Graduating Soon....

[Frodo Baggins]

Just a short note because I don't have much time. I'll be attending the ceremony for my undergraduate graduation in..er...7 hours? I'm just up doing some late work.

But I just wanted to thank OCForums for the support throughout my brief stint as a undergrad student. Not so much for the math help, but for the invaluable advice I get here. It sounds a bit sad, but I don't have much in the way of a social life, and though I have quite a few friends, I don't speak to them as much as I should. So that means that a lot of my chatting and advice-seeking (even for more frivolous topics) has been here on OCF!

Anyways, yes. I managed to nab the Canadian Governor General's Medal, which is the highest award given to a single student in the 3000 or so class we have. The funny thing is the attention I seem to be getting. Students that almost never speak to me are speaking to me. Professors come up to congratulate me. Advisors introduce me to other advisors and it seems everyone knows who I am. I guess it looks good for the Math department when a Mathy takes home the award. See here (http://www.carleton.ca/convocation/medalists/undergrad_senior_medalists.html). Yep that's my full name (everybody calls me Phil). Hope they pronounce the damn thing right.

For me, it's just another day. Nothing exciting. I'll celebrate when I finish my M.Sc. But yes, thank you for all the help. I'll see you all...er...tomorrow, when...um...nothing really has changed.

[daniel_dynasty]

congrats on your achievements!

[Captain Newbie]

I second the congrats. Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers on the way.

[Frodo Baggins]

Hehe, thanks!

You know, since I'm doing my Master's now and everything, I went out and bought a suit, a blazer, nice shoes, a belt, some couple of dress shirts (of course, this has NO use for grad school where I can wear a bag to school if I like). If anything, this is giving me a chance to revamp my wardrobe and wear, you know, more chic stuff.

But I love the blazer and jacket. I look absolutely smashing in it too. The only advantage to growing up I can see is wearing nice clothes and not looking like a total knob doing it.

Now...all I need is a Mercedes...

[TalRW]

great job, just curious what was your undergrad major?

[Kevin007]

:temper: :shrug: :drool: :mad: :cry: :p :shrug: :sn: :clap: @ Phil!

[Frodo Baggins]

great job, just curious what was your undergrad major?

Math. The good stuff.

Okay, off to bed. Then I have to wake up early and spend an hour learning how to tie a tie (again), the last time I wore a tie was at my high school grad.

[sulretal]

Wow, very impressive. Good luck at the ceremony. You should be proud of your achievement!

[shard]

Man, we are always getting pwn3d by asians! jk congrats dude, good to see you graduating!

[Frodo Baggins]

Well well. An interesting experience.

How was it? Okay, I guess. To be honest, I didn't feel anything at my high school graduation and I didn't feel anything at this one either. I really think it's more for the friends and family than the graduands.


Here is me getting the thingy placed on myself. By a stroke of luck, the guy who is doing it is also my M.Sc. advisor, all swanked out in his M.I.T. gown. Check out my tie! It owns, eh?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/ptrinh/thingy.jpg

I think I did get my 5 minutes of fame, and trust me folks...it really is 5 minutes. Now that convocation is over, nobody gives a **** who did what how well and with what marks. But let's hope that at least some of what I did carries over when I apply for grad school.

And finally, here are, sadly, the two objects most representative of the last 3 years of my life. The Governor General's medals. The one on the left awarded 2006 and the one on the right awarded 2004. As you can see, I need the gold one to complete the set so I can finally sell the whole thing on ebay.

I'm hoping that the day they find out an asteroid is going to wipe out life on Earth, and they need to make the list of people to send off on a rocket to Mars, then these medals will get me on that list. Otherwise, they don't do me much good.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/ptrinh/medals.jpg

And just like that, it's over. No big deal. Back to work now.

[sulretal]

How did you accomplish finishing undergraduates in 2 years? Did you classes year long? Are the credit standards in Canada different?

[Shelnutt2]

Congrads Frodo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or should I say Phil?)


