Dead Week

Things that are finally almost done:

1. Classes
2. Preliminary Design Review
3. Final projects
4. Grading

On one hand, I cannot wait for this semester to end. On the other, I'm terrified of what I'm going to do once it finally does. That means it's finally time for me to come to terms with the fact that I'm graduating in just a few short months and I'm not sure if I'm ready. I don't have any firm plans at this point for the summer, though it seems like at least one company wants me for an internship.  Then hopefully graduate school at Purdue if I get accepted. If I don't, I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe direct PhD at University of Washington? But if I don't get accepted to Purdue, why would they accept me there?

Ugh.

Tat has been amazing. We've spent a lot of time together this week, sometimes I wonder if its been too much, but I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute. This weekend I went to see the Zoo Lights up at Lincoln park where we spent the evening walking around in the cold, enjoying the winter lights, and visiting various animal enclosures. Some were sleeping, but the Red Pandas were wrestling and it was one of the most adorable things I've ever seen. It might have even been better than Poppy's puppies.

Looking ahead, I just submitted my COM 114 final presentation. I have a project due friday. I have a Preliminary design review Thursday. I have a meeting for PDR on monday, tuesday, and probably wednesday. I have a few homework assignments due, one on wednesday and one on tuesday of next week, and COM114 scattered around in between. So. much. fun.  

Happier Still

A lot has happened in the seven months since I last wrote here. Maybe I'll upload my journal entries since it's essentially the same as writing here.

Quick recap of my life for future Silas and anyone who's interested in my life:

1. I worked for a dope ass rocket company! Virgin Galactic was kind enough to invite me onto their team as an intern last summer.  I lived in Orange County, worked in Long Beach, and generally just had a good time. Thanks to everyone there for having me.
2. I ran another marathon. Why do I keep doing this?  It's becoming an addiction.
3. I started dating this amazing girl who seems to just enjoy me for... me. What? Is that possible? All my internal self doubt that I'm boring, instead of going away, is amplified. I ignore it though, because if I'm worried about being boring I will be boring. 
4. I'm slogging through senior design! Yay. Not yay. But yay.
5. My graduate school application is *nearly* done.  I can't wait to hit submit!
6. Fuck politics.

And that's my life in a nutshell.

Am I happy?

Right now? I dunno. I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few weeks and its largely because I'm terrified of the next phase of my life.  A phase that is rapidly sneaking up on me.  Do I go to graduate school or do I join the workforce.

I think that choice is pretty easy. I know I want to teach, so its off to graduate school for me.  What's really terrifying me is going to Purdue for another 2 years and realizing that nothing's really the same, what with many of my good friend's having graduated, or it's too much of the same given that I know so many upper class men and graduate students here. Whatever it is, I've started my application because Purdue has without a doubt the best propulsion lab in the country.

Life's otherwise really enjoyable right now. Despite having some pain in the ass classes to get through, I really enjoy what I'm studying and its really enjoyable to use the knowledge I've gained first hand.  Also, as I'm typing this my right hand has transitioned from hunting and pecking for the first time since like 3rd grade typing class and its freaking me out.  That'll be something to practice later this week when I have more time.  Wow, it feels so cool though.

Long story short, I'm more content than happy. I've got stuff to work through, I'm enjoying each day, but I'm not in place mentally or physically (lol, I've got a marathon to train for in October) that I want to be. Soon though :)

Summer soon

It's summer soon and I finally have my first internship. I can't wait to work for Virgin Galactic, but at the same time I'm not ready for this year to end. Orientation stuff for next year's incoming class is just picking up and I absolutely adore my team leaders. They're just warming up to each other, but I can tell that they're going to be a great group. I hope my guts right and not being ruled by unbridled optimism. I guess I'm always surprised when people put up with me, so it's no surprise that my orientation buddies continue to wow me. They're kind and I've grown to trust them as well as any friend I've ever had. I guess it's an insecurity, but I worry that we won't hang out next year. That'd suck.

