unveiling themselves and nibbling away at my savings, which I’m not pleased about – but I’m actively working (in the very little free-time I have) on websites to compensate for the costs.

All and all things are going well. I’m going to try and work on art a little – keep your eyes peeled for pictures sometime in the next month.

Nice chatting with you. Take care. Off to battle a stubborn cold settling in with some hot tea – and vitamin c…

It was great. An architectural tour if Chicago by boat, navigating the city in one large group, standing on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Observatory, and enjoying the Museum of Science and Industry with only your entering class… those were a few of the formal highlights. Getting to know everyone (or at least names) was fun all on its own. Going out to eat with my entire house, playing freeze tag on the beach well after dark, playing board games I’ve never heard of before – those were some of the informal activities. Orientation week was a lot of fun – I heard more than one student wish it would linger for longer than the planned nine days. Now its over… just the experience remains.

Classes started yesterday; today I went to my fourth class of the quarter. My schedule is intense, but do-able. In the first week alone, I will be reading The Iliad and The Wealth of Nations. In other words: ouch. My reading list for the quarter is a mixture of social science texts and humanities texts. Works by Karl Marx, Aristotle, Plato, Sophocles, Weber… to name a few of the more common authors.

I remember reading during my application to The University of Chicago – that most schools read about Plato and Aristotle – here we read Plato and Aristotle. That just hit me over the last two days. The reading is going to be a chore, but it is one of the things that distinguishes this school. I’ll try to stay optimistic about it.

Reading included, my schedule seems like it will be enjoyable. I came here for a challenge – and am paying handsomely for it – it doesn’t appear as though I shall be disappointed! I’ll update this soon. I had more to say, but I’ve used my alloted time for Internet activities – off to read!

I have my own private bathroom – which I can see right now is a wonderful thing. My room is equipped with a small but appreciated closet and a gorgeous view of various brick buildings. (In actuality the view leaves a lot to be desired…)

My mother an uncle helped me to move in. With there help – and the help of the student aids – move in was incredibly smooth.

As for the day – it was long… I went to bed around 1:00 AM – from what I could tell I was the one up latest (the lounge was void of life) and now it is 8:09 AM – one hour later than I woke this morning. It doesn’t sound or look like anyone else is awake yet…

Hmmm… well, ok… now I’m rambling. To end this little rant – let me just tell you my dorm is wonderful, my school is gorgeous – and I’m quite happy where I am now.

(You can see a few pictures here…)

————————
P.S.

I have lots of e-mails to respond to and will be getting to them ASAP.

I am very grateful for the award, but more so for the selection. This scholarship was personally important to me because of the story behind it. In a nutshell, unfortunate things can happen to anyone – at any time.

The importance of life – no matter what it may bring – is something many take for granted. It is easy to do. In hearing about this scholarship, I was reminded not to.

I’ve already picked the classes I want to take. I’ll be double-majoring in Computer Science with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence and Economics. Needless to say – I’ll be taking lots of math courses (my favorite! (HA HA…)) – How does discrete mathematics, calculus one though three – statistics – and some other course using proofs for algorithms sound?

I’ll also be taking some wonderful philosophical courses – programming courses – drama courses – and “civilization” courses. Who knows – I may come out of this well rounded after all.

As for the news from MIT – I’m not too upset. I now have a guaranteed single dorm – with an uncle and a huge bedroom to myself – only about an hour away. The only bad news – I won’t have quite as many math courses …

Well, I’ll keep the world posted – here I come Chicago!

Which brings me to the dilemma. I was exceptionally fortunate and have been admitted to every school on my list, with the exception of MIT (where I was deferred ). Now I am confused beyond imagination about where to go…

If anyone on the web could offer their opinion to a person whom aspires to own and manage technology corporations specializing in robotics – please do advise. I think it should also be noted that I love business more than technology (although I do enjoy them both).

Ideas, suggestions, and remarks are all appreciated.