Student surprises

So I added a couple of my students on RenRen (Chinese Facebook)(Yes, surprisingly I am capable of creating an account on such a website) and found that they had been gossiping about my module behind my back!!

This made my day

Translation (italics are my own)

学术状态帝 (on its webpage): How do you fit a 11m wooden pole into a 10m long room? Answer: Run with the pole into the room at 0.46c? ………………………………….. You must be crazy. Why don’t you just hold the pole diagonally and enter the room?

Whereupon my students started sharing it. One of them wrote “I have caught the Phys O contagion…”

[By the way, this works because the pole will length-contract from the frame of the room, and will therefore be able to fit into the room momentarily. Of course, at some point the pole will crash into the walls of the room... but at least you have the satisfaction of saying that you managed to fit the pole in for one nanosecond.]

(I don’t need to translate this, do I?)

Such gems!

I felt an upwelling of what I can only term – job satisfaction. Despite knowing that their teacher is but their senior with no formal pedagogical training, my students are taking my module seriously. It’s become so much a part of their life that they’ve slipped naturally into all the idiosyncrasies of the Phys O student – discussing Phys O online, poking fun at themselves for their perceived ineptitude, donning the geek suits that make them stand out from miles away.

In short, my students have caught the contagion. WAHOO!

(I sound like a sop, but-) It’s immensely rewarding to know that I am significantly to blame for this. I can finally comprehend why people give up lucrative careers to become teachers. There is nothing quite like the feeling that your students’ glories are yours too.

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Let us end off with a random photo from my phone:

There is always hope

Bibliophilia

I am very very happy right now because I have recently inherited a large number of books from my wonderful cousin and uncle! ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ <— me bouncing up and down rapidly. It is with great pleasure that I snub my future Uni coursemates (and do the League of Thrifty Aunties, better known as LTA, proud) by announcing that:

I WILL NEVER NEED TO BUY GRIFFITHS ELECTRODYNAMICS, WHEE!

Moving on to less exciting matters, as preparation for a particular competition, I have been randomly surfing sites for current affairs quizzes. If anyone feels that their ego needs to be put on a rapid weight-loss plan, I’d be happy to assist by recommending this particular one:

http://www.economist.com/diversions/quiz/

Sample question from the quiz:

To whom or what does Ecuador’s new constitution confer “the inalienable right to exist, flourish and evolve”?

- indigenous cultures
- Galapagos turtles
- all political parties
- ecosystems

The correct answer, by the way, is ecosystems.

Oh my. My general knowledge is pathetic!

The Beginning of the End

I am no stranger to sentiment, and yet … the thought of graduating soon provokes nothing more than a touch of wistfulness on my part.

Though I have truly enjoyed Year 6 so far – the coalescing of my different social circles, the intensity of PO training juxtaposed with the slackness of the rest of the semester, a June holidays spent mostly abroad – graduation seems to represent nothing more nerve-wracking than a transition into the next stage of my life.

Then again, this may be symptomatic of my stubborn insistence on living in the present and consequent inability to project my feelings as far ahead as graduation.

On to happier thoughts, then. For the last time, let me rank my modules in order of preference:

1. Abstract algebra

This module boasts the dual qualities of being taught by Mr Wang, and being rather – abstract! ie. a cocktail of mirth, bedlam and – I insist on using this adorable word – DISCOMBOBULATION!!

2. Complex numbers

This module ranks so highly not only because of its intrinsic qualities, but because of how it compares to its predecessor. Nothing stifles intellectual curiousity as much as an overdose of t-tests, z-tests, confounding variables, histograms, stem-and-leaf diagrams and (I am running out of things to list because I paid so little attention in Stats).. aha…CONFIDENCE LEVELS. Complex numbers, I am happy to announce, is more complex and therefore more interesting.

3. Spectroscopy

This may be part of self-propaganda, but I do love a good detective story. While I do wish there was an Organic Chemistry Part III, I’m glad enough to say 再见, or rather 再也不见, to Physical/Inorganic Chemistry.

4. English

I, too, am surprised that this is only in fourth position. But I cannot help but feel resentment at the amount of homework so generously bequeathed upon us by our venerable teachers. And I’m not even one of those people who haven’t handed in their Term 1 Article Reviews…

5. Proteins

This would have ranked higher if it didn’t largely cover topics that we had already learnt before. I think that Dr Low is a very enthusiastic and interesting teacher. Also, he occasionally brinks on nonsense, which is always a good sign.

6. Separation Science

SS is not unenjoyable, but it lacks the intrinsic mystery of Spectro. (I mean, it’s like comparing a Statistics textbook to a murder story! Yes, I insist on abusing Stats.) Anyway, it is my hope that the ACS motto applies to this module: ‘The Best is Yet to Be”.

As a parting shot, I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to the advice that was dished out to us when it was time for us to choose our subject combination: Don’t do 4 Honours. Any more than 2 Honours will give you a very heavy workload.

C’est vrai? I don’t think 4 Hons has made me significantly busier. This is not a boast, but sincere advice if any Year 4s happen to chance upon this blog. Perhaps you will be just slightly inconvenienced by Advanced Organic Chem and lovely Biochemistry, but that’s about the only dire effect.

Also, whoever told me that Physics Honours would kill my interest in Physics deserves a thorough knocking – for goodness’ sake, there are at most 3 more modules than for Physics Majors, and none of them came close to the promised level of deadliness.