10 up, 2 rows of 5, images of Texas Computer Science bloggers

Independence

cutting the apron strings

A few weeks ago, when I was helping the advisors out with a Turing recruitment event, I noticed something slightly concerning -- that all of the people asking questions about professors and finding out whether or not CS 311 or CS 311H should be taken weren’t the students, but rather their (far more engaged) parents.

Info Sessions and All the Time in the World

I’d like the start this semester with a clarification. In one of my last articles, I explained the importance of choosing a schedule wisely to set up your future success. I still believe that this is important, but with the start of a new and not-yet-stressful semester, I’m thinking a little bit differently.

There’s a lot of really amazing stuff out there, and without taking advantage of it, I can imaging that you might end up with some regrets in the future.

The Cowboy Rides Away (For now)

This semester I elected to take a writing flag course outside of the computer science department. Out of the numerous writing courses here at the university that intrigued me the most was a course by the name of "The Cowboy Mystique in American Culture." At the time it appeared to be a breather course with topics that differ from the hard sciences. Through the course of semester, I learned everything from the antics of Teddy Roosevelt to the stardom of John Wayne and more.

Automation

The weather last Saturday (the one before the Thanksgiving holiday) presented a perfect day to stay inside. With severe thunderstorms giving the Austin area the much needed rain it deserved, I took the liberty of enjoying my new found hobby: coffee roasting. So I roasted some beans, ground them up, and sat down to read the Wall Street Journal with a fresh cup in hand (It really does produce a smooth cup, you should try it if your interested).

No More Enthusiasm

I used to wake up every morning at 8 AM.

I would get up, shower, get breakfast (and coffee) from the LPC, read The Economist on my phone as I munched on a breakfast taco, and then read my real analysis textbook for a while until my first class. I would also stay up late working on OS or computer vision assignments, preparing activities for my FIG, building out a side project I had been working on, or writing articles for this blog. I’d get 3-4 hours of sleep a night, rinse, and repeat.

I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: Thanks for Making Me Go to Homecomming

Most people who know me would agree that I’m not very spontaneous. I like to go to sleep at the same time every night, write my blog on the same day every week, and when the grocery store is out of the brand of shampoo I like, I’m a sad, sad person.

In some ways this is good. I get my homework done on time, I’m almost always pretty well rested, and my hair is usually the same level of frizzy.

Fill In the Blank

Being a student in UTCS sometimes feels like being at a giant, never-ending career fair. There’s a different company in the atrium almost every day, and it’s hard to walk through the lab and not hear anybody talking about the next interview they have.

While it’s great to have opportunities, I think that it’s also important to realize that this sort of environment isn’t normal, and it can have some strange effects on how we view ourselves.

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