Tag: school

I haven’t posted for a while. One reason was that there really wasn’t anything too interesting to write about in the last months or so, and the other reason was that I have been really busy studying and then taking my doctoral qualifying exams. I’m currently still working on my Master’s, but I plan to do my Ph.D at the same school and thus had to take my qualifiers this semester. My department has a pretty tough exam format which involves multiple oral exams on a bunch of different focus areas. We can choose the focus areas, but there is a ton of stuff that can be asked on each area so there is a lot to study for. I studied for at least two months prior to my exams, and thankfully the effort did pay off and I managed to pass. I didn’t do well in every subject, but I did well enough in my main area (electrical power systems) to pass and now I am officially a doctoral student.

The qualifying exams were one of the bigger obstacles in my pursuit of a doctoral degree and it’s a big weight off my shoulders now that I’ve passed, but there is still plenty more to do. Now that the qualifiers over and done with, I need to focus on writing my Master’s thesis and making sure I get my degree on time.

Another school semester/term has come and gone. This is my second term as a graduate student, and somehow I managed to survive. So once again this is my thoughts on my courses from last term. Just like the 2010 Fall semester, I took only three courses, but they sure weren’t easy.

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It’s time again to write about my last term of studies and the courses I took. This is my first term as a grad student and I managed the survive the term… barely. As a grad student, I didn’t need to take as many courses as an undergrad, but the courses were still handful on top of project work I have to do. I took three courses last term, and here are my thoughts on them:

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Yesterday I joined the millions of people across the world who are traveling back home for the holidays. My first term as a graduate student is over and done with, and my adviser was kind enough to let me return home for Christmas and the New Year. My last few days were pretty hectic since I had three final exams on the two days prior to my flight, and I was pretty burnt out by the end of the third exam. I don’t think I did as well as I could have on those exams, but hopefully it’ll be good enough for “A”s. Traveling by air is also a bit of a pain these days (especially since my flights are a couple of hours long), but the fact I get to spend the holiday at home with family is worth it.

As for my plans for my time back… well I don’t really plan on doing anything other than relaxing, enjoying family company, and working on my thesis project. It certainly isn’t warm in Vancouver, but it’s still warmer than the city where my school is located. Having lived in Pacific Northwest for so long, I’m not used to cold temperatures, so coming back home is a way of escaping the cold winter over there.

That’s all I have to say for this post. I hope all of you who read this will have a happy holidays :grin: .

Can’t believe it’s already been more than a month since I left home to begin graduate studies on my own. I’ve more or less settled into my new place and things have been going okay so far. Classes at my new school are fairly similar to the ones I had in 3rd/4th year at UBC, and I only have three classes. It’s hard to say if the classes are harder or easier, but I’ll have a better idea once I’ve had a midterm for each class. I haven’t done much for my research project yet, but it’s only a month in so it’s a bit too early to worry about it.

Moving on from the academic parts, I’m doing okay with all the shopping and cooking and all the other chores that comes with living on one’s own. This is the first time I’ve been on my own for any extended period of time, and so far I’ve managed to keep myself fed and clean and keep my place from turning into a dump. Not bad for a newbie independent  :lol: .  I actually think my cooking is surprisingly good for someone who almost never cooks at home, but I probably should give credit to my mom for teaching me a few recipes before I left. My food probably lacks variety though, but at least I’m not going hungry. In terms of shopping, I haven’t gotten a car yet so my destinations are quite limited, which makes things easier in some aspects. More choices mean more decisions to make.

In terms of activities for fun, I’ve joined some clubs and went to two gathering where there were free food. I’ve also been taking full advantage of the school’s fitness facilities and getting more exercise than ever, but I haven’t seen any tangible results just yet. I play badminton once a week too, so at least I’m not completely socially inactive. I probably should make more effort to get to know people though.

Anyways, that’s all I have to say for this update. Midterms are coming up so I better start studying.

This is my first post from my new place of residence, thousands of miles away from home. I’m starting my graduate studies somewhere in the US, and that meant packing up my stuff and moving to a new place. It’s an exciting time for me; I have my worries, but I’m still optimistic that everything will work out. If I don’t slack off, concentrate on my studies and take care of myself then I should be alright. I haven’t really settled into my new life yet, but hopefully I’ll get used to this as time goes on. I do miss my family though. Anyways, that’s all I have to write today. I have to get back into school mode before the work load really picks up. Wish me luck.