So at family brunch today, my dad brought up the famous "Barack Roll" that's been all over the intertubes lately...and I was aghast to discover that the rest of my family had absolutely no idea what it was like to be rickrolled.
A problem which I have now corrected. :)
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Haiku, Tanka, and a Promised Response
I promised to blog about why P's are so awesome the first semester, so here it goes. During our first semester at MIT, all freshmen are on a special grading system known as "Pass/No Record." Basically, if you would have earned an A, B, or C for any of your classes, the actual grade is permanently hidden and converted to a "P" (for Pass). Only the P shows up on your official transcript, although you are told your hidden grades eventually.
On the other hand, if you get a D or F in any class, that class permanently disappears from your transcript, leaving "No Record" it was there.
As a word of caution, some med schools (most notably Johns Hopkins, though I've been told there are two others) have been known to ask for your hidden grades. MIT can furnish an official record of some or all of your hidden grades, but they are very reluctant to do so. Moreover, I'm not sure if Johns Hopkins and other schools ask for grades only in relevant classes (like biology) or in all your first-semester classes...so if med school is in your future, I would encourage you to look into the matter more fully. I'll hunt around as well and keep you updated if I find any reliable info.
Anyway, the upshot of Pass/No Record is that you, for all intents and purposes, have no GPA whatsoever during your first term. This is a little awkward on resumes or when your friends ask you how you're doing...but, trust me, in the long run it's worth it. ;)
Come spring term, however, you're on an A/B/C/No Record system. This is basically just like normal grades, and you do start to accumulate a GPA, except that D's and F's still disappear.
There are a few reasons for why Pass/No Record - sometimes mistakenly called Pass/Fail, as in the popular sentiment "All Hail Pass/Fail!" - exists. In my opinion, the most important one is that it eases the transition from high school to MIT. I actually have a lot to say about the "transition," but I'll hold off on that for now, since it's actually a major theme in my next entry for the official MIT blogs. (The enry's about halfway done at this point. Yeah, yeah, I know...)
Other benefits of Pass/No Record? It drastically reduces the stress you might otherwise feel during your first semester, when (for many students) this is the first time they've truly been challenged by academics. Additionally, it gives you more freedom to explore MIT - academically, socially, and extra-curricularly. (If that's even a word.) It gives you a chance to figure out what kind of studying and p-seting, and how much, works best for you. It is not, however, an opportunity to slack off completely. So don't get any ideas. =P
For my own part, I tried not to abuse P/NR too much this past semester, but it still ended up coming in handy. ;)
Anyway, that's the "promised response" part of this post. The haiku and tanka part refers to an interesting conversation I've been having (via Facebook) with my friend Heidi - a freshman at that little school up the road from MIT - about our break. Thus far, it goes something like this:
Heidi
a haiku:
Talk is cheap, but pokes
are cheaper. Merry Christmas -
how's all with you, Paul?
***
Me
Seventeen is just
Enough syllables to say
That I am well. You?
***
Heidi
well myself, as well.
but you're not s'posed to cheat through
a haiku - details?
***
Me
I begin to like
This strange method of talking,
Though your words confuse.
I think we may need tanka
To fully communicate.
***
Heidi
I mean that I want
to hear how your break's going.
In tanka, of course.
And I've a suggestion, too:
what are your IAP plans?
***
Me
Of course, I see now.
Though break has treated me kindly,
Here in the Midwest,
Oft my heart longs for Boston
Like a lover his belov'd.
Beginning again,
I anticipate IAP
With spring eagerness:
Lab and the Hunt of Myst'ry,
Charm School and fraternity.
***
Ah, the things we Boston kids get into. ;)
On the other hand, if you get a D or F in any class, that class permanently disappears from your transcript, leaving "No Record" it was there.
As a word of caution, some med schools (most notably Johns Hopkins, though I've been told there are two others) have been known to ask for your hidden grades. MIT can furnish an official record of some or all of your hidden grades, but they are very reluctant to do so. Moreover, I'm not sure if Johns Hopkins and other schools ask for grades only in relevant classes (like biology) or in all your first-semester classes...so if med school is in your future, I would encourage you to look into the matter more fully. I'll hunt around as well and keep you updated if I find any reliable info.
