All 21 entries tagged Degree Related Waffle

Two weeks, five exams, one brain, no hope.

Things I would like (in no particular order). Note, some of these contradict each other. I don't care.

• More time.
• An external brain, connects to my current brain via a Universal System Nerve port and can be used to store extra information.
• Someone else to sit the exams for me.
• Someone to teach me what I need to know to pass.
• More time.
• To wake up and realise that it's the start of the academic year.
• To wake up and realise that I've just taken my final exam, and got 1sts in all of them.
• The ability to sleep without nearly going mad from stress.
• More time.
• The exam papers in advance.
• Willpower.
• The ability to revise 10+ hours a day without my eyes bleeding and my brain dribbling out my ears.
• Less exams.
• No exams.
• The exam timetablers to be hurt, preferably because someone (me) is hitting them with a big stick.
• Someone to explain why I still have deadlines this close to exams.
• Someone to explain the point of April exams. 6 weeks where we have to prioritise 3 subjects, then 3 weeks for 5 more. Does not compute.
• A photographic memory.
• More time.

: 01 May 2005 03:21 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Apathy

It's struck again. Possibly something to do with having to write somewhere between 7500 and 9000 words by next Tuesday, or the reading I have to do for my philosophy essay, or the ridiculously short period of time I have to revise 5 exams. Basically my life is spiralling the toilet, because I can't bring myself to care. 100 words a day is not enough. One hour spent on studying computer graphics is not enough (although it is enough to reduce me to near catatonia). If I could be bothered I would be doing more work, but I can't.

I challenge anyone who reads this to find a finalist who is not unmotivated and jaded by their degree, and if you do, please tie them up somewhere and let me know. I'm sure I can find people to donate weapons…

I would also like to apologise, as this apathy has extended into my participation in WB. I haven't been writing, commenting, or for that matter reading what anyone else writes. For that I am sorry – I'm sure what you write is worthy of attention, but I can't bring myself to provide it at this moment.

Finally, I would like to add this to the previous entry about my essay (sorry to anyone who can't log in, I locked it to avoid being crucified by nasty Creationists). Pro evolution, geddit?

: 27 Apr 2005 23:50 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

"I have never…

Writing about an entry you don't have permission to view

…done so little work the evening before an exam."

No doubt anyone who saw the paper aeroplane post will be unsuprised by this, but hey. Today has consisted of doing 5 back-to-back Solid State Physics 1 papers (1.5 hours each) in just under 3 hours, and, unless my lecture notes all lie hideously, getting 1sts on all of them, and then explaining some stuff to friends.

Double edged sword that. On the one hand, it makes me feel good to know that a) I can explain it so that other people can understand and b) I know more than other people. On the other hand, what with normalising of examination results, I always feel as if sharing my precious knowledge is therefore devaluing it, helping to lower my mark in the exam itself. Am I the only one who has this mean little thought kicking around in the back of my head?

Since about 6:30 however I've just been wasting time. The feeling that I could possibly learn some more before 9:30 tomorrow morning has been outweighed by the lack of caring, and the confidence in what I do know. Hopefully it will be enough, but it could all go horribly wrong. I guess I'll find out tomorrow…

: 20 Apr 2005 23:36 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The Stat From Hell

I have just worked out that the next 5 weeks are worth 48.39% of my degree!

I just thought I'd announce that fact as I have been here nearly 3 years and it seems a bit ridiculous to me that all that time has counted for so little.

: 19 Apr 2005 18:53 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Awful Physics Joke #1

Yes ladies and gentlemen. And Sam. It's that time of year…

Fermi Sphere, Fermi Sphere! Wherefore art tho Fermi Sphere?
Deny thy k-state and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not be, be but sworn my specific heat capacity, And I'll no longer be a classical model.

I'm sure there's more to come, so I apologise for it in advance.

: 17 Apr 2005 23:12 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (6) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

My Nightmare

The exam timetables are up on the Arts Centre Wall of Death. My timetable for the coming term now looks like this:

• April 21 – Solid State exam
• April 22 – Weather and the Environment/Physics in Medicine exam
• May 3 – Project Final Report deadline (5000 words)/Scientific Method essay deadline (2500–4000 words)
• May 17 – Introduction to Nuclei and Particle Physics exam
• May 18 – Computer Graphics exam
• May 21 – Artificial Intelligence exam
• May 24 – Magnetic Properties of Solids/NMR exam

I have not started revising for the 5 exams in May because of the 3 in April, and because of the foolish assumption that they would be at the start of June. Those missing 2 weeks are going to kill me…
I also haven't started on the philosophy essay, although I have done a tiny bit of reading, and my project report is only 1/4 done at the moment, due to copy/pasting my interim report.

I short, I am screwed, as no doubt is everyone else in their final year. Welcome to the worst month of my life.

Edit: For added irony, the particle physics revision lecture is on May 20th. Useful.

: 15 Apr 2005 20:19 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Someone please stop the geekery!

So in summary, our lecturer is a level 15 dark mage who has cast Contextually Challenged Notes (drains 10 from INT score, induces fatigue and level-drain/reduce XP) on us, leaving us competely unprepared for and defenceless against the next boss - The Exam of Death - a level 20 demon dual-wielding the deadly Questions of Extreme Difficulty+5 (cast on strike: Fear and Horror for 30 minutes, no save).
In short, we are doomed to a long, painful and gruesome death, and will never recieve the Robes of Graduation (+3 bonus to INT) that we were promised as a reward for completing this quest. I want to take some time out and gain some XP through side-quests, but unfortunately I'm all out of Time Stop spells.

Crap.

: 04 Apr 2005 23:41 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Thought for the day

The word "revise" is a misnomer. It implies that I've already learned the subject, and what I am doing is merely reminding myself of it. This is not true, so what I am actually doing should be called "vising".

Also, the more work I do, the more I blog, as a way of taking a break. Expect multiple posts per day from now until June :-S

: 14 Mar 2005 16:39 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

And so it begins…

: 14 Mar 2005 11:15 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Risk of losing my mind: Negligible

Why? Because it ran away some time last week. I think it was last seen hiding under a bush near Tesco, oozing quietly to itself.

I am giving it a leave of abscence as it has taken severe stress recently over a certain too-slowly-progressing project, and a barely-touched AI essay.

Suffice to say I won't be seeing the light of day much until the end of term. Not that that really makes a great difference to normal.

: 03 Mar 2005 19:02 |  Tags: Degree Related Waffle |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem