I just returned to UC Santa Cruz for the fall quarter. You may recall that I completed my master's degree in June. But because I plan to apply for the Ph.D. program in October, this seemed a good time to work on the remaining course requirements. For those curious, I've enrolled in BME 205 and BME 232 this quarter. One of the instructors for BME 205 is Prof. Haussler, who is well-known in the field of genomics. I'm expecially excited to learn from him.
However, there has been some setbacks. UCSC allows master's students to transfer to the Ph.D. track on completing the requirements for a master's degree. Given that a Ph.D. is easily a multi-year commitment that could also become very expensive, I decided to get an M.S. as a "checkpoint" in the event of a life change that interferes with my studies. During our Memorial Day lunch with Prof. Kang and Prof. Eshraghian earlier this year, they and my parents all agreed this would be a sound plan.
But none of us knew I would no longer be considered a UCSC student as soon as I received my M.S. degree. Due to this, my academic status is in a bit of a limbo. I now have to apply for the Ph.D. program through the standard process and enroll in courses via UCSC Extension rather than the UCSC registrar.
Hope is not all lost as Prof. Eshraghian says he supports my candidacy and has added me to his research group. He also suggested some research areas to explore. So at least I already have some ideas for a thesis. :-)
Summer in review
I spent much of summer on research into machine learning for genomics. Even with assistance from multiple AI tools, genomics models are difficult to debug due to the complex structures in the data sets. Prof. Eshraghian has also added me as a maintainer to his snnTorch project on GitHub. I'm quite honored as I'm not yet a Ph.D. student under his supervision. It probably helps that I have five years of experience as a senior software engineer. In any case, I've been putting aside some time to go through the backlog of open issues and pull requests.
But things have also been a bit bumpy at times. As mentioned earlier, my status as a UCSC student officially ended when I received my master's degree. I now have to wait until the applications for the Ph.D. program to open up in October. However, this ultimately shouldn't have too much of an impact as I was able to get a head start on the research.
We also had to deal with a rodent problem inside our house. You can see this was a serious issue as rodents carry all kinds of diseases. Even though we quickly caught a rat after placing traps, none of us could sleep well until we were sure the rats were gone.
Mom also started having dizzy spells a few days ago. I really hope it's nothing serious. She feels better now but still experiences nausea one in a while. As you can see, the past several days were quite stressful.
I also had to miss out on some events that I had been looking forward to. For example, the UCSC Alumni Association put on a reunion event called "Return to the Redwoods" that ran from August 13 to 15. But the problem is that we already had to drive to UCSC twice for Prof. Eshraghian's group meetings, on the 17th and 25th. I decided to skip the reunion event as I felt bad about asking my parents to give me a ride to Santa Cruz so many times. Seeing that I don't have experience driving on mountain roads, my parents wouldn't have felt comfortable about me going to Santa Cruz alone.
It doesn't help that ridehailing services like Uber and Lyft are prohibitely expensive. I could have eliminated two round trips by arriving on the 13th for the event and then leaving on the 25th after meeting with Prof. Eshraghian's group. However, the campus is typically less active during summer, and I didn't want to spend a whole two weeks there with little to do. It's ultimately not a big deal because the UCSC Alumni Association hosts the event once a year.
I also have to miss on my childhood friend Connie's 10th anniversary event for her bakery as that is scheduled to take place after school starts for me. For those unaware, Connie started her own bakery during the summer of 2016. Similar to the above case, I would have to make an additional two round trips between UCSC and my house. On the bright side, there are other exciting events at UCSC in the next several weeks. It's not the same as catching up with childhood friends, but life doesn't always work out according to our plans. FOMO sucks, but c'est la vie.
In other news...
As this is the start of a new school year, I thought this would be a good time to give my blog a fresh lick of paint and a more modern look and feel. Blogger also deprecated the original theme some time ago, so this was the perfect opportunity for an upgrade. It's going to take some time to get used to the new design, but it certainly looks nice so far. One thing for sure is I'm going to miss the "Minima" theme. It has served me well.
Currently playing: Doom 64 (2020 re-release)
Showing posts with label academics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label academics. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Monday, June 15, 2026
completed my second master's degree at UC Santa Cruz
We just got back from the commencement ceremony at UC Santa Cruz for graduate students. I'm now officially an UCSC alumnus!
You may recall that I decided to go back to graduate school as part of a career change. I'm proud to share that I've completed my M.S. in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program. It had been an arduous three quarters, but I'm glad I made it through. I certainly owe my gratitude to my parents, my professors and everyone else who supported me.
Academic year in review
One thing for sure is my learning journey at UCSC was a worthwhile experience. For me, the best part is that there was so much to do on campus. Going to my first Easter egg hunt in 28 years and my first ren faire were two highlights. However, the sheer number of events was too much of a good thing at times because they sometimes conflicted with my classes or even other events. I've definitely had FOMO due to missing out events I had looked forward to.
Another awesome thing about UCSC is how inclusive the community is. As a non-traditional student going back to school after 15 years in the workforce, my concern was that people would find it strange to have a middle-aged classmate. However, this turned out not to be the case, and even those who knew I was 40 didn't bat an eye. If anyone thought I was a weirdo, then they sure as hell kept it to themselves. I certainly felt at home during my time at UCSC.
Of note is that three graduate courses per quarter can be stressful from time to time. Topics taught in graduate school are often very abstract and not clearly explained in the textbooks or lecture slides. I definitely spent many sleepless nights working on assignments and studying for examples. However, this is par for the course for graduate students.
Commencement report
We had to get up at around 6 a.m. today as the commencement for the graduate division was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Even though the campus is only about an hour's drive from my house, my dad wanted to make sure we had enough time to get dressed and account for possible traffic. It was a pretty long ceremony because many Ph.D. students graduated this year.
As much as it pains me to say this, the commencement felt somewhat anticlimactic. At my previous schools, there were receptions after the ceremonies. It was nice to have a proper send-off with friends and meet their families, even when the food wasn't spectacular. But because the parking permits had tight time limits, there was no such event this time. A lot of us in the graduate division ended up leaving before the ceremony concluded. This was a bit of a surprise because most other events at UCSC were top-notch.