Anyway, the upshot of Pass/No Record is that you, for all intents and purposes, have no GPA whatsoever during your first term. This is a little awkward on resumes or when your friends ask you how you're doing...but, trust me, in the long run it's worth it. ;)
Come spring term, however, you're on an A/B/C/No Record system. This is basically just like normal grades, and you do start to accumulate a GPA, except that D's and F's still disappear.
There are a few reasons for why Pass/No Record - sometimes mistakenly called Pass/Fail, as in the popular sentiment "All Hail Pass/Fail!" - exists. In my opinion, the most important one is that it eases the transition from high school to MIT. I actually have a lot to say about the "transition," but I'll hold off on that for now, since it's actually a major theme in my next entry for the official MIT blogs. (The enry's about halfway done at this point. Yeah, yeah, I know...)
Other benefits of Pass/No Record? It drastically reduces the stress you might otherwise feel during your first semester, when (for many students) this is the first time they've truly been challenged by academics. Additionally, it gives you more freedom to explore MIT - academically, socially, and extra-curricularly. (If that's even a word.) It gives you a chance to figure out what kind of studying and p-seting, and how much, works best for you. It is not, however, an opportunity to slack off completely. So don't get any ideas. =P
For my own part, I tried not to abuse P/NR too much this past semester, but it still ended up coming in handy. ;)
Anyway, that's the "promised response" part of this post. The haiku and tanka part refers to an interesting conversation I've been having (via Facebook) with my friend Heidi - a freshman at that little school up the road from MIT - about our break. Thus far, it goes something like this:
Heidi
a haiku:
Talk is cheap, but pokes
are cheaper. Merry Christmas -
how's all with you, Paul?
***
Me
Seventeen is just
Enough syllables to say
That I am well. You?
***
Heidi
well myself, as well.
but you're not s'posed to cheat through
a haiku - details?
***
Me
I begin to like
This strange method of talking,
Though your words confuse.
I think we may need tanka
To fully communicate.
***
Heidi
I mean that I want
to hear how your break's going.
In tanka, of course.
And I've a suggestion, too:
what are your IAP plans?
***
Me
Of course, I see now.
Though break has treated me kindly,
Here in the Midwest,
Oft my heart longs for Boston
Like a lover his belov'd.
Beginning again,
I anticipate IAP
With spring eagerness:
Lab and the Hunt of Myst'ry,
Charm School and fraternity.
***
Ah, the things we Boston kids get into. ;)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Lead us not into Caltech, and deliver us from finals
I have survived three of my four finals.
Of course, I don't know how I actually did in any of them. But I feel confident. Even in 8.012. The irony of currently not knowing how I did in 8.012 is that, as a matter of fact, my test was graded last night and the score is sitting online, waiting for me. Just two or three clicks, that's all I'd need, but I've decided to resist the temptation until after I finish my last final (5.112, aka chemistry, tomorrow morning). Sounds sort of like college decisions, doesn't it?
Anyway. Soon to come, perhaps as early as this weekend: thoughts on first semester, including what classes I actually took; reflections on what it takes to succeed in one's classes (especially something like 8.012); hopes and dreams for IAP and spring semester; and probably even more occluded references to my UROP , which I will be continuing during IAP. (Okay, just kidding on that last one.) There may even be a long, somewhat angst-ridden reflection on what it might have been like to go to Notre Dame instead of MIT - or you can read about that on Shannon '12's blog instead, where one of my comments was longer than her entire entry. (And yes, Shannon, you are now officially a '12. You better come. =D)
On one final note, I'm really proud for coming up with that subject title. At some point, maybe I'll even try to adapt the entire Our Father into an MIT theme. Oh, the possibilities...
