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| − | + | [[Category:Site]] | |
| − | + | This has been a stressful semester, probably making it my least favorite at [[MIT]]. Why? A bunch of reasons. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | This | + | |
| − | == | + | ==Benchmarking== |
| − | + | I think the biggest difference is that I coveted more the things which others coveted. Whereas I was comfortable with the level of my coding ability and grades in prior semesters, I felt much more pressure this semester to improve my performance to be more like the other students. Whereas before I was happy to buck the trend and spurn the things most other students valued, I tried to join the pack this semester. For example, I had wanted to improve my academic performance, especially in CS classes. That made it particularly stressful. | |
| − | I | + | I also spent a great deal of time worrying about what distinguishes top performers from average students at MIT. Are they inherently smarter? Or did they make certain choices earlier? Do they have a head start since they have previous knowledge/exposure? Or is it something else? I was obsessed with benchmarking myself versus other students this semester. |
| − | [[File: | + | ==Classes== |
| + | [[File:Fall 2012 Pens.jpg|thumb|42 pens used this semester]] | ||
| + | [[File:Fall 2012 Paper.jpg|thumb|36" of paper]] | ||
| + | I was only taking 5 classes. But I did more "work" than last semester. As always, I tracked the amount of pens and paper I used. This semester I used 34 blue pens (for notetaking) and 8 black pens (for problem solving). Last semester, I took 7 classes but only used 27 blue pens and 2 black pens. That's a 44% increase in usage of pen ink! I used 36 inches of paper, versus 29 inches last semester. That includes both written and printed notes. | ||
| − | + | The grades focused paid off marginally; I ended up with a term GPA of 4.4, which did not budge my overall GPA which has been stuck on 4.3 for quite a few semesters. I ended up with an A in [[6.858 Security]], which was I was somewhat surprised by. I was doing ok on the exams, plus I didn't think our project was rigorous enough. But the professor really liked our project. I enjoyed the class, though I would replace the obscure research systems with more real life systems, like the ones from Security Now. I got a B- in [[6.046 Advanced Algorithms]] which really presently surprised me. I've traditionally gotten straight Cs in math-style classes because it's not really my way of thinking. I was worried about even passing, but the B- made me pretty happy. I ended up with a point under the average on the final! [[STS.085 Technology Ethics]] was a great deal of fun, including the final [[copyright project]]. I ended up with an A-. [[14.72 Capitalism and its Critics]] was a difficult, but intellectually stimulating exercise in philosophy. The class' material was not what I expected going in, but I had fun being in the class with my friend. I ended up with an A- as well. However, I ended up with a C in [[7.012 Biology]]. I am super upset about this. It's not that I didn’t put time into it, I certainly did try. The concepts felt challenging at first; but I got help from my Bio friend, and things started making sense the more I studied them. It was a good intellectual challenge, that I thought I had mastered to a large extent. Much of the disappointment here is that I was competing with Freshmen. Plus, I had gotten Cs in all my freshmen classes. Had I learned nothing at MIT in meta/problem solving skills??? I feel much better at problem solving since freshmen years, but the data didn't seem to show it. Had I got a B, I would have a 4.6 GPA for the term, which would have been tied for my max term GPA. Plus, I would have had a monotonically increasing yearly GPA - though there is still time for that! | |
| − | + | I noticed I ended up doing homework more on my own this semester. I remember writing the opposite last semester. I don’t fully know why the changed happened. I think the nature of the work was different. In addition, all of the people I lived next to this semester at Baker House have been super amazing. I don’t know how I can match living at Baker House from both a physical perspective and intellectual perspective ever in my life again! | |
| − | + | ==Baker President== | |
