How was 2010?

[Yakumo]

You can tell that Dune made this topic considering there's only one really good option on the poll. <_<

My year was decent enough.  Not spectacular, but nothing truly terrible happened so I'll call it good.

EDIT: Also, less than five-day work week? You people are spoiled.

I can't speak for anyone else in here, but yeah, I have a four day work week of 10 hour days. 

[Magetastic]

Started off lackluster, but really started to pick up the pace towards the last half. Got myself a job, good friends, decent classes, etc. So far, that stride has lasted through to the new year, too. Let's hope that keeps up!

[Idun]

Ought to hang out with Dunie, more, though (have we actually only hung out once?  We need to fix this...).

Yes. ): Hopefully we'll be able to do such in the coming month. With tax returns, I should be able to move out (depending on my return), and we can hang all day. Or. Whicheva.

[Luther Lansfeld]

I'm somewhere between the first and the second. I've enjoyed having a new apartment and doing lots of cool stuff, but I've been homesick and not really enjoying school.

[metroid composite]

I'm somewhere between the first and the second. I've enjoyed having a new apartment and doing lots of cool stuff, but I've been homesick and not really enjoying school.

yeah, first four or so years I lived away from home, I was homesick.  I think I'm better at adapting to new locations now, but it takes a long time.

[NotMiki]

I've been homesick and not really enjoying school.

It's important to try and separate these two things in your mind.  Is your being homesick causing or contributing to you not enjoying school or is it something else?  Good question to know the answer to.

[metroid composite]

I've been homesick and not really enjoying school.

It's important to try and separate these two things in your mind.  Is your being homesick causing or contributing to you not enjoying school or is it something else?  Good question to know the answer to.

And also the question of: would you not be enjoying school regardless of which university it was, or does the learning environment in UBC not fit well with how you like to work?

I know grad schools vary immensely.  Grad students at Princeton are very driven.  Grad students at McGill were very laid back.  MIT is apparently very cutthroat.  Last time I was at UBC, I didn't know the grad students well, but I knew in the Math Grad department there were a lot of Eastern Europeans, and they tended to perform worse than Undergrads in the same course.  I know I've sometimes wondered if I would still be in Mathematics if I had gone to a different Grad School where people around me were more energized.

Also: I seem to recall that you like lab research more than coursework (and the later you get in a PhD, the more it becomes about research, and the less likely you are to be taking any courses).



All that being said: never get a PhD unless you want to be a professor.  For all other jobs, Masters tends to be just as good.

[Dark Holy Elf]

My first full year working a real job and I even actually enjoy it, finally moved out at the start of the year. Pretty easy choice for the top option for me, likely for the third year in a row. Yay!

[Luther Lansfeld]

I've been homesick and not really enjoying school.

It's important to try and separate these two things in your mind.  Is your being homesick causing or contributing to you not enjoying school or is it something else?  Good question to know the answer to.

And also the question of: would you not be enjoying school regardless of which university it was, or does the learning environment in UBC not fit well with how you like to work?

I know grad schools vary immensely.  Grad students at Princeton are very driven.  Grad students at McGill were very laid back.  MIT is apparently very cutthroat.  Last time I was at UBC, I didn't know the grad students well, but I knew in the Math Grad department there were a lot of Eastern Europeans, and they tended to perform worse than Undergrads in the same course.  I know I've sometimes wondered if I would still be in Mathematics if I had gone to a different Grad School where people around me were more energized.

Also: I seem to recall that you like lab research more than coursework (and the later you get in a PhD, the more it becomes about research, and the less likely you are to be taking any courses).



All that being said: never get a PhD unless you want to be a professor.  For all other jobs, Masters tends to be just as good.

I think the root of it is that I haven't really met any female friends I find terribly interesting here and that has kind of made me miss my old friends back home. I tolerate research but I really just want to TA all day. I want to be a teacher but I don't want to teach high school science; I'm probably going to try to get into a more education-focused program after I finish my Masters here at UBC. I think you can theoretically get a job at a college as a Masters person but they prefer PhD. people.

I think grad students work too much. I think part of this is finding my work uninteresting and the other part is because I would rather be hanging out with the elf than be at work until 7 pm. >_>

[metroid composite]

I think the root of it is that I haven't really met any female friends I find terribly interesting here and that has kind of made me miss my old friends back home.

Oh, yeah, that's always a huge problem with moving.  (Friends in general take a long time to form--you actually probably had things easier than usual by inheriting a bunch of male friends from the Vancouver DL group).

I never got a good set of friends in Montreal.  Eventually got good friends from LGBT support groups in San Francisco.  Atlanta's going pretty slow so far (although I <3 Dunie).  The moral of this story is: become gay!  Wait...guess it doesn't work like that. >_> <_<


Hmm...wonder if I could talk some of my old friends into hanging out with you.  Most of my university friends went away for Grad school, but I think a bunch of my High School friends are still around.  Like...has hanging out with Elfboy and Ryan led you into meeting Dora or Julia yet?

I think you can theoretically get a job at a college as a Masters person but they prefer PhD. people.

I'm not sure about that.  Thing is, most employers have rules that they have to pay more for a PhD, but PhD doesn't really mean you're better at teaching a subject--it really just means you know a lot about one tiny area in the field, but have done the same number of broad courses.  So...most employers, money-hungry that they are, will lean towards hiring Masters candidates over PhD candidates.  Or at least, that's how it works in Canadian colleges.

[Luther Lansfeld]

That makes me feel better! =) And I have met Dora, but only once! She's cool.

Also, yes, time to turn to lesbianism to meet girls~

I do love Magey and Excal and Ryan and Erek but sometimes a girl needs some girl time, ya know~? <3

[metroid composite]

And I have met Dora, but only once! She's cool.

Yes she is!

Next time you see her, say hi to Kitty Kitty Jungle Kitty Mountain Lion Kitten Kitty Jungle Kitty for me.  (And make sure to get the name right).

[Scar]

This entire past decade is one I want to forget completely.

Made way too many mistakes, but hey I come into 2011 without any kids or STDs at least.

Still have mad debt future uncertainty to deal with, but....who doesnt?

[NotMiki]

but hey I come into 2011 without any kids or STDs at least.

Man, Scar, when you put a positive spin on things you don't pull any punches!

[DjinnAndTonic]

The last two months have been pretty good, but the rest of the year was kind of rough. DLcon was fun, but pretty much everything that was worthwhile was an exorbitant drain on my savings. There's this terrible looming feeling of "Everything you do that's fun will cause you pain in the future when you're starving because you didn't save your money".

[Scar]

I'm just saying. Those things stay with you. I mean, kids are a blessing sure. But if you don't plan for them, one could really screw up yer life.

The STD thing is true, but more or less it was a joke. (It's never good to joke abut such things or something!)

~

Anyways, 2011 should be a good year. I think I've found my soulmate. She plays more games then I do. She is in school to be an optometrist which is greta for me since I have fucked up eyes. She is cute and watches anime...

it's just...that...she...

hates....

football!

That can change though. Yessssssssssssssssssss