Of course, I don't know how I actually did in any of them. But I feel confident. Even in 8.012. The irony of currently not knowing how I did in 8.012 is that, as a matter of fact, my test was graded last night and the score is sitting online, waiting for me. Just two or three clicks, that's all I'd need, but I've decided to resist the temptation until after I finish my last final (5.112, aka chemistry, tomorrow morning). Sounds sort of like college decisions, doesn't it?
Anyway. Soon to come, perhaps as early as this weekend: thoughts on first semester, including what classes I actually took; reflections on what it takes to succeed in one's classes (especially something like 8.012); hopes and dreams for IAP and spring semester; and probably even more occluded references to my UROP , which I will be continuing during IAP. (Okay, just kidding on that last one.) There may even be a long, somewhat angst-ridden reflection on what it might have been like to go to Notre Dame instead of MIT - or you can read about that on Shannon '12's blog instead, where one of my comments was longer than her entire entry. (And yes, Shannon, you are now officially a '12. You better come. =D)
On one final note, I'm really proud for coming up with that subject title. At some point, maybe I'll even try to adapt the entire Our Father into an MIT theme. Oh, the possibilities...
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Fifteen seconds of fame
So this morning on my way to class, I opened the new issue of The Tech, MIT's twice-weekly newspaper, and I make a most interesting discovery.
On Pages 1 and 13, in the article about the ongoing elections for 2011 Class Council and Senate, my name and my campaign are mentioned. You have to read very closely to notice it...but I'm definitely there.
And you know what this means?
I'm famous.
I know it's not much, but it still made my day. :D
On Pages 1 and 13, in the article about the ongoing elections for 2011 Class Council and Senate, my name and my campaign are mentioned. You have to read very closely to notice it...but I'm definitely there.
And you know what this means?
I'm famous.
I know it's not much, but it still made my day. :D
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mostly pointless
So for some reason Firefox is having a mental breakdown, and completely refuses to run Facebook properly. How could you do this to me, Firefox? Haven't I always been there for you? Wasn't installing you practically the first thing I did on my new computer? Wasn't it? WASN'T IT?
Meanwhile, in a spectacular piece of irony, IE7 displays Facebook perfectly.
Occasionally I hate my life. Or my computer. Or Firefox. Or all three.
Because the theme of this entry is pointless comments, here's a total OMG moment: High School Musical 2 premieres tonight! Will YOU be watching?
In other news, I've been saying goodbye to old friends and I won't even try to talk about that. Some things...you can't really talk about, not honestly anyway; not on this sort of blog. So instead you just laugh at them, or bury them in a private part of your mind, but they're still there. And it's going to take time for me to move on. But I realized last night that saying goodbye isn't the end.
It's really just another beginning.
Meanwhile, in a spectacular piece of irony, IE7 displays Facebook perfectly.
Occasionally I hate my life. Or my computer. Or Firefox. Or all three.
Because the theme of this entry is pointless comments, here's a total OMG moment: High School Musical 2 premieres tonight! Will YOU be watching?
In other news, I've been saying goodbye to old friends and I won't even try to talk about that. Some things...you can't really talk about, not honestly anyway; not on this sort of blog. So instead you just laugh at them, or bury them in a private part of your mind, but they're still there. And it's going to take time for me to move on. But I realized last night that saying goodbye isn't the end.
It's really just another beginning.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
*insert clever title here*
A collection of the innermost thoughts of Yours Truly - some serious, some funny, some utterly random.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was amazing. If for some crazy reason you haven't read it yet, I won't spoil any of it here, but there were some great plot twists. And quite a few of my predictions turned out to be right, which I really liked. The only sad part is that it's finally over.
- Whoever ordered all those powered gloves for my lab deserves to be shot. I hate powdered gloves.
- Maybe I'm on a sci-fi jag or something, but Tabula Rasa and Mass Effect both look very appealing to me right now. Only problem - apart from finding time to actually play them - is that Mass Effect's for Xbox 360, which I don't have and am unlikely to get anytime soon...but I'm sure there'll be someone at MIT who has one. *grin*
- Speaking of MIT - dorm assignments come out today! Just three hours to go now....I'm really hoping for Baker, my first choice, but I'll be pretty happy with Simmons or Burton-Conner as well.
