I mentioned in earlier posts that I was heading to UC Riverside in the fall. However, life doesn't always work out the way we want it to. Given our current financial situation, I'm no longer planning to attend UC Riverside. This was a difficult decision, but one I needed to make.
On the other hand, two UC Santa Cruz professors have shown an interest in having me as an intern. The discussions with them are looking promising so far. I guess we'll see how things turn out.
Currently playing: Depict1
Showing posts with label Riverside. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Riverside. Show all posts
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
back from Riverside again
I just got back from Riverside again with my parents. You may remember that we went there in May to learn more about the statistics department at UC Riverside. The purpose of this trip was to get a closer look at housing options.
Day 1
It was a hectic morning because we didn't pack up. This is normally done the day before, but everyone was tired after a busy 4th. We hurried to the airport to find our flight delayed by almost 90 minutes. I could have used some extra sleep. :\
The flight to Ontario was uneventful. Dad rented a car and took us to several apartments in the area. Although I prefer living in a dorm, the apartments were cheaper and had fewer restrictions. Of note is that some offices were closed for the 4th of July weekend. I guess making this an overnight trip was the right decision.
The afternoon ended with an early dinner at IHOP. The food wasn't bad at all. As odd as it sounds, this was the best part of the trip. There wasn't much else to do, although we saw a beautiful sunset from our room. That alone made our stay worthwhile.
Day 2
The breakfast at the hotel was delicious too. Dad then took us back to the offices that were previously closed. It wasn't long before we found an apartment we liked. Two families that lived here were eager to make friends with us. One even invited us in for a chat. They were really nice people. I was getting hungry at this point but felt it would be rude to ask to be excused.
The three of us then had lunch at Coco's Bakery before going to UC Riverside to thank a professor who helped me get a conditional admission. Dad also wanted to look at furniture as the apartment is unfurnished. Our last stop before heading home was a nearby grocery store.
We arrived at Ontario International Airport to find that our flight home was also delayed, this time by about an hour. Lesson learned: always check flight status before rushing to the airport. On the other hand, I had a great conversation with a girl who was also studying statistics. :-)
Conclusions
Because the purpose of this trip was to learn more about the housing near the UC Riverside campus, our itinerary didn't include any tourist spots. That said, the dinner at IHOP and the sunset were quite memorable. Traveling is always fun regardless of the reason. I've posted some pictures from the trip.
At any rate, I'm extremely excited about moving to Riverside in September. It'll be challenging but probably nothing I can't handle. Bring it on!
Currently listening to: "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani
Day 1
It was a hectic morning because we didn't pack up. This is normally done the day before, but everyone was tired after a busy 4th. We hurried to the airport to find our flight delayed by almost 90 minutes. I could have used some extra sleep. :\
The flight to Ontario was uneventful. Dad rented a car and took us to several apartments in the area. Although I prefer living in a dorm, the apartments were cheaper and had fewer restrictions. Of note is that some offices were closed for the 4th of July weekend. I guess making this an overnight trip was the right decision.
The afternoon ended with an early dinner at IHOP. The food wasn't bad at all. As odd as it sounds, this was the best part of the trip. There wasn't much else to do, although we saw a beautiful sunset from our room. That alone made our stay worthwhile.
Day 2
The breakfast at the hotel was delicious too. Dad then took us back to the offices that were previously closed. It wasn't long before we found an apartment we liked. Two families that lived here were eager to make friends with us. One even invited us in for a chat. They were really nice people. I was getting hungry at this point but felt it would be rude to ask to be excused.
The three of us then had lunch at Coco's Bakery before going to UC Riverside to thank a professor who helped me get a conditional admission. Dad also wanted to look at furniture as the apartment is unfurnished. Our last stop before heading home was a nearby grocery store.
We arrived at Ontario International Airport to find that our flight home was also delayed, this time by about an hour. Lesson learned: always check flight status before rushing to the airport. On the other hand, I had a great conversation with a girl who was also studying statistics. :-)
Conclusions
Because the purpose of this trip was to learn more about the housing near the UC Riverside campus, our itinerary didn't include any tourist spots. That said, the dinner at IHOP and the sunset were quite memorable. Traveling is always fun regardless of the reason. I've posted some pictures from the trip.
At any rate, I'm extremely excited about moving to Riverside in September. It'll be challenging but probably nothing I can't handle. Bring it on!
