The algebra lion

Miracle of miracles, I spent time with my family this morning and early afternoon. I've been so busy that posting on my blog—which usually consists of copying and pasting from my journal—has been challenging. This semester is crazygonuts.

The definite upside? I scored 100% on my first probability exam and 79% on my first linear regression exam! Linear regression is a very difficult course—easily the most brain-demanding course I've ever taken—but I'm getting through and making sense of it. Right now, my overall grade stands at a 93%, which I'm very happy about.

Guifang, my linear regression professor, commented on the results of the first exam yesterday. She told a story about her first semester in America, how she hardly understood the language and struggled through her abstract algebra course. She didn't perform well at first, but, she said "I have a strong heart." She worked hard and got through it. And now she's teaching! I think her first semester in America was six years ago or something like that. Pretty incredible.