- One of the subtle perks of going to MIT is that your relatives and friends will buy you books simply because they were written by MIT faculty. My aunt, for example, gave me John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity as part of my graduation present. It's a very good little book, and it's rather inspired me to look more deeply into the Media Lab over the next few years. I would really encourage you to buy it, or at least browse one of Maeda's two "simplicity" blogs.
- On a side note - my aunt also gave me a 120 GB external hard drive and some nice cold cash. She knows me so well. :)
- I've just started listening to Pandora Radio, and it is amazing.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was amazing. If for some crazy reason you haven't read it yet, I won't spoil any of it here, but there were some great plot twists. And quite a few of my predictions turned out to be right, which I really liked. The only sad part is that it's finally over.
- Whoever ordered all those powered gloves for my lab deserves to be shot. I hate powdered gloves.
- Maybe I'm on a sci-fi jag or something, but Tabula Rasa and Mass Effect both look very appealing to me right now. Only problem - apart from finding time to actually play them - is that Mass Effect's for Xbox 360, which I don't have and am unlikely to get anytime soon...but I'm sure there'll be someone at MIT who has one. *grin*
- Speaking of MIT - dorm assignments come out today! Just three hours to go now....I'm really hoping for Baker, my first choice, but I'll be pretty happy with Simmons or Burton-Conner as well.
- One of the subtle perks of going to MIT is that your relatives and friends will buy you books simply because they were written by MIT faculty. My aunt, for example, gave me John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity as part of my graduation present. It's a very good little book, and it's rather inspired me to look more deeply into the Media Lab over the next few years. I would really encourage you to buy it, or at least browse one of Maeda's two "simplicity" blogs.
- On a side note - my aunt also gave me a 120 GB external hard drive and some nice cold cash. She knows me so well. :)
- I've just started listening to Pandora Radio, and it is amazing.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Fun with phobias
Today is Friday the 13th. Duhn duhn duhn dunh!
Then again, considering that the world did not end on June 6, 2006 - nor on July 7, 2007 - I don't think any of us really should be worrying about a measly little superstition like Friday the 13th.
However, this provides a great opportunity to highlight what is, in my humble opinion, one of the funniest and most ridiculous words in the English language. That word is, of course, paraskavedekatriaphobia - an irrational and morbid fear of Friday the 13th. Incidentally, paraskavedekatriaphobia is actually a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13 in general.
Don't you feel educated?
Then again, considering that the world did not end on June 6, 2006 - nor on July 7, 2007 - I don't think any of us really should be worrying about a measly little superstition like Friday the 13th.
However, this provides a great opportunity to highlight what is, in my humble opinion, one of the funniest and most ridiculous words in the English language. That word is, of course, paraskavedekatriaphobia - an irrational and morbid fear of Friday the 13th. Incidentally, paraskavedekatriaphobia is actually a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13 in general.
Don't you feel educated?
Monday, July 2, 2007
Glimpses of what's to come
Random piece of news: today I signed up for the Reuse and Assassins' Guild mailing lists. I feel more and more like a real MIT student.
Also, while I was walking to lunch the other day, I came up with the most awesome idea for an entry. Or, rather, a series of entries.
First installment should be coming up soon. A tantalizing teaser: it deals with the Assassins' Guild.
In other news, if you'll permit me to brag a little, I called for my AP scores a few days ago. To quote something I posted to the MIT Facebook group:
AP practice materials: $20
AP test charge: $83
Getting your scores by phone: $8
Passing out of 18.01: priceless
Translation: I pulled out a 5 on BC Calc, which I am so happy about you cannot believe. I had always been very confident about how well I did on multiple-choice questions, so I guess that helped me. The free response questions, on the other hand? Not so confident. One of the questions, for example, featured what basically amounted to the Polar Equations From Hell. And since I had self-taught myself everything I knew about polars in the first place, I bombed that question in spectacular fashion. Thank God for generous curves. (That was not supposed to be innuendo. But I'm too lazy to change it, and anyway it kind of makes me laugh.)