There was also a separate event for Baskin Engineering as a whole. It was open to both bachelor's and master's students according to the BE website, and the fact that the event was called a "celebration" implied there would be some sort of reception with opportunities to meet other graduates and their guests. But when we got there, the event turned out to be merely the commencement for undergraduates. We decided to leave as I didn't really know any undergrads in engineering other than my ECE 210 project partner, and the three of us felt a bit bamboozled.
I'm a bit bummed that I didn't get to properly say goodbye to people I had classes with. Contacting classmates on LinkedIn is just not the same as wishing them well in person. The good news is UCSC puts on great alumni events, and the next one is in about two months. I definitely hope to see some familiar faces there.
Future plans
Even though I've completed my master's degree, my stint at UCSC isn't quite over. I plan to work on a research project related to AI and genomics, and that could be used in my dissertation should I transfer to the Ph.D. program. Two professors have indicated a willingness to be my co-advisors, and there is a fairly decent chance we'll get seed funding from the UCSC Genomics Institute. I'm very excited to see where this takes me!
June 18 update: Grades have been posted for the quarter. I'd say a cumulative GPA of 3.83 ain't bad. :-)
Currently listening to: "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC
You may recall that I decided to go back to graduate school as part of a career change. I'm proud to share that I've completed my M.S. in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program. It had been an arduous three quarters, but I'm glad I made it through. I certainly owe my gratitude to my parents, my professors and everyone else who supported me.
Academic year in review
One thing for sure is my learning journey at UCSC was a worthwhile experience. For me, the best part is that there was so much to do on campus. Going to my first Easter egg hunt in 28 years and my first ren faire were two highlights. However, the sheer number of events was too much of a good thing at times because they sometimes conflicted with my classes or even other events. I've definitely had FOMO due to missing out events I had looked forward to.
Another awesome thing about UCSC is how inclusive the community is. As a non-traditional student going back to school after 15 years in the workforce, my concern was that people would find it strange to have a middle-aged classmate. However, this turned out not to be the case, and even those who knew I was 40 didn't bat an eye. If anyone thought I was a weirdo, then they sure as hell kept it to themselves. I certainly felt at home during my time at UCSC.
Of note is that three graduate courses per quarter can be stressful from time to time. Topics taught in graduate school are often very abstract and not clearly explained in the textbooks or lecture slides. I definitely spent many sleepless nights working on assignments and studying for examples. However, this is par for the course for graduate students.
Commencement report
We had to get up at around 6 a.m. today as the commencement for the graduate division was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Even though the campus is only about an hour's drive from my house, my dad wanted to make sure we had enough time to get dressed and account for possible traffic. It was a pretty long ceremony because many Ph.D. students graduated this year.
As much as it pains me to say this, the commencement felt somewhat anticlimactic. At my previous schools, there were receptions after the ceremonies. It was nice to have a proper send-off with friends and meet their families, even when the food wasn't spectacular. But because the parking permits had tight time limits, there was no such event this time. A lot of us in the graduate division ended up leaving before the ceremony concluded. This was a bit of a surprise because most other events at UCSC were top-notch.
There was also a separate event for Baskin Engineering as a whole. It was open to both bachelor's and master's students according to the BE website, and the fact that the event was called a "celebration" implied there would be some sort of reception with opportunities to meet other graduates and their guests. But when we got there, the event turned out to be merely the commencement for undergraduates. We decided to leave as I didn't really know any undergrads in engineering other than my ECE 210 project partner, and the three of us felt a bit bamboozled.
I'm a bit bummed that I didn't get to properly say goodbye to people I had classes with. Contacting classmates on LinkedIn is just not the same as wishing them well in person. The good news is UCSC puts on great alumni events, and the next one is in about two months. I definitely hope to see some familiar faces there.
Future plans
Even though I've completed my master's degree, my stint at UCSC isn't quite over. I plan to work on a research project related to AI and genomics, and that could be used in my dissertation should I transfer to the Ph.D. program. Two professors have indicated a willingness to be my co-advisors, and there is a fairly decent chance we'll get seed funding from the UCSC Genomics Institute. I'm very excited to see where this takes me!
June 18 update: Grades have been posted for the quarter. I'd say a cumulative GPA of 3.83 ain't bad. :-)
Currently listening to: "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
second quarter at UC Santa Cruz
"I plan to put the lectures on YouTube, so please don't streak in the classroom." -- Prof. Eshraghian
I moved back to UC Santa Cruz on the 4th with the help of my parents. It's hard to believe how fast time goes because it still feels like the break had just begun. But at least I'm not the only one because I've heard two other people say the same.
Christmas break report
I'd say Christmas break was mostly awesome. For starters, our family friends Jeff and Sheila invited us over for lunch on Christmas Eve. Given that I was busy on Thanksgiving due to studying for finals, this actually felt more like a make-up Thanksgiving celebration. In any case, Jeff and Sheila made lots of delicious dishes, and so did my mother. It was nice to reconnect as we hadn't seen Jeff and Sheila in a while.
Another highlight is we had my cousin Cathy over for dinner on Christmas. This was long overdue because she and Andrew both got sick last year and had to call off our get-together. Andrew didn't come this time for reasons I'd rather not go into, but Cathy and my family had a great time catching up. Cathy also told me that she loved her job so much that she plans to stay in Chicago even after Andrew completes his Ph.D. there. I'm very happy for her but am also a bit bummed that we'll probably see each other no more than once a year.
We had also planned a lunch with Mom's friend group around the New Year. However, they agreed to postpone the gathering because a group member had an emergency eye surgery and needed time to recover. I won't complain because it's so much work to host large gatherings. Mom certainly deserves to relax during the holidays!
Gatherings aside, my family also went grocery shopping several times. We got to try so much new food in the past several weeks. I also got to play RuneScape than usual because I'm usually busy due to studying otherwise. On the whole, this break was quite enjoyable.
Continuing my academic journey
To make sure I can graduate on time, I'm taking three courses this quarter. Of note is all three courses take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and three 90-minute lectures in one day are a lot to absorb. ECE 255 looks to be a particularly challenging course. I also have weekly seminars on Mondays and Wednesdays. One thing for sure is that I'll be quite busy for the next 10 weeks.