Currently listening to: "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani
Saturday, May 22, 2010
to Riverside and back - all in a day
I recently mentioned that I'm planning to study at UC Riverside starting this fall. To learn more about the school, my family took a day trip down to Riverside yesterday to see the campus. This was a worthwhile experience as we gained a lot of insight about the statistics program.
It was an exhausting morning as we had to get up early for our 7:30 a.m. flight. Though there was an 11:05 a.m. one available, my parents didn't want to arrive too late. The weather in SoCal was warmer than expected but too hot for the most part.
Our day in Riverside began with a meeting with two statistics professors, both of whom were very helpful. Three PhD students then showed us around while sharing their experiences. This was followed by lunch with two other students who also gave us useful information. The statistics department had generously provided the food vouchers.
Later in the afternoon, my family met two staff members who went over the dining and housing plans. They always took the time to address our concerns. I can't thank them enough for their hospitality and kindness. The visit couldn't have been more pleasant.
There was some free time, during which we went to Claremont Graduate University and Harvey Mudd College. The three of us then had dinner at Denny's before going back to the airport. Though we could have gotten home two hours earlier, there was a $80 fee for changing flights. The other thing is that I got a nasty headache on the way home. Blah.
Because I had never gone this far on a day trip, returning home on the same day did feel a little weird. On the other hand, Dad is planning an overnight stay in Riverside later this summer. I'm looking forward to that for sure. In the meantime, you can see the pictures from yesterday's trip here.
It was an exhausting morning as we had to get up early for our 7:30 a.m. flight. Though there was an 11:05 a.m. one available, my parents didn't want to arrive too late. The weather in SoCal was warmer than expected but too hot for the most part.
Our day in Riverside began with a meeting with two statistics professors, both of whom were very helpful. Three PhD students then showed us around while sharing their experiences. This was followed by lunch with two other students who also gave us useful information. The statistics department had generously provided the food vouchers.
Later in the afternoon, my family met two staff members who went over the dining and housing plans. They always took the time to address our concerns. I can't thank them enough for their hospitality and kindness. The visit couldn't have been more pleasant.
There was some free time, during which we went to Claremont Graduate University and Harvey Mudd College. The three of us then had dinner at Denny's before going back to the airport. Though we could have gotten home two hours earlier, there was a $80 fee for changing flights. The other thing is that I got a nasty headache on the way home. Blah.
Because I had never gone this far on a day trip, returning home on the same day did feel a little weird. On the other hand, Dad is planning an overnight stay in Riverside later this summer. I'm looking forward to that for sure. In the meantime, you can see the pictures from yesterday's trip here.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Berkeley Engineering commencement
Six years ago, my father was telling me that I was accepted into Berkeley for the fall. I initially thought it was an April Fools joke. Though I never even considered applying to such a prestigious school - let alone the idea of getting in - Dad figured it was worth a shot and sent a copy of my application to Berkeley just in case. He turned out to be right!
Today was the College of Engineering commencement. I actually received my B.S. in Engineering Math & Statistics last summer but was unable to graduate with the Class of 2009 on time. But none of that matters anymore. The most important thing is that I'm finally done with college. :-)
Graduation report
The ceremony itself was kind of boring as we had to sit through several speeches. The masters and PhD students then got their diplomas. There were more undergraduates than graduate students combined, but the process was much faster for us.
Things didn't go without a hitch. You see, Engineering Math & Statistics is an uncommon major and had less than 10 people. I somehow got separated from my group and didn't know where to go. The staff weren't familiar with my major and told me to follow the Nuclear Engineering students. I ended up being the very last person to walk across the stage. Awkward.
Everyone then split up for the receptions. Ours was the smallest and had no more than 15 people - and that's including family and significant others. On the other hand, there was lots of food. Before leaving campus, I stopped by the IEOR and EECS receptions to thank those who have helped me in my studies. It was nice to see my old IEOR 165 GSI and the IEOR 162 professor again.
The downer is that my faculty advisor Bonnie couldn't come. She had to stay home to take care of her husband John, who was recently involved in a serious cycling accident. I'm sure Bonnie would have loved to see me get my diploma. Here's to wishing John a full and speedy recovery!
Looking back
Like for most people, college had its ups and downs. A major highlight was hanging out with my suitemates Bryan, Danny and Tyler. Though I'm sometimes socially awkward, their company made for great memories.