Still, there's no reason to stress about things that haven't happened, especially when I can still make an effort to avoid it. Things I should be stressing about are the homeworks I have due next week or how I'm going to manage my travel to and from California this summer.

Until next time...

Midterm #1 = Owned

I GOT MY THERMODYNAMICS (ME200) TEST BACK TODAY!!

If you'd asked me before the test if I thought I could get a 100% on a thermo test I would have said you were crazy. But studying and attending Professor Naik's review session (PRAISE BE UPON HIS NAME) really paid off.

If you are a Purdue student struggling in ME200, go to Naik's lectures and review sessions, even if you are not in his class. He writes the exams and he is not one to hide what is going to be tested. He very clearly went over problems that were more difficult than the ones we ended up having on our test. Still, the average was a 66.7% in my section, which is likely because people skip lecture or didn't go to the review session. My professor, Prof. Joglekar, did not give us any real indication of what was going to be on the test, but he did highly recommend attending Naik's review session. He also was extremely helpful during the actual test, clarifying a critical error I had made in my assumptions.  So he has definitely put himself in one of my top professors at Purdue.

Basically, it boils down to if you can do the homework then you can do the tests. Suck it thermo.

One year in...

and I've failed my goal of writing a post a day. I really goofed that one up. In order to sum up this year, here is my stream of consciousness.

I wanted to keep a journal of my thoughts and feelings throughout the year and summer resulted in a collapse of those. John and I had a falling out over something stupid, but he seems very embarrassed about the events that lead up to our not talking and I am a little stubborn.

Honestly, I don't care about what happened. You're a good man John. Foolish, maybe a little naive, and definitely overly trusting, but a good man all the same.  I hope we'll repair things because I do miss you.

If you read this, we need to talk sometime. Also, my Dota stack is always open.

Classes were hard, but I passed them all somehow maintaining a 3.47 GPA this semester. I don't know how I did it, I thought for sure that with a 42% midterm average in linear algebra that I would get a C, but I got a B- in the class. Purdue and grade curves, good grief.

It is starting to look like I won't be completing a film minor if I want to also get a nuclear engineering minor.  I'm going to take film classes for the rest of my general education credits, but I am already looking at a few summer semesters or a potential 'victory lap' semester.  I really have no idea what I am doing when it comes to planning out the next two and a half years.

I'm going to Chicago to hang out with Brie, Stephan, Brian, and maybe Kendall if she can get out of work before going back to school. My mum and dad don't seem pleased, I know they miss me and I miss them dearly, but its a good chance to go see the windy city with friends. I'm not sure what we'll do there, maybe go to the museums or see a show. It'd be nice to catch a musical I haven't seen in some time.

My parents are getting weary of the Vermont weather. It's cold and my dad loses blood flow to his extremities. He really doesn't seem to happy and work is starting to wear on him.

Finally, I am addicted to Puzzle and Dragons. I need to stop paying for stones, that is my new years resolution! NO MORE IN APP PURCHASES!!!!

Peace out 2014!

It's been a while

So I totally failed my new year's resolution, but whatever. I'm back.

School has been hard on me this semester. I'm no 4.0 student, but it was nice sitting comfortably above a 3.5 at the end of last year.  Now that looks like its going to be gone and with it my scholarship (if my semester GPA is below a 3.0).  RIP my wallet.

I haven't played nearly as much Magic: the Gathering, nor have I played much Dota 2 for that matter. School work has started to consume my life. I don't mind this because Aerospace engineering, despite the challenge, is what I want to be doing. I want to design rockets. I've known this for several years now.

It's funny, when I used to play EVE: Online my Grandmother came to visit and asked me: "Is this what you want to do with your life?"  Indirectly my answer is yes. I want to work in the space industry, I want to design rockets, I want to fly space ships. She's gone now, but I hope she knows that my obsession for EVE stemmed from my love for space.

I don't plan on getting to deep tonight. I have a project to do and an exam to study for tomorrow. Such is life. Also a project to continue working on. Bah. AAE251 I want to beat you so badly, but its hard.