However, the good news is there is some overlap between ECE 256 and two of my current courses. I'm glad I took ECE 256 because the content from that course may come in handy soon. It was also nice to meet Prof. Eshraghian in person for the first time. He's a great lecturer and is totally hilarious. I definitely look forward to his classes.
Currently listening to: The Greatest Showman soundtrack – "A Million Dreams" by Pasek and Paul
Monday, December 22, 2025
level 120 Invention in RuneScape
I just reached level 120 Invention in RuneScape on my main character. It's one of the last 120's I needed to meet the skill requirements for the completionist cape!
Jagex increased the Thieving level cap to 120 in a recent update, so there are now still have two more 120's to go. However, the good news is that Thieving and Necromancy both give high XP rates at higher levels. I definitely hope to get 120 in those skills this year. :-)
In other news...
It turns out I did quite well at UC Santa I received an "A" in ECE 238 and ECE 256 and also passed the comprehensive exams for both classes. Hard work has its rewards, that's for sure!
Currently listening to: "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page
Jagex increased the Thieving level cap to 120 in a recent update, so there are now still have two more 120's to go. However, the good news is that Thieving and Necromancy both give high XP rates at higher levels. I definitely hope to get 120 in those skills this year. :-)
In other news...
It turns out I did quite well at UC Santa I received an "A" in ECE 238 and ECE 256 and also passed the comprehensive exams for both classes. Hard work has its rewards, that's for sure!
Currently listening to: "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
done with my first quarter at UC Santa Cruz
So the fall 2025 quarter at UC Santa Cruz is over. I finished the ECE 238 final exam last night and am now packing up my things while waiting for my parents to pick me up. It's nice to be able to catch my breath after all those sleepness nights!
I'm confident that I did well on all my exams. Even though there were some challenging questions, the exams weren't too hard otherwise. Of note is the ECE 238 final also counts as the comprehensive exam for that course — this meant I only had to study for three exams rather than four. It made things a bit less stressful for sure.
One nice thing is the winter 2026 quarter doesn't start until the 5th. I'm going to relax a bit before I start to prepare for next quarter's courses. :-)
Currently listening to: "Moonlight on the Colorado" by Slim Whitman
I'm confident that I did well on all my exams. Even though there were some challenging questions, the exams weren't too hard otherwise. Of note is the ECE 238 final also counts as the comprehensive exam for that course — this meant I only had to study for three exams rather than four. It made things a bit less stressful for sure.
One nice thing is the winter 2026 quarter doesn't start until the 5th. I'm going to relax a bit before I start to prepare for next quarter's courses. :-)
Currently listening to: "Moonlight on the Colorado" by Slim Whitman
Saturday, October 4, 2025
returning to graduate school: two weeks in
It's been two weeks since I moved to UCSC for the quarter. I survived the first few classes and thought I'd share an update. :-)
One thing I noticed is graduate students have more autonomy and freedom when it comes to academics. We get to choose an area of study as opposed to just following a specific curriculum with "core" courses. Professors are also more lenient when it comes to assignments. For example, the exams in ECE 256 are open book and open notes, and the quizzes in ECE 238 allow unlimited attempts. If only college was like this!
Of course, technology also helps. UCSC uses a learning management system called Canvas that is useful for keeping track of assignments, grades and course materials. Online platforms like Discord make it easier to stay connected with classmates. I decided to give ChatGPT a whirl and found it to be quite accurate. It's certainly a lot different than being a student in the 2000s.
I'm considered a "non-traditional" student because I worked for almost 15 years before coming back to grad school for a second master's degree. One of my concerns was that people would find it weird to have a classmate in their late 30s. However, this turned out not to be the case. Everyone seems friendly and unconcerned about my age, and I've already become good friends with my suitemate Yuxin. It's nice to know UCSC is so welcoming and inclusive.
Of note is there is always so much to do on campus, even when the economic situation is terrible. I'm not going to lie: work life is so mundane in comparison. I'd be lucky if a company had one holiday party and one family picnic a year. We actually have so many events at UCSC that I often have to miss them due to schedule conflicts!
Going back to school as a middle-aged person is a very surreal experience. On the whole, I'm glad I made the decision to continue my studies at UCSC. It's going to be challenging and sometimes difficult journey for sure, but also rewarding at the same time. :-)
Currently playing: Redneck Rampage
One thing I noticed is graduate students have more autonomy and freedom when it comes to academics. We get to choose an area of study as opposed to just following a specific curriculum with "core" courses. Professors are also more lenient when it comes to assignments. For example, the exams in ECE 256 are open book and open notes, and the quizzes in ECE 238 allow unlimited attempts. If only college was like this!
Of course, technology also helps. UCSC uses a learning management system called Canvas that is useful for keeping track of assignments, grades and course materials. Online platforms like Discord make it easier to stay connected with classmates. I decided to give ChatGPT a whirl and found it to be quite accurate. It's certainly a lot different than being a student in the 2000s.
I'm considered a "non-traditional" student because I worked for almost 15 years before coming back to grad school for a second master's degree. One of my concerns was that people would find it weird to have a classmate in their late 30s. However, this turned out not to be the case. Everyone seems friendly and unconcerned about my age, and I've already become good friends with my suitemate Yuxin. It's nice to know UCSC is so welcoming and inclusive.
Of note is there is always so much to do on campus, even when the economic situation is terrible. I'm not going to lie: work life is so mundane in comparison. I'd be lucky if a company had one holiday party and one family picnic a year. We actually have so many events at UCSC that I often have to miss them due to schedule conflicts!
Going back to school as a middle-aged person is a very surreal experience. On the whole, I'm glad I made the decision to continue my studies at UCSC. It's going to be challenging and sometimes difficult journey for sure, but also rewarding at the same time. :-)
Currently playing: Redneck Rampage
Thursday, April 3, 2025
going back to graduate school after 15 years in the industry
It may come as a surprise to some, but I've decided to return to school after almost 15 years. In recent months, circumstances led me to decide to pursue a second master's degree as part of a career change. I'm thrilled to share that I've been accepted into the master's program in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC Santa Cruz for the fall 2025 quarter. Woohoo!
