Statistician Magician
Well, I have finally started grad school! As soon as I started I already wanted to do research. But what has been tough is the going to class aspect. Two of the classes I am taking are required…well sort of. See, nothing is /required,/ but it is highly recommended that I take these classes so I pass the quals next September. My third class is really interesting and I am taking it as an “elective.” My required classes are Applied Probability and Data Management/Research Design. Applied Probability is interesting because my professor teaches it with a bit of a theoretical and computer science slant. Unfortunately, it is hard to stay awake in there because he has such a soft voice.”Data Management and Research Design” should really just be called “Intro to Sampling and Experimental Design.” Going to that class is like pulling teeth for me. The books are horribly boring and so is the content. Fortunately, I am not alone in my misery. The professor is really interesting outside of class, and he clearly knows his stuff.
Due to my job in Psychology, as well as my classes and personal projects, I usually spend all day on campus. I try to get there by 9am at the latest and leave by 8 or 9 in the evening. The 8th floor of Math Sciences is quite a happy place, and being in my office so long is not nearly as bad as it may sound. Of course by now I can compile a list of frequently asked questions to graduate students in Statistics:
Q: “Hi, where is the planetarium?”
A: “Go down the little hallway and out the door.”
Q: “Where is the library?”
A: “It is on Boelter 8th floor. This is MS 8th floor. The buildings do not connect here. Go down to 7, walk over to Boelter, and go up to the 8th floor.”
Q: “Can I use these computers?” (grad student lounge)
A: “No, this is the grad student lounge. Go down the hall to the computer lab.”
Q: “Can I use these computers?” (first year office)
A: “No! This is a private office…hence all of the personal belongings on the desks. Go down the hall to the computer lab!”
Q: “Where is the computer lab?”
A: “Go down the little hallway and out the door to the Planetarium. Then take the stairs up to the roof of Boelter, go over the bridge and there you are.”
Q: “Where is the Student Math Center?”
A: “on the third floor, you are on the 8th floor.”
Q: “I know.”?
A: “Then what is the problem?”
The people are really fun too. We do a lot of stuff together. In the past month I have played tennis almost every week, played soccer, went kayaking, participated in a poker tournament and went on a hike. There is talk of a snowboarding trip next quarter, and a softball team Spring quarter. I came in 5th place out of about 31 people in the poker tournament, but I attribute that mainly to luck. The most favorable prizes for me were the iPod Nano (even though I already have one), the used external hard drive, and of course the used TV. I ended up getting the TV which I was quite happy about. One of my officemates (another first year PhD student) brought rabbit ears so we can watch TV in the lounge. I am terrible at tennis, but I play anyway. I guess the same goes for soccer, but I was a pretty good goalie. I am glad I finally sucked up my fear of filthy water and went kayaking. I had dodged the bullet twice before and this time I figured I should give it a try. It wasn’t too bad…but the water was so filthy I was panicking when I got on. The only way I will ever kayak again is in Hawaii or somewhere else where there is nice, clean water. I will be posting pictures from these events soon.
Then there is the story about some of us being regular Career Center patrons…but that is for another time. But hey, I won a PSP!