Math 33A: Linear algebra is a refreshing break from two years of calculus. A refreshing homage to Algebra 2 in high school, except this time with unnecessarily fancy vocabulary and notation. The professor is a jolly old Mr. Rogers-esque man who likes to call the discussion sections recitation sections (antique terminology!) The TA is a Chinese girl struggling with English and only 7 out of 30 people showed up to discussion last Thursday (therefore my guilt will require me to attend every session). I am now passionately in love with the number 0.
French 3: Just as easy and slow as the first two. This one only covers the last four chapters (as opposed to the usual 5) so I am wondering how exactly we will occupy the last few weeks. Last Wednesday the professor asked me if I was shy (in French of course) and told me to make an effort to participate more.
PIC 10B: So far, the most enjoyable class - though I hear from people with more C++ experience that the material we are approaching is unbearably tedious. On Friday some guy two rows behind me was snoring sonorously enough to fill Humanities A51 which is a HUGE lecture hall (inappropriately large for the size of the class). The professor and us took a few seconds to laugh at him, which he slept through as well. My TA is Chinese guy also struggling with English, though I think I learn a bit more from him than from my math TA. Some random old lady (presumably the professor of the class after this one in Humanities A51) usually shows up about 30 minutes before our class ends, takes a seat in a front corner, and just stares at us in her little sunglasses (yes, indoors) until class ends.
AUD 10B: The class is interesting enough - I only fell asleep once in the first four lectures. I have found it difficult to take the class seriously though - history classes always end up seeming like extensive trivia sessions to me. Not that trivia is a bad thing - quite the opposite, but I forget it quickly (just try asking me about Italian gastronomic literature). The professor is good, except for her criticism of Wikipedia on the first day, but the discussion sessions are the kind that significantly disadvantages us shy people. You know, where participation, which is defined as being comfortable with spouting out the first garbage that comes to mind regardless of how helpful it actually is to anybody, counts as 20% of your grade in the entire course. Not to mention the TA's trite lectures on the ongoing relevance and impact of history, you know, the kind that always makes it sound like they are mostly trying to convince themselves that what they chose to pursue in life is actually going to get them somewhere. The TA is quite friendly though and I feel a bit guilty about being this harsh.
I am SO excited for this - what better way is there to recognize the starved suffering of billions around the world than with free food?"The problem of hunger lies not within an inability to produce food, but instead in the unequal distribution of power, knowledge, and resources" - For example, while billions around the world will go to sleep hungry tonight, we get to have a lavish banquet!
Two new notation-related faces:
Each statement in C++ and many other programing languages ends with a semicolon. Apparently a class declaration is considered one giant statement, hence the following:
Physicists often use a "dot" notation to signify the derivative of a variable with respect to time. The second time derivative is represented by double dots. This produces highly satisfying results with radial acceleration, the second time derivative of theta (I can imagine u would work as well):
And finally, a face which has been right under my nose ever since I have been at UCLA - the hinge on the large wardrobes in each dorm room:
