Ah, but I regress

It’s only the first day of finals week and I feel like my semester is already over. That is, I finished linear regression today and I feel like a huge weight has been taken from off my shoulders. I am freed from the chains of unknown parameters, model validation, time series, and a host of other things. Really, I need to know these things. And really, they are very interesting. But having to learn them with such precision and so rapidly has been exhausting.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning, realized it was a bad idea, and slept in until 5:30. I sprung up, got out of bed, and studied the scriptures (which always gets me ready in a way nothing else can). Then, I launched into studying for the final.

We were allowed two 8.5x11 sheets of paper, covered front and back with formulas. After going through eleven lectures and hundreds of slides of material, I felt comfortable having only three of my four available sides covered. I think I just wrote too small to cover that much paper, honestly.

I arrived at the classroom about four minutes before Guifang administered the exam (so, 1:26 pm). When it began, I hoped beyond hope that it would not feel the same way the midterm felt (confusing, to say the least). Then, I looked at the first problem and thought, “Yeah, I can do this,” and then the same thing happened with each problem thereafter. It was definitely manageable!

Surprisingly, the very last thing I wrote on my formula sheet was one of the things I used the most, at least in the first of five problems. I remember seeing it on the slides only minutes before walking out the door and thinking, “That seems important.” I’m so glad I jotted it down.

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.

Rubbing shoulders at a picnic

As a family, we attended the annual Math/Stat Fall Picnic in a local park this evening. I noticed that the original email announcing the picnic was sent to 128 of us and that we were encouraged to bring family, friends, etc., but I actually saw a flyer on the wall today that said it was for faculty, staff, and grad students. When I saw the flyer, I had to stop and think for a moment. Why was I included in the email? I’m not—. And then I realized that I am considered staff because I am an instructor for a stats recitation course.

Karen got to meet Matt, my differential equations instructor from this summer, and we got to meet his wife and kids.

MATT to KAREN: Tyler is one of the best students I’ve ever had. No, he actually is the best. I have never been asked so many questions by one student before. He knows me better than I know myself.

Of course, how do you respond to something like that? I was embarrassed for a moment.

MATT: I mean, you know what his grade was. What was his grade?

KAREN: (slight hesitation) It was a 4.0!

MATT: Exactly!

On our way to finding a table, we passed by two of my three teachers this semester, both of which were seated together—Yan Sun, my probability teacher; and Guifang Fu, my linear regression teacher. Guifang was very surprised to see me, so she stopped us.

GUIFANG: What is your name again?

ME: Tyler.

GUIFANG: I didn’t know you were part of our department. What do you do?

ME: Yeah, I’m a recitation leader for Stat 2300.

GUIFANG: Oh, so you’re part of our department, then?

ME: Yep!

Guifang and Yan spoke with us for a bit as they met Karen and Rich. Guifang tried to say hi to Rich, but he cried—his general response to every stranger tonight.

It was kind of weird seeing my current professors in attendance at the dinner because...they’re my current professors. But it was awesome! We enjoyed getting to know a few people better, and I think it was good for me to be exposed more to the amazing faculty and staff of the Math/Stat department. There were probably 60-ish people in attendance.