You may not feel much for getting the governers medal but to get the top award is no small fet man. Just remember that around here you have always been the top math dog, and you've finally gotten a just reward for all the help you've given.

Just don't go anywere alright? I've got some intersting math coming next year (I.B. Mathmethods I) and I might need some help :p .

[violineb]

Congradulations Phil!!! You may come here for advice but everyone here certainly appreciates the knowledge you share here as well (at least I do) I'm sure you'll have good things coming your way, and if not, it's time for the graduate studies.. sigh. I'm starting in Indiana U this year after two years in Iceland, oh boy, no more slacking off.

[jacheatamobits]

suh-weet congrats!

gah! that chick is totaly in the way in that pic! u should chop her out

Im going back to school after 9 years out of HS. no ****,

thought about being an actuary? i heard they make alot of $$

git ureself a benz

[dkitt10]

Congratulations really, like im definitly not popular on these forums, but I give more attention to your posts in threads then other members because you always have great advice/know-how (and I know im not the only one that looks up to you on these forums). I can easily say I look up to you. You definitly earned this.

Congratulations bud.

[Frodo Baggins]

How did you accomplish finishing undergraduates in 2 years? Did you classes year long? Are the credit standards in Canada different?

13 cups of coffee a night, 8 classes a term, overlapping classes, ignored prerequisites, exception exams, etc. If there's was a rule, I broke it. Oh, and I sold my soul.

Congradulations Phil!!! You may come here for advice but everyone here certainly appreciates the knowledge you share here as well (at least I do) I'm sure you'll have good things coming your way, and if not, it's time for the graduate studies.. sigh. I'm starting in Indiana U this year after two years in Iceland, oh boy, no more slacking off.

Thanks violineb. Keep me posted on how guitar is going for you.

Thanks dkitt, thanks jacheatamobits!

[Illah]

But I love the blazer and jacket. I look absolutely smashing in it too. The only advantage to growing up I can see is wearing nice clothes and not looking like a total knob doing it.

Smashing? Knob? I thought you were in Canada, not the UK ;)

Anyway congrats! Great job on all the achievements. Just remember that life is more than work - take it easy (or at least easier) in grad school and enjoy yourself a little, you're only young once!

--Illah

[Frodo Baggins]

Smashing? Knob?


Sorry. Been hanging out with my Scottish friend way too much.

[infinitevalence]

Huge congrats....


and thanks for making me feel old and dumb :P 25 and still not done with my undergrad... but then i got plenty of partying, women, drinking, dancing, and god knows what else in so... i guess its a trade off.

Dont be a stranger when you hit grad school it WILL kick your ass, i know your smart but the work load of gradschool is no less than 2-3 times that of undergrad. Take your time dont rush through it, because it matters a whole lot more :)

Any thoughts on PHD? topics, research... im not all that good at math but i still get tossed into enough of the classes at school to have a bubbeling interest.

[g0dM@n]

Congrats, my man... well deserved!!! :)

[Yodums]

I bet that d00d from MIT was saying in his mind, "Damn, I don't think my hard work at MIT compares to the hard work that went into these TRAPS!!!! zOMGGGGGG." Expect to see him in the gym in like a few days doing nothing but SHRUGS!

[Dreamstalker]

If anything, this is giving me a chance to revamp my wardrobe and wear, you know, more chic stuff.

But I love the blazer and jacket. I look absolutely smashing in it too. The only advantage to growing up I can see is wearing nice clothes and not looking like a total knob doing it.

Hehe :D I'm starting to gather "interview clothes": nice shirts (which I have some of already, however spending most of my time in college knee-deep in wires and dust fixing computers I didn't feel much like wearing the nice stuff), skirts, etc. The fun part :rolleyes: is finding shoes that actually fit me, that I can tolerate walking in and don't look weird.

CONGRATS!!!! :bday: Feels great to finally get it over with don't it?