I also got a 5 on English Literature. Which really makes me laugh, because it means all the time I spent on the FEE is now completely redundant. (I won't say it was wasted, exactly. Just redundant.) But I knew that when I took the FEE anyway.
Also, I think I've come up with a new name for the blog, which will be revealed shortly. I'm probably making it sound more dramatic than it really is, but whatever. For some reason the idea of a new name makes me very excited. Change can be good, I guess.
Meanwhile, I know there's a lot of bad stuff in the world that's probably more worthy of your and my attention, but this just strikes me as very sad.
Also, while I was walking to lunch the other day, I came up with the most awesome idea for an entry. Or, rather, a series of entries.
First installment should be coming up soon. A tantalizing teaser: it deals with the Assassins' Guild.
In other news, if you'll permit me to brag a little, I called for my AP scores a few days ago. To quote something I posted to the MIT Facebook group:
AP practice materials: $20
AP test charge: $83
Getting your scores by phone: $8
Passing out of 18.01: priceless
Translation: I pulled out a 5 on BC Calc, which I am so happy about you cannot believe. I had always been very confident about how well I did on multiple-choice questions, so I guess that helped me. The free response questions, on the other hand? Not so confident. One of the questions, for example, featured what basically amounted to the Polar Equations From Hell. And since I had self-taught myself everything I knew about polars in the first place, I bombed that question in spectacular fashion. Thank God for generous curves. (That was not supposed to be innuendo. But I'm too lazy to change it, and anyway it kind of makes me laugh.)
I also got a 5 on English Literature. Which really makes me laugh, because it means all the time I spent on the FEE is now completely redundant. (I won't say it was wasted, exactly. Just redundant.) But I knew that when I took the FEE anyway.
Also, I think I've come up with a new name for the blog, which will be revealed shortly. I'm probably making it sound more dramatic than it really is, but whatever. For some reason the idea of a new name makes me very excited. Change can be good, I guess.
Meanwhile, I know there's a lot of bad stuff in the world that's probably more worthy of your and my attention, but this just strikes me as very sad.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The things I would like to tell people
(but usually don't)
Introductions, someone once said, are tricky things.
Okay, so no one actually said that. I said that. But it's true, isn't it? So often in this world, you only get one chance to make yourself stand out. First impressions really do matter, and I don't want to screw this up. It's like introducing myself to a room full of strangers - only worse, because this is actually an entire Internet full of strangers.
So where to start? At the risk of being unoriginal, let me start by saying my name's Paul Baranay. I was born in South Bend, Indiana - I'm pretty sure that if anyone knows about it, they know it because of Notre Dame (as in Notre Dame football). I technically now live in Michigan, which annoys me to no end, especially since my house is right on the state line. And besides, it's more fun to say I'm from South Bend.
I'm 18 and just graduated from high school - glory hallelujah for that. Next year I'll be going to MIT, which I personally regard as the best school in the world. (Of course, I'm biased.) I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering, but apparently most people change their minds once they get to college, so don't hold me to that. This summer I'm working at good old Notre Dame, doing research with cow bones...but that's a story for another day. (It's also a good line on a resume.)
So, that's the boring stuff. It's lucky I'm not in high school anymore, otherwise I'd feel obliged to talk about all the stuff I did there. In retrospect, I did too much in high school anyway. But, hey, it didn't kill me and I still have a decent social life, so I guess it's all good.
As I said, though, that's the boring stuff, the easy stuff - the things that don't really tell you much about me, about what makes me different from anyone else, because everyone says those sorts of things.
The things I would like to tell people, but usually don't, are these:
I am basically the dumbest smart person you will ever meet. I am an undercover geek, an occasional athlete, a social butterfly, an unforgivable bibliophile. I am a nerd in prep's clothing, a scholar and a gentleman, a walking dictionary. I am optimistic and ironic, cynical and sarcastic.