UCSC is a world-class research institution with many opportunities, so the decision to continue my studies there was not hard to make. Unlike pure computer science, ECE is a field that combines software and hardware. For those curious, my focus will be on artifical intelligence. I also hope to do research on spiking neural networks with Prof. Eshraghian and his Neuromorphic Computing Group.
You may remember that I took some courses at UCSC as an intern during the fall 2010 quarter. I had planned to apply for the graduate program in statistics after the internship. However, that changed after I received a job offer from Cisco. I figured a job was more important than graduate school at the time and made the difficult decision to back out after the quarter ended. Fast forward 14 years, and now I'm preparing to continue my studies at UCSC. Sometimes life comes full circle.
Because AI has now become such a major field in recent years, my dad and I agreed this was the perfect time for me to go back to school catch up. UCSC doesn't offer graduate course during summers, and the fall quarter starts in September. However, the graduate student apartments are open as early as July according to the university's website. I'm going to see if it's possible to move in early and connect with Prof. Eshraghian before the quarter officially starts. This will give me a head start and hopefully allow me to save a quarter. Tuition isn't cheap these days!
One thing for sure is this will be a major change in my life. I'm admittedly a bit nervous as I've been out of school for almost 15 years. However, the excitement outweighs the nervousness as there are many opportunities on campus. In my experience, there is so much more to do at school than in corporate environments. It goes without saying that it's much easier to make friends in college. I also hope to reconnect with my old landlady Connie and her daughters. So yeah... exciting times ahead. :-)
Currently listening to: "National Anthem of South Africa"
UCSC is a world-class research institution with many opportunities, so the decision to continue my studies there was not hard to make. Unlike pure computer science, ECE is a field that combines software and hardware. For those curious, my focus will be on artifical intelligence. I also hope to do research on spiking neural networks with Prof. Eshraghian and his Neuromorphic Computing Group.
You may remember that I took some courses at UCSC as an intern during the fall 2010 quarter. I had planned to apply for the graduate program in statistics after the internship. However, that changed after I received a job offer from Cisco. I figured a job was more important than graduate school at the time and made the difficult decision to back out after the quarter ended. Fast forward 14 years, and now I'm preparing to continue my studies at UCSC. Sometimes life comes full circle.
Because AI has now become such a major field in recent years, my dad and I agreed this was the perfect time for me to go back to school catch up. UCSC doesn't offer graduate course during summers, and the fall quarter starts in September. However, the graduate student apartments are open as early as July according to the university's website. I'm going to see if it's possible to move in early and connect with Prof. Eshraghian before the quarter officially starts. This will give me a head start and hopefully allow me to save a quarter. Tuition isn't cheap these days!
One thing for sure is this will be a major change in my life. I'm admittedly a bit nervous as I've been out of school for almost 15 years. However, the excitement outweighs the nervousness as there are many opportunities on campus. In my experience, there is so much more to do at school than in corporate environments. It goes without saying that it's much easier to make friends in college. I also hope to reconnect with my old landlady Connie and her daughters. So yeah... exciting times ahead. :-)
Currently listening to: "National Anthem of South Africa"
Friday, April 5, 2024
completed my AI certificate from Berkeley
I'm thrilled to share that I've completed the Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence from UC Berkeley Executive Education. You may recall that I started the program last summer. It's been a challenging six months, but I can safely say I gained a lot from this course. Of note is that I also got a perfect score on all the assignments. :-)
But I must admit — online school can be a bit lonely at times. It's definitely not the same as being in high school or college. Even though we have office hours and Slack channels, there are only so many options when you can't meet face-to-face. The last day just seemed so anticlimactic. In other words, no walking across the stage to collect my certificate, meeting fellow students and their families, or a fancy farewell dinner.
I understand that the knowledge I gained from this course is more important than anything else, but it kind of sucks that you can't truly connect with your peers. However, the good news is several AI-related groups that are local to me have appeared on Meetup. I've been pitching them in Slack and the office hours. Hopefully I can attract interest from fellow Bay Area learners.
In other news...
I didn't feel like making a separate post about this, but I obtained the Guildmaster qualification with the Archaeology Guild in RuneScape two days ago. Completing this achievement allows you to buy all the permanent rewards from the Archaeology Guild Shop. In particular, the master archaeologist's outfit comes with several useful abilities. I'm sure this will make the grind to 120 Archaeology a bit easier. :D
Currently listening to: "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce
But I must admit — online school can be a bit lonely at times. It's definitely not the same as being in high school or college. Even though we have office hours and Slack channels, there are only so many options when you can't meet face-to-face. The last day just seemed so anticlimactic. In other words, no walking across the stage to collect my certificate, meeting fellow students and their families, or a fancy farewell dinner.
I understand that the knowledge I gained from this course is more important than anything else, but it kind of sucks that you can't truly connect with your peers. However, the good news is several AI-related groups that are local to me have appeared on Meetup. I've been pitching them in Slack and the office hours. Hopefully I can attract interest from fellow Bay Area learners.
In other news...
I didn't feel like making a separate post about this, but I obtained the Guildmaster qualification with the Archaeology Guild in RuneScape two days ago. Completing this achievement allows you to buy all the permanent rewards from the Archaeology Guild Shop. In particular, the master archaeologist's outfit comes with several useful abilities. I'm sure this will make the grind to 120 Archaeology a bit easier. :D
Currently listening to: "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce
Monday, February 26, 2024
another certificate down :D
I'm thrilled to share that I've completed my certificate program in natural language processing from Carnegie Mellon University. Like the other programs, this one was entirely online. Of note is that this has been the most challenge course to date. However, natural language processing has many applications, and this was overall quite a worthwhile experience.
In other news...
I recently hit level 99 Hunter and also 2,700 skill total in RuneScape on my alternate account "ixfd64 rs2" during Double XP Live. As you can see, this has been a productive week for me.
Currently listening to: Old School RuneScape soundtrack – "Harmony" by Ian Taylor
In other news...
I recently hit level 99 Hunter and also 2,700 skill total in RuneScape on my alternate account "ixfd64 rs2" during Double XP Live. As you can see, this has been a productive week for me.
Currently listening to: Old School RuneScape soundtrack – "Harmony" by Ian Taylor
Monday, January 1, 2024
a year of many ups and downs
Hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve. It's hard to believe 2024 is already here!
