got my master's degree

Today was the graduation ceremony at St. Mary's College of California. I can hardly believe I've completed my master's degree in financial analysis. Time certainly flies.

It was raining heavily in Moraga, but that wasn't an issue as we were mostly indoors. The commencement was held inside the St. Mary's Chapel. In a departure from tradition, the orchestra didn't play "Pomp and Circumstance" as is usually done. After we were seated, the associate dean gave a speech and congratulated us before giving us our diplomas.

All of us then headed to the nearby activity center for the reception. I got to hang out with my classmates for the last time and eat lots of food. It was also nice to meet everyone's families. There goes the afternoon!

Now that I'm done with graduate school, I should probably continue working on my CMPS 101 and CMPE 107 assignments. In the meantime, I've posted pictures and a video of the commencement on Flickr.

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

one more quarter to go!

The final quarter at St. Mary's College has started. It's hard to believe I'm almost done with graduate school. Time certainly flies!

The break was short as we didn't get out until late June. Though I wish summer didn't end so soon, I'm not going to complain because it was really awesome. The 4th of July concert and the trip to Riverside were the best parts. :-)

Currently playing: Larry and the Gnomes

Hail to the Chief

I was at the San Francisco Mariott Marquis last night for FAIM 607 when a bunch of Secret Service agents started showing up. It soon became apparent that Obama was also staying at the hotel. I knew he was going to be in San Francisco but didn't expect him to be right here!

Although the President's location wasn't announced for obvious reasons, the presence of law enforcement kind of gave it away. Some people gathered in the lobby to try to catch a glimpse of Obama. The presidential state car ultimately bypassed the main entrance, but it was still really cool to be in the same building as the President of the United States.

I should mention that class ended early. Security wouldn't let anyone back into the hotel except for registered guests. The professor couldn't get back in and decided to dismiss the class. Due to road closures, my family was stuck in San Francisco for about an hour. But at least I have an amazing story to share. :-)

In other news...

Mom invited some friends over today for a potluck lunch. Go here for the pictures!

an uneventful spring break

The nice thing about having a quarter-based system is that we get two-week spring breaks. But longer doesn't mean better - at least not in this case. Because the upcoming classes are pretty tough and I've been feeling stressed, my family wasn't really in the mood to travel. Though we saw Surrogates on DVD and went hiking several times, that's pretty much all we did.

At any rate, I should get back to studying as the spring quarter starts in two days. :\

Currently watching: Surrogates

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.

back from the graduate school orientation

I just got back from the orientation at St. Mary's College of California. It took a while to get there as the campus is 55 miles away in Moraga. Unlike my college orientation, this one only lasted a few hours.

The event began with a networking session. I got to meet the other students and enjoy hors d'oeuvres. The faculty and administrators then went over things like class descriptions and graduation requirements. The day concluded with a delicious three-course dinner. This was definitely a warm welcome to the program. You can view my pictures here.

It's hard to believe I'll be starting graduate school in six days. Damn, I feel old. ^_^

back to Berkeley for the summer

I just returned to Berkeley for the summer session. To save time, my parents already helped me move most of my things yesterday afternoon. The reason for coming back today is that I wanted to an extra day to relax at home.

For those curious, I'm taking CS 61A and Math 128A this summer. Assuming everything goes to plan, this will be my last stint in college. I'll have to work hard as both courses look tough.

Speaking of academics, I've decided to enroll in the graduate program at St. Mary's College of California. Due to a schedule overlap, there is a period of five weeks during which I'll be taking classes at Berkeley and St. Mary's College at the same time. That means I'll be extremely busy the next two months. So wish me luck - I'm going to need lots of it.

In other news...

Happy Father's Day to my dad and all other dads out there!

Currently reading: Numerical Analysis by Richard L. Burden