I am lazy and I am an over-achiever. I used to be too involved for my own good and still think I've been cured.
I count by squares when I am nervous. I am working on memorizing pi and I actually think math jokes are funny.
I want to learn Italian and insist that Latin is a useful language to know. I am basically in love with Rome.
I am a poker player and a computer addict, a Facebook stalker and a fledging blogger. I am making a list of movies I need to see before I go to college. I buy too many books and not enough music.
I believe dark chocolate is God's gift to man. I pretend I don't like going to the mall. I love Oakley sunglasses, North Face fleece, and leather jackets.
I will always be a fan of the Notre Dame football team, no matter how much I claim to hate their performance during any given season. I have mostly gotten over my hatred for USC, but I will always despise Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. I recently converted to the Red Sox but I'd still cheer for the Colts over the Patriots.
I admire Dr. Gregory House as much as I despise the entire cast of Grey's Anatomy. I am obsessed with Harry Potter. I swear that Snape is not evil and Dumbledore is not dead. I dream of riding motorcycles and curing cancer. I think everyone could benefit from a little more dry humor.
Okay, so no one actually said that. I said that. But it's true, isn't it? So often in this world, you only get one chance to make yourself stand out. First impressions really do matter, and I don't want to screw this up. It's like introducing myself to a room full of strangers - only worse, because this is actually an entire Internet full of strangers.
So where to start? At the risk of being unoriginal, let me start by saying my name's Paul Baranay. I was born in South Bend, Indiana - I'm pretty sure that if anyone knows about it, they know it because of Notre Dame (as in Notre Dame football). I technically now live in Michigan, which annoys me to no end, especially since my house is right on the state line. And besides, it's more fun to say I'm from South Bend.
I'm 18 and just graduated from high school - glory hallelujah for that. Next year I'll be going to MIT, which I personally regard as the best school in the world. (Of course, I'm biased.) I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering, but apparently most people change their minds once they get to college, so don't hold me to that. This summer I'm working at good old Notre Dame, doing research with cow bones...but that's a story for another day. (It's also a good line on a resume.)
So, that's the boring stuff. It's lucky I'm not in high school anymore, otherwise I'd feel obliged to talk about all the stuff I did there. In retrospect, I did too much in high school anyway. But, hey, it didn't kill me and I still have a decent social life, so I guess it's all good.
As I said, though, that's the boring stuff, the easy stuff - the things that don't really tell you much about me, about what makes me different from anyone else, because everyone says those sorts of things.
The things I would like to tell people, but usually don't, are these:
I am basically the dumbest smart person you will ever meet. I am an undercover geek, an occasional athlete, a social butterfly, an unforgivable bibliophile. I am a nerd in prep's clothing, a scholar and a gentleman, a walking dictionary. I am optimistic and ironic, cynical and sarcastic.
I am lazy and I am an over-achiever. I used to be too involved for my own good and still think I've been cured.
I count by squares when I am nervous. I am working on memorizing pi and I actually think math jokes are funny.
I want to learn Italian and insist that Latin is a useful language to know. I am basically in love with Rome.
I am a poker player and a computer addict, a Facebook stalker and a fledging blogger. I am making a list of movies I need to see before I go to college. I buy too many books and not enough music.
I believe dark chocolate is God's gift to man. I pretend I don't like going to the mall. I love Oakley sunglasses, North Face fleece, and leather jackets.
I will always be a fan of the Notre Dame football team, no matter how much I claim to hate their performance during any given season. I have mostly gotten over my hatred for USC, but I will always despise Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. I recently converted to the Red Sox but I'd still cheer for the Colts over the Patriots.
I admire Dr. Gregory House as much as I despise the entire cast of Grey's Anatomy. I am obsessed with Harry Potter. I swear that Snape is not evil and Dumbledore is not dead. I dream of riding motorcycles and curing cancer. I think everyone could benefit from a little more dry humor.
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