I'll start by saying this has been an eventful holiday season. One highlight is the Hsuehs had us over on Christmas Eve. Lily made us a nice hot pot dinner, and all the food was delicious. It's not often that we get to spend Christmas Eve with other families. I'm grateful the Hsuehs decided to invite us.
Also worth mentioning is that our neighbor Bob gave us a box of See's Candies on Christmas. I didn't expect any Christmas presents, so this was quite nice. It's definitely something I appreciate. We're lucky to have him as our neighbor.
I didn't feel like making a dedicated post about this, but I completed the Wharton School's AI for Decision Making program on the 28th. Unlike the MIT course that I finished in October, this one focused more on the business aspects of artificial intelligence. One nice thing about this program is that it's not time-gated — which means you don't have to wait for a course to unlock on a certain date. I was able to finish all the videos and do the quizzes well before the course is due to end.
Of note is that the Wharton program includes several complementary courses. I spent much of the holidays catching up on the lectures because the courses expire in less than three weeks. It would be a shame to let them to go to waste because they are worth several hundred dollars — and more importantly — cover a lot of concepts. I certainly hope to put that knowledge to good use in my future career.
Dad has also been working on a huge home improvement project in the past several weeks. You see, our street has had a huge rat problem in recent years. Because they often get into our backyard and shit all over the place, my father decided to convert the gazebo — which he built in 2020 — into a greenhouse for storage. This would prevent rats from getting in and making a mess. I occasionally had to help out because there are tasks that require two people. There's still much work left to do, but the greenhouse should keep the rodents out once it's complete.
New Year's Eve
Like the previous nine years, my family did not host or attend any New Year's Eve parties. It seems few people are interested in celebrating the New Year nowadays. I miss the feeling of counting down to midnight with friends. Even though there were some public New Year's Events in downtown Mountain View and elsewhere, hanging out with strangers just isn't the same. It certainly doesn't help that food has gotten pretty expensive.
However, the nice thing I got to watch the 2023 movie The Flash on Blu-ray after dinner. It had over-the-top action as well as some hilarious scenes. I'm a huge Flash fan and really enjoyed the movie despite the critical reviews. Sometimes I think it would be so cool to have super speed.
New Year's Day
Our original plan was to participate in the New Year's Day Pathways Walk in Los Altos Hills. However, this seemed a little risky due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. We ultimately decided to play it safe and just go for a walk in our neighborhood.
Otherwise, this has been a busy day as I continued to catch up on the video lectures. I also had to help my dad with the greenhouse every so often. As you can see, this was an eventful two weeks!
2023 in review
You're probably aware that the past year had many challenges. For one, the economy is still in a bad state. The most unfortunate thing that happened to me was I got laid off in June. Even though I started my own data science consulting firm right after leaving Energous, finding customers is not easy either. Hopefully that changes once we have a website.
Another thing is that COVID-19 cases have gone back up. Looks like some people were right about the pandemic lasting more than three years. Furthermore, food has gotten pretty expensive as I mentioned earlier. It's been predicted that prices will continue to rise. Good thing my family has our own vegetable garden.
However, this doesn't mean 2023 didn't have its highlights. Perhaps the most important thing is I've completed two AI certification programs. I'm also around halfway through two others. Those will look good on my resume, that's for sure.
Furthermore, there were many social opportunities last year. For example, the block party in August was pretty fun. We also had several other get-togethers with family friends this summer. Let's hope the trend continues. :D
Of course, no New Year is complete without New Year's resolutions. For those curious, my goal for 2024 is to switch to an AI career. I also hope to get at least two skills to level 120 in RuneScape soon. There are also a few other nice things that are slated to happen this year. For example, Derek — the LAHS class of 2004 president — has started to plan our 20-year reunion. I'm definitely excited for the future!
Currently watching: The Flash (2023)
I'll start by saying this has been an eventful holiday season. One highlight is the Hsuehs had us over on Christmas Eve. Lily made us a nice hot pot dinner, and all the food was delicious. It's not often that we get to spend Christmas Eve with other families. I'm grateful the Hsuehs decided to invite us.
Also worth mentioning is that our neighbor Bob gave us a box of See's Candies on Christmas. I didn't expect any Christmas presents, so this was quite nice. It's definitely something I appreciate. We're lucky to have him as our neighbor.
I didn't feel like making a dedicated post about this, but I completed the Wharton School's AI for Decision Making program on the 28th. Unlike the MIT course that I finished in October, this one focused more on the business aspects of artificial intelligence. One nice thing about this program is that it's not time-gated — which means you don't have to wait for a course to unlock on a certain date. I was able to finish all the videos and do the quizzes well before the course is due to end.
Of note is that the Wharton program includes several complementary courses. I spent much of the holidays catching up on the lectures because the courses expire in less than three weeks. It would be a shame to let them to go to waste because they are worth several hundred dollars — and more importantly — cover a lot of concepts. I certainly hope to put that knowledge to good use in my future career.
Dad has also been working on a huge home improvement project in the past several weeks. You see, our street has had a huge rat problem in recent years. Because they often get into our backyard and shit all over the place, my father decided to convert the gazebo — which he built in 2020 — into a greenhouse for storage. This would prevent rats from getting in and making a mess. I occasionally had to help out because there are tasks that require two people. There's still much work left to do, but the greenhouse should keep the rodents out once it's complete.
New Year's Eve
Like the previous nine years, my family did not host or attend any New Year's Eve parties. It seems few people are interested in celebrating the New Year nowadays. I miss the feeling of counting down to midnight with friends. Even though there were some public New Year's Events in downtown Mountain View and elsewhere, hanging out with strangers just isn't the same. It certainly doesn't help that food has gotten pretty expensive.
However, the nice thing I got to watch the 2023 movie The Flash on Blu-ray after dinner. It had over-the-top action as well as some hilarious scenes. I'm a huge Flash fan and really enjoyed the movie despite the critical reviews. Sometimes I think it would be so cool to have super speed.
New Year's Day
Our original plan was to participate in the New Year's Day Pathways Walk in Los Altos Hills. However, this seemed a little risky due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. We ultimately decided to play it safe and just go for a walk in our neighborhood.