The dances were another thing that made life at Berkeley so enjoyable. The best part is that many of them were free. The weekly activities in the residential halls were exciting too. I wish the "real world" had more social events like these.
But college wasn't all fun and games. The worst thing that happened was when my freshman year suitemates Cyrus and Andrew kept harassing me and stealing my things. The resident director couldn't do much due to lack of evidence. The academic workload was tough but nothing I couldn't handle. On the whole, I'm glad to have finished such an important stage in my life.
I can't relax just yet because of my classes at St. Mary's College of California. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to studying for the upcoming fixed income analysis midterm. In the meantime, feel free to check out my commencement pictures.
In other news...
1. Dad got summoned for jury duty last week and was actually selected for the trial. He was a little annoyed at first but is happy to have helped make our community a safer place. For those curious, the case was about a man accused of indecent exposure. It was somewhat complicated due to lack of witnesses, but he was ultimately convicted.
2. Getting into graduate school turned out be much harder than expected because we weren't aware of the low acceptance rates. At least that's the case for statistics programs. That said, I got a conditional admission into UC Riverside!
Though they couldn't accept me this year, the admissions committee said I could get in next fall by getting a "B" or above in two particular courses. I decided I was up for the challenge and will be enrolling soon. Assuming everything goes to plan, I'll be moving to Riverside in September. W00t!
Currently reading: Fixed Income Analysis Workbook by Frank J. Fabozzi
Today was the College of Engineering commencement. I actually received my B.S. in Engineering Math & Statistics last summer but was unable to graduate with the Class of 2009 on time. But none of that matters anymore. The most important thing is that I'm finally done with college. :-)
Graduation report
The ceremony itself was kind of boring as we had to sit through several speeches. The masters and PhD students then got their diplomas. There were more undergraduates than graduate students combined, but the process was much faster for us.
Things didn't go without a hitch. You see, Engineering Math & Statistics is an uncommon major and had less than 10 people. I somehow got separated from my group and didn't know where to go. The staff weren't familiar with my major and told me to follow the Nuclear Engineering students. I ended up being the very last person to walk across the stage. Awkward.
Everyone then split up for the receptions. Ours was the smallest and had no more than 15 people - and that's including family and significant others. On the other hand, there was lots of food. Before leaving campus, I stopped by the IEOR and EECS receptions to thank those who have helped me in my studies. It was nice to see my old IEOR 165 GSI and the IEOR 162 professor again.
The downer is that my faculty advisor Bonnie couldn't come. She had to stay home to take care of her husband John, who was recently involved in a serious cycling accident. I'm sure Bonnie would have loved to see me get my diploma. Here's to wishing John a full and speedy recovery!
Looking back
Like for most people, college had its ups and downs. A major highlight was hanging out with my suitemates Bryan, Danny and Tyler. Though I'm sometimes socially awkward, their company made for great memories.
The dances were another thing that made life at Berkeley so enjoyable. The best part is that many of them were free. The weekly activities in the residential halls were exciting too. I wish the "real world" had more social events like these.
But college wasn't all fun and games. The worst thing that happened was when my freshman year suitemates Cyrus and Andrew kept harassing me and stealing my things. The resident director couldn't do much due to lack of evidence. The academic workload was tough but nothing I couldn't handle. On the whole, I'm glad to have finished such an important stage in my life.
I can't relax just yet because of my classes at St. Mary's College of California. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to studying for the upcoming fixed income analysis midterm. In the meantime, feel free to check out my commencement pictures.
In other news...
1. Dad got summoned for jury duty last week and was actually selected for the trial. He was a little annoyed at first but is happy to have helped make our community a safer place. For those curious, the case was about a man accused of indecent exposure. It was somewhat complicated due to lack of witnesses, but he was ultimately convicted.
2. Getting into graduate school turned out be much harder than expected because we weren't aware of the low acceptance rates. At least that's the case for statistics programs. That said, I got a conditional admission into UC Riverside!
Though they couldn't accept me this year, the admissions committee said I could get in next fall by getting a "B" or above in two particular courses. I decided I was up for the challenge and will be enrolling soon. Assuming everything goes to plan, I'll be moving to Riverside in September. W00t!
Currently reading: Fixed Income Analysis Workbook by Frank J. Fabozzi
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