memnus: A stylized galaxy image, with the quote "Eternity lies ahead of us - and behind. Have you drunk your fill?" (Default)
Brian ([personal profile] memnus) wrote2003-04-23 12:09 pm

Long update

I just have a bunch of thoughts that have been building up. Unless I decide to run out of things to say. So...

I finally got around to going down the Rocky cast list and adding everyone to my contact list. Suddenly my College group is the largest contact list I have, even including all the duplicates in other groups. Maybe I should have made a subgroup of just Rocky people, or something something. But it amuses me.

Speaking of Rocky and amusing, it seems that I catalyzed a mass devirginization of Easties with my appearance last weekend. I was flattered by the showing, and especially by how well everyone seemed to put up with the torture that the preshow folks put them through.

After opening night, the show went off swimmingly. Energy was down a little on Friday - that usually is the case for the middle of a three-show run, but as far as I'm concerned Rocky is the kind of show that has massive energy anyway - but we resurged for a spectacular Saturday.

Schedule for next semester and year... there are a few things I want. First, to get core reqs out of the way. That means Bio 52, E&M and lab, and Stems. 10 credits. Second, I can't put off CS 60 anymore, so 13 credits. I need to have at least one Hum (I'm looking at Mayeri's Language of Film - good or bad idea, anyone?) which makes 16. The other constraint is that I want to devote more of my time to next year's Rocky, and really bring it to glorious life. That means allowing myself a lighter second semester - CS 70, Analysis, Algorithms, a Hum, and another hum or CS 80 (81? whatever) or something, for fifteen credits. However, I can't justify to myself taking only 31 credits in a year. I'd have a lot of catching up to do junior/senior year, and clinic and stuff on top of it. So, I want to throw myself at a 19-credit semester next fall by adding Intro to Social Psych. If anyone thinks this will kill me, speak now or forever hold your peace.

Two more weeks of classes, and it's really come down to crunch time. Tech report, research paper, games and gambling paper, and regular math and physics work. But I can do it.

Getting back into the swing of online gaming.... getting back with Diegesis finally tomorrow, barring tech report doom, and then Emiricol's 13 Kingdoms campaign should be picking up on Sunday. It'll take some work to gear those parts of my brain back up again, but shouldn't be too bad. If it is... ugh. I'd feel guilty for leaving either group. Sadly, I think I'd leave Diegesis before 13K, old friends aside, as far as gaming goes Emiricol matches my style a lot better than Jeremy does.

Anyway, lunchtime, then Discrete.

click

[identity profile] avani.livejournal.com 2003-04-23 12:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I hope you realize that thats a respectable second semester you've got there, if you have Ran for Algorithms. That, Anal, and 70 all fill up whatever time you let them :-) 81 should be a cakewalk thouogh since the department doesn't know what they're doing with it, and so they'll probably just re-hash 60 at you with some logics thrown in for flavor.

As for the 19 credit first semester, I'd say go for it if the hums are easy. Both E&M and STEMS are hard, but the homework assignments are relatively much less time-consuming than the stuff you've got later, so its really more of a motivation issue ( disclaimer: I like overloading...)

[identity profile] ziqueenmab.livejournal.com 2003-04-23 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Speaking of Rocky and amusing, it seems that I catalyzed a mass devirginization of Easties with my appearance last weekend. I was flattered by the showing, and especially by how well everyone seemed to put up with the torture that the preshow folks put them through.

Torture, nuthin'. ;)

Er, I mean...Yeah, carry on. Nothing to see here.

That means allowing myself a lighter second semester - CS 70, Analysis, Algorithms, a Hum, and another hum or CS 80 (81? whatever) or something, for fifteen credits.

Holy crap! That's "lighter"? Best pick some really trivial hums that semester.

Hmm...I guess it depends on how well core agrees with you in the fall. But...holy crap.

[identity profile] sillygoosegirl.livejournal.com 2003-04-23 01:13 pm (UTC)(link)
The semester I took E&M and Stems, I started out with 19 units, but I ended up dropping a class. On the other hand, my other units are generally considered harder than the other units you have listed (core math, CS70, E4, some hum). So yeah, you are not me, but I bet your proposed schedule will be doable but hard.

[identity profile] artemis-lizzie.livejournal.com 2003-04-23 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Time for an opinion from someone who hates overloading and never takes more than 15 units a semester. DON'T TAKE 19 UNITS UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU CAN HANDLE IT. This means making sure you have at least one, preferably two easy and nice classes (translation: classes that reinforce the fact that you don't suck). Also, be sure to have a clear set of priorities; if it gets too much, know exactly which class(es) to drop, when, and in what order. DON'T let yourself get too bogged down before you drop a class. As soon as you start falling behind, drop something, because with 19 units, it's not likely that you'll be able to catch back up, and you'll probably suffer in all of your classes if you try. You really need to be prepared to overload, especially when you've already got E&M and STEMS. Those are two hard classes, that are already a good deal of work in themselves. Don't try to kill yourself on top of those.

Oh, yeah, and I'll second(third?) the previously-stated opinion that your second semester is already pretty hard, with 70, analysis, and algorithms together.

Second of all, 31 units in a year will not put you very behind. In order to graduate on time, you need to average 16 units a semester, or 32 units a year. 31 only puts you 1 unit behind that year, and I believe you're already at least 1 unit ahead this year. If you're planning on taking 15 unit semesters for the rest of your HMC career, well, then I'd reconsider overloading now. But if you aren't, then you're still in good shape, credit-wise.

If you are still worried about it, though, find a one- or two- unit half course to take 1st semester. That will bring you up to 17 or 18 units. I would suggest you find a first half course, so you don't get a heavier schedule halfway through the semester. It's nice to be getting around to crunch time, then lose a class. Alternatively, you could take choir or something. Easy A, on-campus hum credit, close to East, those Joint Music classes are about the nicest things ever. Check it out.


I hope I've been somewhat helpful here, instead of just rambling on pretty constantly. I'll add a disclaimer, as others did: I don't take more than 15 units a semester, as a rule. Because it kills me. I see Mudd through that particular filter.

[identity profile] zixi.livejournal.com 2003-04-23 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Assuming you can handle stems, E&M and bio reasonably well (or at least two of them) adding another hum probably won't be too bad, provided neither of your hums is huge and writing-intensive. I can vouch that CS60 from Ran is very fun and a very good idea, and knowing you, you'll enjoy it immensely. It probably won't kill you......but you will be working a LOT and hard at that. It doesn't sound worse then my fall sophomore schedule.....but I also calculated that I was working ~70 hours a week (class+work) but that included p-chem +lab. Assuming you have the gpa to overload, go ahead and sign up for it. But don't hesitate to drop somethign if it's too much.
And you're second semester is heavy.......don't take anything more then those 15 units, you'll be happier.
And like Lizzie said, 21 units won't put you behind in the slightest.....you need 16 units per semester to graduate on time, and if you're doing summer math, that means you need less. You'll be find unitwise and not struggling your senior year.