Otherwise, this has been a busy day as I continued to catch up on the video lectures. I also had to help my dad with the greenhouse every so often. As you can see, this was an eventful two weeks!
2023 in review
You're probably aware that the past year had many challenges. For one, the economy is still in a bad state. The most unfortunate thing that happened to me was I got laid off in June. Even though I started my own data science consulting firm right after leaving Energous, finding customers is not easy either. Hopefully that changes once we have a website.
Another thing is that COVID-19 cases have gone back up. Looks like some people were right about the pandemic lasting more than three years. Furthermore, food has gotten pretty expensive as I mentioned earlier. It's been predicted that prices will continue to rise. Good thing my family has our own vegetable garden.
However, this doesn't mean 2023 didn't have its highlights. Perhaps the most important thing is I've completed two AI certification programs. I'm also around halfway through two others. Those will look good on my resume, that's for sure.
Furthermore, there were many social opportunities last year. For example, the block party in August was pretty fun. We also had several other get-togethers with family friends this summer. Let's hope the trend continues. :D
Of course, no New Year is complete without New Year's resolutions. For those curious, my goal for 2024 is to switch to an AI career. I also hope to get at least two skills to level 120 in RuneScape soon. There are also a few other nice things that are slated to happen this year. For example, Derek — the LAHS class of 2004 president — has started to plan our 20-year reunion. I'm definitely excited for the future!
Currently watching: The Flash (2023)
Sunday, November 26, 2023
a somewhat relaxing Thanksgiving
I've been busy lately but still got to enjoy the long weekend. :-)
We invited the Hsuehs over for dinner on Thursday as we hadn't seen them in over five months. Mom decided not to cook a turkey this year, but did make a lot of other dishes. Everything she made was delicious. Lily's signature braised oxtail was pretty good too. It was great to catch up with Alan up even though we were on our phones the whole time. I guess that says a lot about our generation.
One of Alan's other friends had also invited the Hsuehs over, so the Hsuehs didn't stay at our house for too long after dinner. However, that wasn't a problem because Mom had asked the Hsuehs to arrive a bit earlier. On a related note, one thing I noticed is that Thanksgiving parties have gotten smaller in recent years. It's been a while since we hosted or attended one with three or four other families. It seems people aren't so interested in "Friendsgiving" anymore. I can't blame them because food is expensive these days.
Mom's friend Hong-Yeh had been wanting to see her for a while, so we asked her to come over on Friday afternoon. Her son really enjoys cooking and made the entire Thanksgiving dinner for their family. Hong-Yeh decided to share the turkey and cornbread with us. It's kind of funny that we ended up with some turkey after all. The meat was a bit salty but made for some excellent porridge.
We decided to hike to downtown Los Altos on Sunday as Mom wanted to see the Festival of Lights parade. Of note is that the streets were lined with people. I had no idea the event was so popular. However, the parade wouldn't start even though it was getting late. We eventually got bored and decided to head home. Even though we didn't see the parade, this was a fun experience.
I spent the rest of the weekend listening to lectures and working on assignments for my online machine learning courses. Some modules are very long and have videos totalling more than 10 hours, but they are quite informative. It's always nice to learn during the holidays!
Currently listening to: "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran
We invited the Hsuehs over for dinner on Thursday as we hadn't seen them in over five months. Mom decided not to cook a turkey this year, but did make a lot of other dishes. Everything she made was delicious. Lily's signature braised oxtail was pretty good too. It was great to catch up with Alan up even though we were on our phones the whole time. I guess that says a lot about our generation.
One of Alan's other friends had also invited the Hsuehs over, so the Hsuehs didn't stay at our house for too long after dinner. However, that wasn't a problem because Mom had asked the Hsuehs to arrive a bit earlier. On a related note, one thing I noticed is that Thanksgiving parties have gotten smaller in recent years. It's been a while since we hosted or attended one with three or four other families. It seems people aren't so interested in "Friendsgiving" anymore. I can't blame them because food is expensive these days.
Mom's friend Hong-Yeh had been wanting to see her for a while, so we asked her to come over on Friday afternoon. Her son really enjoys cooking and made the entire Thanksgiving dinner for their family. Hong-Yeh decided to share the turkey and cornbread with us. It's kind of funny that we ended up with some turkey after all. The meat was a bit salty but made for some excellent porridge.
We decided to hike to downtown Los Altos on Sunday as Mom wanted to see the Festival of Lights parade. Of note is that the streets were lined with people. I had no idea the event was so popular. However, the parade wouldn't start even though it was getting late. We eventually got bored and decided to head home. Even though we didn't see the parade, this was a fun experience.
I spent the rest of the weekend listening to lectures and working on assignments for my online machine learning courses. Some modules are very long and have videos totalling more than 10 hours, but they are quite informative. It's always nice to learn during the holidays!
Currently listening to: "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
got my AI certificate from MIT
I'm happy to say I've received my certificate for the Data Science and Machine Learning program from MIT. You can see it here or on my LinkedIn profile. Of note is I was the only one who completed the program with 600 out of 600 marks. Guess this makes me a valedictorian!
It's worth a mention that I also completed a capstone course in September and got the certificate for it a few days ago. I definitely learned a lot in the past three months. One thing for sure is that the knowledge I gained will be useful in my future career. On the whole, this was an incredible journey.
However, the hard work is far from over as I'm currently enrolled in three other programs. I'm about a third of the way through Berkeley's Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial program and just started Wharton's AI for Decision Making course. Because I now have a good understanding of the technical aspects of artificial intelligence, this seemed like a good time to get on the business side. I'm also starting a natural language processing course offered by CMU in November.
Even though I'm going to be very busy for a while, I'm quite confident I can handle all these classes. Here's to the new challenges!
Currently watching: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
It's worth a mention that I also completed a capstone course in September and got the certificate for it a few days ago. I definitely learned a lot in the past three months. One thing for sure is that the knowledge I gained will be useful in my future career. On the whole, this was an incredible journey.
However, the hard work is far from over as I'm currently enrolled in three other programs. I'm about a third of the way through Berkeley's Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial program and just started Wharton's AI for Decision Making course. Because I now have a good understanding of the technical aspects of artificial intelligence, this seemed like a good time to get on the business side. I'm also starting a natural language processing course offered by CMU in November.
