Going home for spring break means I miss all the fun stuff.
http://picasaweb.google.com/amalwan/PillowFight
Pictures courtesy of Allison '12.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Gary Gygax Memorial Hack
Possibly my favorite hack yet from this semester.
d20 on Killian Court
Of course, xkcd is always relevant.
This'll be appearing on the blogs shortly, so keep an eye out for that. (Snively's called it, but I just took a few photos of my own for the hack - perhaps he'll be willing to include them in his entry? We'll see.)
d20 on Killian Court
Of course, xkcd is always relevant.
This'll be appearing on the blogs shortly, so keep an eye out for that. (Snively's called it, but I just took a few photos of my own for the hack - perhaps he'll be willing to include them in his entry? We'll see.)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
On dreams
In my application to be an MIT blogger, which feels like an age ago now, part of one of my essays read:
"The blogs truly mean something to me. They’re wrapped up part and parcel with why I fell in love with MIT in the first place. After I visited MIT in person for the first time, just over a year ago, the blogs became my lifeline back to Boston. Reading the blogs enabled me to feel like I was still connected to campus—like I was already a part of MIT.
I know that there are a lot of other students like me out there, kids who have only recently heard of MIT but are hungry to know more. I remember what it’s like to be in that position; I remember what it’s like to read the blogs and simply feel something click within yourself, when you realize that MIT is calling you. For me, in the end it always comes back to the students. Whether they’re from the Midwest or the Middle East, I want to make them feel welcome on the admissions site. As a blogger, I want to help them fall in love with MIT, just like I did."
A while ago, someone commented on one of my entries, "I am scared, I have fallen in love with a college to which I haven't even been admitted yet." And you know, that is exactly what happened to me last year. In the end...it worked out. I was admitted, to MIT and to several other schools. I still chose MIT without hesitation.
But I can't wonder...what if I had not been admitted? What if I had been in the position that so many people, some of whom I know and some of whom may even be reading this, now find themselves in? How would I be coping? Would I believe what Stu said in the not-admitted letter, what Matt and Ben have said so eloquently so many times, what I tried to repeat and rephrase yesterday - "Please understand that this is in no way a judgment of you as a student or as a person, since our decision has more to do with the applicant pool than anything else."
It's hard, I think...to listen to advice from someone who has something you dreamed of for so long, but ultimately could not attain. But...it's even harder, I think, for people like Matt and Ben to deny 7 out of every 8 applicant their dream of going to MIT.
Sorry if this isn't necessarily very clear or coherent. But I just had to say that.
"The blogs truly mean something to me. They’re wrapped up part and parcel with why I fell in love with MIT in the first place. After I visited MIT in person for the first time, just over a year ago, the blogs became my lifeline back to Boston. Reading the blogs enabled me to feel like I was still connected to campus—like I was already a part of MIT.
I know that there are a lot of other students like me out there, kids who have only recently heard of MIT but are hungry to know more. I remember what it’s like to be in that position; I remember what it’s like to read the blogs and simply feel something click within yourself, when you realize that MIT is calling you. For me, in the end it always comes back to the students. Whether they’re from the Midwest or the Middle East, I want to make them feel welcome on the admissions site. As a blogger, I want to help them fall in love with MIT, just like I did."
A while ago, someone commented on one of my entries, "I am scared, I have fallen in love with a college to which I haven't even been admitted yet." And you know, that is exactly what happened to me last year. In the end...it worked out. I was admitted, to MIT and to several other schools. I still chose MIT without hesitation.
But I can't wonder...what if I had not been admitted? What if I had been in the position that so many people, some of whom I know and some of whom may even be reading this, now find themselves in? How would I be coping? Would I believe what Stu said in the not-admitted letter, what Matt and Ben have said so eloquently so many times, what I tried to repeat and rephrase yesterday - "Please understand that this is in no way a judgment of you as a student or as a person, since our decision has more to do with the applicant pool than anything else."