I didn't feel any great sense of achievement at my high school graduation either (other than "yay I survived"...maybe because I hated the place and was getting picked on something horrible), but college graduation...wow :) After a month it still seems mildly surreal ("omfg is it actually over?!").
thanks for making me feel old and dumb :P 25 and still not done with my undergrad...
Heh, I'm 26 and just finished last month, so nyeah :p ;) :D

[Super Nade]

Congrats mate :beer:

I know that feeling. I graduated with an MS in Physics a couple of weeks ago. I decided to skip the elaborate graduation ceremony as I find the whole thing a bit too ostentatious for my liking. Anyway, I'm officially a "Master" now. :shrug:

Well, its going to be another 3 yrs or so before I get my PhD...my family is a bit concerned that I'll still be in school at 29 ...LOL

[infinitevalence]

you will be 30 when you get your PHD but i will be maybe working on my masters at that time. And keep in mind PHD in physics == 80k starting!!! you will make back all that time and money fast.

@Dreamstalker
nyeah all you want because im calling my old HS buddies living in boston and they are going to kick your ass :P

[Frodo Baggins]

Dont be a stranger when you hit grad school it WILL kick your ass, i know your smart but the work load of gradschool is no less than 2-3 times that of undergrad. Take your time dont rush through it, because it matters a whole lot more :)

Actually, I doubt that very much. Part of it is because I don't think it's possible to have more of a work load than what I put on in undergrad (7-8 classes a term = 7-8 exams at the end of the term = 21-24 hours of exams within 2 weeks time). Also part of it is simply because of the requirements. Instead of having to take 7 or 8 classes, I will be taking 3-4 at the most plus work on my thesis. In fact, I only need a total of 5 classes for my Master's, plus the thesis.


Any thoughts on PHD? topics, research... im not all that good at math but i still get tossed into enough of the classes at school to have a bubbeling interest.

At the moment, I'll probably remain around the same material I've worked on since 1st year. Applied Math of course, specializing in non-linear partial and ordinary differential equations. The M.Sc. thesis will be on a variation of the famous Korteweg-de Vries equation, if that means anything,

[Sjaak]

Me = jealous.

[g0dM@n]

Diff Eq rocks... the rest I dunno what you're speaking of. :D We used a lot of diff eq in quantum and thermodynamics when I was at school for BS in physics...

The most classes I took in a semester as an undergrad was 6... I can't imagine 8!!!

[Elif Tymes]

Sweet! So if I need help with my maths.... I'll call the baggins!

[infinitevalence]

The most classes I took in a semester as an undergrad was 6... I can't imagine 8!!!

I cant remember if 8 or 7 was the most i have done... but i have been taking no less than 21hrs a semester sinice i started... and its still taking me 5 years plus some to graduate. I guess if i did not work while i took 20hrs i guess i would have gotten better grades.

Tell you what though, it kicks your ass when your in school all day like that.

[Illah]

So Frodo, what are your plans long term? Seems like you're a whiz kid of sorts, just curious what you're gonna do with it. Teach? Or head down to Wall Street to work on algos at the big firms? Get sucked up by the Google brain vaccum and be an algo scientist :)

--Illah

[Frodo Baggins]

So Frodo, what are your plans long term? Seems like you're a whiz kid of sorts, just curious what you're gonna do with it. Teach? Or head down to Wall Street to work on algos at the big firms? Get sucked up by the Google brain vaccum and be an algo scientist :)

--Illah

Good question. I don't really worry about it. Mostly because it's going to be another 5 years until I have to worry about working in society.

I love to teach, but I also like to contribute in research. I think every mathematician (or scientist, writer, athlete, artist, etc.) dreams of coming up with some bold new discovery and research is the field to do that in. I always joked with my friends that I'd be a research professor at my hometown University, but I'd return to my old high school stomping grounds to teach the kids there part time.

Or maybe I can host my own TV show. Dr. Phil! I'd help Canadian kids living on the streets and in the slums -- kids with nothing but a Calculus book and a dream. :)