Even though I'm going to be very busy for a while, I'm quite confident I can handle all these classes. Here's to the new challenges!
Currently watching: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Saturday, September 23, 2023
a whirlwind summer
So a lot happened in the past three months. It's definitely been a crazy summer. We went through ups and downs, but that's just how life goes.
As you're probably aware, things had a bad start as I was laid off from Energous in June. Given the current economic climate, the job search looks to be harder than I expected. Of course, finding a job that fits is far more important than getting on as soon as possible.
We also had to deal with a water leak that caused a lot of damage. Mom wanted to replace our dishwasher and stove as they had started to show signs of age. As a team from Costco was helping us install the new dishwasher, they discovered a huge leak from some broken pipes. We might have never found out otherwise. Heaven knows what would have happened in that case. Getting the pipes fixed cost about $2,500 alone. Replacing the damaged hardwood would have cost even more had we not decided to do it ourselves.
Some time later, my mom received news that her old classmate Lin-Yao from college had passed away in July. Details are unclear, but word from her husband is that she died from complications of diabetes. Even though she and my mom have had disagreements, this was a huge shock to us. Our thoughts are with Lin-Yao's family during this difficult time.
However, there have been some good things too. For one, the recession that was predicted to start in July hasn't happened so far. Yet this has not made the job search easier because the tech industry is still in a bad state. But hopefully it means the job search won't get any harder than it already is.
I've also been focusing more on my studies because this seemed like a good time for a career change. Dad suggested taking online classes because I've been considering an AI-related job. I'm currently enrolled in two machine learning certificate programs, one offered by MIT and the other by Berkeley. Both programs have been very helpful even though the work can be demanding at times. I'm pretty sure a certificate would look good on my resume. :-)
Our street also had its first block party in about 28 years this summer. We don't have many opportunities to attend gatherings nowadays, so that was quite awesome. It's been way too long since we've been to a good party. Let's hope there will be similar events in the future!
Oh yeah... the new Necromancy skill in RuneScape is pretty fun. Even though I've been quite busy this summer, I was able to find some free time for games. Hopefully I get 99 Necromancy so that I could use the Max Guild again.
Currently listening to: "Touch the Sky" by Julie Fowlis
As you're probably aware, things had a bad start as I was laid off from Energous in June. Given the current economic climate, the job search looks to be harder than I expected. Of course, finding a job that fits is far more important than getting on as soon as possible.
We also had to deal with a water leak that caused a lot of damage. Mom wanted to replace our dishwasher and stove as they had started to show signs of age. As a team from Costco was helping us install the new dishwasher, they discovered a huge leak from some broken pipes. We might have never found out otherwise. Heaven knows what would have happened in that case. Getting the pipes fixed cost about $2,500 alone. Replacing the damaged hardwood would have cost even more had we not decided to do it ourselves.
Some time later, my mom received news that her old classmate Lin-Yao from college had passed away in July. Details are unclear, but word from her husband is that she died from complications of diabetes. Even though she and my mom have had disagreements, this was a huge shock to us. Our thoughts are with Lin-Yao's family during this difficult time.
However, there have been some good things too. For one, the recession that was predicted to start in July hasn't happened so far. Yet this has not made the job search easier because the tech industry is still in a bad state. But hopefully it means the job search won't get any harder than it already is.
I've also been focusing more on my studies because this seemed like a good time for a career change. Dad suggested taking online classes because I've been considering an AI-related job. I'm currently enrolled in two machine learning certificate programs, one offered by MIT and the other by Berkeley. Both programs have been very helpful even though the work can be demanding at times. I'm pretty sure a certificate would look good on my resume. :-)
Our street also had its first block party in about 28 years this summer. We don't have many opportunities to attend gatherings nowadays, so that was quite awesome. It's been way too long since we've been to a good party. Let's hope there will be similar events in the future!
Oh yeah... the new Necromancy skill in RuneScape is pretty fun. Even though I've been quite busy this summer, I was able to find some free time for games. Hopefully I get 99 Necromancy so that I could use the Max Guild again.
Currently listening to: "Touch the Sky" by Julie Fowlis
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
a farewell to UC Santa Cruz
Last night was the CMPS 101 final. I hope I didn't bomb the exam as it was quite tough. But considering that I did better than expected on the two midterms, maybe I shouldn't worry too much. In any case, the fall quarter is over!
Speaking of which, I moved out last Tuesday as my lease has ended. Connie's house is one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. It was hard to say goodbye to her cats Tommy and Zoe. They'll always have a special place in my heart.
In other news...
Tomorrow is my first day at Cisco Systems. I'm a little nervous but also extremely excited!
Currently playing: endeavor
Speaking of which, I moved out last Tuesday as my lease has ended. Connie's house is one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. It was hard to say goodbye to her cats Tommy and Zoe. They'll always have a special place in my heart.
In other news...
Tomorrow is my first day at Cisco Systems. I'm a little nervous but also extremely excited!
Currently playing: endeavor
Friday, September 24, 2010
last day of graduate classes + farewell party
Yesterday was the last class of the MS-FAIM program. The best part is that we had a party afterwards!
We were supposed to take the FAIM 610 final on Tuesday and the FAIM 609 one on Thursday as per the original schedule. But because FAIM 609 was a tough course, everyone wanted to get that out of the way first. The professors were more than happy to accommodate our request. The other exam was indeed much easier, meaning Prof. Knapp really wanted us to pass.
A farewell party was held after the FAIM 610 final. From what I heard, the previous cohorts had a fancy dinner. However, there wasn't much for us - only light snacks and drinks - and they were quickly gone. Damn economic recession. On the other hand, the other classes were invited to join us. Katie even brought her roommate Anna to crash the party. The more the merrier!
Speaking of which, Anna kept hitting on me and Anthony the whole time. I enjoyed talking to her as she was very sociable. She and Katie even invited me to hang out at their apartment as the party concluded. That would have been an interesting experience, although I declined as it was really late.
On the whole, the party was a great way to end the program. I'm definitely looking forward to graduation. In the meantime, be sure to check out my pictures from last night.