It's hard, I think...to listen to advice from someone who has something you dreamed of for so long, but ultimately could not attain. But...it's even harder, I think, for people like Matt and Ben to deny 7 out of every 8 applicant their dream of going to MIT.
Sorry if this isn't necessarily very clear or coherent. But I just had to say that.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Gamers' delight
Starcraft II Zerg Revealed
This basically makes my night. Yes, everyone knew the zerg were going to be the third race; yes, everyone knew they were going to have hydraslisks and mutalisks (not to mention banelings and zerglings and...). It's nothing really new; but it's still exciting to see the official page be updated.
In other news, I have both played Brawl and seen the Brawl hack. Both are even more awesome in real life.
This basically makes my night. Yes, everyone knew the zerg were going to be the third race; yes, everyone knew they were going to have hydraslisks and mutalisks (not to mention banelings and zerglings and...). It's nothing really new; but it's still exciting to see the official page be updated.
In other news, I have both played Brawl and seen the Brawl hack. Both are even more awesome in real life.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Happy Leap Day
February 29 - the day that comes once every four years.
Almost as widely anticipated as Pi Day.
Seriously - my advising group and I went out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (for free! oh, I do love MIT's free food) a few nights ago, and we actually ended up talking about how all of us were really excited to see what Pi Day at MIT would be like.
Yeah, we're nerds.
Anyway, I have my first 5.12 test in oh, 40 minutes. Who's excited!? (Not me.)
Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy orgo. But I am not looking forward to this test.
In other news, it's Friday. :)
Almost as widely anticipated as Pi Day.
Seriously - my advising group and I went out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (for free! oh, I do love MIT's free food) a few nights ago, and we actually ended up talking about how all of us were really excited to see what Pi Day at MIT would be like.
Yeah, we're nerds.
Anyway, I have my first 5.12 test in oh, 40 minutes. Who's excited!? (Not me.)
Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy orgo. But I am not looking forward to this test.
In other news, it's Friday. :)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Micro-rant*
I was under the impression that MIT professors and course administrators prided themselves on quickly updating their online gradebooks.
So would someone please tell me why my 18.03 grade still isn't online, more than a week after I turned it in?
*Micro-rant = A volatile vilification of a single subject, reported rapidly.
The alliterative definition is mine. Although I was hoping I was the first one to coin the term, a Google search revealed over 1300 hits - alas. Maybe I'll get credit for popularizing it, though. ;)
So would someone please tell me why my 18.03 grade still isn't online, more than a week after I turned it in?
*Micro-rant = A volatile vilification of a single subject, reported rapidly.
The alliterative definition is mine. Although I was hoping I was the first one to coin the term, a Google search revealed over 1300 hits - alas. Maybe I'll get credit for popularizing it, though. ;)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sort of sad
Now that semester's started and I actually have work (what? work at MIT? crazy, I know), I've had to come up with some better organizational skills. The most important step has been setting up a pretty kick-ass Google Calendar (I've also been experimenting with Lightning, which is the calendar add-on for Mozilla Thunderbird) that complements the schedule I keep on my lovely Treo. However, I also occasionally resort to much lower-tech methods - in particular, emailing myself reminders and lists of things to do.
Here's an example of an email I just sent myself, upon realizing that I have an assignment due this Wednesday for 20.020, my bioengineering lab course.
From: Me
To: Me
Subject: 20.020 STUFF IS DUE SOON!
Also, work more on your 18.03 and 8.022 p-sets. And finish the reading for your HASS class. Now.
Rawr.
***
I sure know how to intimidate myself, don't I?
Now, off to 5.12. Organic chemistry. Yum.
Here's an example of an email I just sent myself, upon realizing that I have an assignment due this Wednesday for 20.020, my bioengineering lab course.
From: Me
To: Me
Subject: 20.020 STUFF IS DUE SOON!
Also, work more on your 18.03 and 8.022 p-sets. And finish the reading for your HASS class. Now.
Rawr.
***
I sure know how to intimidate myself, don't I?
Now, off to 5.12. Organic chemistry. Yum.
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