Currently playing: My First Quantum Translocator
We were supposed to take the FAIM 610 final on Tuesday and the FAIM 609 one on Thursday as per the original schedule. But because FAIM 609 was a tough course, everyone wanted to get that out of the way first. The professors were more than happy to accommodate our request. The other exam was indeed much easier, meaning Prof. Knapp really wanted us to pass.
A farewell party was held after the FAIM 610 final. From what I heard, the previous cohorts had a fancy dinner. However, there wasn't much for us - only light snacks and drinks - and they were quickly gone. Damn economic recession. On the other hand, the other classes were invited to join us. Katie even brought her roommate Anna to crash the party. The more the merrier!
Speaking of which, Anna kept hitting on me and Anthony the whole time. I enjoyed talking to her as she was very sociable. She and Katie even invited me to hang out at their apartment as the party concluded. That would have been an interesting experience, although I declined as it was really late.
On the whole, the party was a great way to end the program. I'm definitely looking forward to graduation. In the meantime, be sure to check out my pictures from last night.
Currently playing: My First Quantum Translocator
Thursday, September 23, 2010
internship at UCSC
I recently mentioned that two UC Santa Cruz professors were interested in having me as an intern. From our discussions, they were more than happy to proceed with the plan. If everything goes well, my internship will start next week - on the 27th to be precise.
I'll be doing mobile interaction studies with the professors and their graduate students. In the meantime, I'm trying to enroll in CMPE 107 and CMPS 101 on their recommendation. I've actually already started attending the lectures. It's like being back in college!
According to Prof. Tantalo, CMPS 101 is a difficult course and many students don't pass the first time. I don't like the sound of this at all. However, considering that I already have a computer science background, this one shouldn't be too hard.
Given that Santa Cruz is pretty far, I've rented a place near campus and will be moving there in a few days. I'm a little nervous as this is my first time renting a room. But at least the landlady seems nice. *fingers crossed*
In other news...
1. I went to the Secure World Expo today with Dad. It was a very small conference.
2. Tonight is the last class at St. Mary's College of California. I'm not out of the woods yet as we still have to take the FAIM 610 final. On the other hand, I've heard there's a party afterwards. That should be fun. :-)
Currently playing: The Room Tribute
I'll be doing mobile interaction studies with the professors and their graduate students. In the meantime, I'm trying to enroll in CMPE 107 and CMPS 101 on their recommendation. I've actually already started attending the lectures. It's like being back in college!
According to Prof. Tantalo, CMPS 101 is a difficult course and many students don't pass the first time. I don't like the sound of this at all. However, considering that I already have a computer science background, this one shouldn't be too hard.
Given that Santa Cruz is pretty far, I've rented a place near campus and will be moving there in a few days. I'm a little nervous as this is my first time renting a room. But at least the landlady seems nice. *fingers crossed*
In other news...
1. I went to the Secure World Expo today with Dad. It was a very small conference.
2. Tonight is the last class at St. Mary's College of California. I'm not out of the woods yet as we still have to take the FAIM 610 final. On the other hand, I've heard there's a party afterwards. That should be fun. :-)
Currently playing: The Room Tribute
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
Saturday, August 15, 2009
finally done with college!
The CS 61A final was quite tough and took me almost five hours to complete. Though it was almost midnight when I was done, my family didn't get home too late because we did most of the moving two days ago. Assuming I didn't fail the class, then I'll be getting my bachelor's degree.
I'm not out of the woods yet as the classes at St. Mary's College of California started last month. While they aren't a walk in the park either, I can at least catch my breath. One thing for sure is that I'm going to miss college life. But at the same time, I'm extremely excited about what the future has to offer.
Update: The grades for CS 61A and Math 128A have been posted. I didn't do as well in Math 128A as I had hoped, but my GPA is good enough. That means I'll definitely graduate. Woohoo!
The bad news is that I won't be able to walk the aisle until next May as this year's commencement has passed. Of course, that's not too big of a deal - what matters is that I'm done with college. :-)
Currently reading: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Harold Abelson
I'm not out of the woods yet as the classes at St. Mary's College of California started last month. While they aren't a walk in the park either, I can at least catch my breath. One thing for sure is that I'm going to miss college life. But at the same time, I'm extremely excited about what the future has to offer.
Update: The grades for CS 61A and Math 128A have been posted. I didn't do as well in Math 128A as I had hoped, but my GPA is good enough. That means I'll definitely graduate. Woohoo!
The bad news is that I won't be able to walk the aisle until next May as this year's commencement has passed. Of course, that's not too big of a deal - what matters is that I'm done with college. :-)
Currently reading: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Harold Abelson
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
First day of graduate school
The first quarter of the financial analysis program at St. Mary's College of California has started. In other words, I'm officially a graduate student!
Unlike regular programs, MS-FAIM is intended for professionals. Though most students are my age, there are a few in their 40s and beyond. The classes aren't held on the Moraga campus, but at the American Management Association conference center at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. I have to travel to San Francisco twice a week because we meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Can't say the commute is fun.
Ant any rate, today was the FAIM 601 lecture. To tell you the truth, accounting isn't exactly the most exciting subject in the world. The fact that each session is four hours long doesn't help the issue. It's going to be hard to not fall asleep. ^_^
I'm actually still finishing up my bachelor's degree and will be taking classes at both Berkeley and the AMA for the next five weeks. The overlap is going to be tough, but nothing I can't handle. On the subject of which, I should probably continue preparing for my Math 128A midterm. Peace.
Unlike regular programs, MS-FAIM is intended for professionals. Though most students are my age, there are a few in their 40s and beyond. The classes aren't held on the Moraga campus, but at the American Management Association conference center at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. I have to travel to San Francisco twice a week because we meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Can't say the commute is fun.
Ant any rate, today was the FAIM 601 lecture. To tell you the truth, accounting isn't exactly the most exciting subject in the world. The fact that each session is four hours long doesn't help the issue. It's going to be hard to not fall asleep. ^_^
I'm actually still finishing up my bachelor's degree and will be taking classes at both Berkeley and the AMA for the next five weeks. The overlap is going to be tough, but nothing I can't handle. On the subject of which, I should probably continue preparing for my Math 128A midterm. Peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)