| + | Being [[Baker President]] was more stressful this semester, for a number of reasons. It seems like with everything we did, we ran into problems - way more than other semesters. I'm kinda glad my term is over at the end of [[IAP]]. Being President of Baker was still a great experience - in terms of building a team, supervising people, building connections, and engaging stakeholders. It was certainly worth the trouble for the experience. The [[Rooming Review]], [[Security Plan]], [[CPW]], [[REX]], and all our events were tons of fun. We had [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632328754537/ dodgeball], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632332642246/ a magic show], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632332687318/ a winter formal], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632328857523/ a Poker Tournament], and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632332669180/ Iron Chef], among others. I'm super proud of my core team - I could not have done it without the dedicated group of volunteers on Baker Exec. Plus we had some good results: Baker had the [http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N33/graphics/housing-lotteryresults.html highest retention rate of any dorm during FYRE]; a large improvement in our performance from prior years. In addition, students that lived in Baker rated their [http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N59/pressure/breakdown/residence/index.htm happiness the highest of any living group at MIT]. | ||
| − | == | + | ==Next Term== |
| − | + | Next term will be my last term at MIT. I have 4 required classes left, plus a paper. For my management degree, I have to take either [[15.053 or 15.058 Linear Programming/Optimization]], as well as [[15.075 Statistical Thinking and Data Analysis]]. For Course 6, I need to take one more AUS or CS Lab class; I am looking at [[6.170 Software Studio]] most closely, with [[6.814 Databases]] as an option. I also need to do an [[AUP]]. I am planning on working on something relating to [https://panopticlick.eff.org/ Penopticlick] with [http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/hal/hal.html Prof. Hal Abelson]. I also need to take one more HASS-D. I am looking at [[4.605 History of Architecture|4.605, the History of Architecture]], with [[21H.142 The Age of Reason]] as a fallback. I also want to take a [[Harvard]] class, but I am unsure which one and if I can get the logistics to work. | |
| − | + | ==After MIT== | |
| + | In part this semester was stressful was because I was looking for a job in [[Silicon Valley/Bay Area]]. This turned out to be much more difficult than I was anticipating, and took far longer than I had planned. I was looking for something more unique than a standard developer role. But, I also didn't know exactly what I wanted. Some of my most favorite internships have been from jobs that were custom crafted - they certainly weren't posted externally. This necessitated an expansive search, which took a great deal of time. Also, I focused on Silicon Valley, which was more difficult because I had no experience there, since I had taken a more circular route, thinking it would provide a valuable perspective. I thought this would ultimately add more value, but I think most didn’t see it that way, since that was not their own background. Also leaving MIT for interviews, for even one day during the semester, was very hard since I had to squeeze the weeks' work into 4 days. I visited San Francisco [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632332609118/ once], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632332661934/ twice], and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157632328852205/ Bozeman, MT]. | ||
| − | + | In addition, full-time recruiting was different since things felt so much more permanent. Companies has much longer interview cycles, and companies are less willing to take a chance. For me, making a decision to specialize somewhere was much more difficult thank picking an internship, where I valued diversity. I spent a lot of time thinking and rethinking which route I wanted to take. Even after 6 internships at a variety of places from state-owned to self-owned, 250,000 employees to 10 employees, Fortune 100s to startups, tech to banking, etc, I'm not 100% confident of the way I want to go. I wrote this long paper [[What Drives Me and What I Want to Do]] at the start of my search, but it was of little practical help. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | What standard do you use to judge an opportunity? Do you go to the place that matches your strengths or that you have the most to learn from? Do you go where you can learn the most or where you can add the most value? Do you care about the long term path that each position puts you on? If someone offers to let you skip the usual prerequisites is that as a good offer, or do the prereqs provide valuable perspective? What parts of the job do you value? Responsibility? Ability to problem solve? What aspects matter the most? One opportunity looks better under one metric than another. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | I'm almost certain I want a PM role over a development role - having experienced both. I'm still happy I did both a technical and business path. While the problem solving of engineering is fun - it's not what really excites me. However, it's important that I keep my tech skills to notch. But what gets you more experience? A strategy role at a 10 person firm, a 100 person firm, or a 100,000 person firm? They both offer a different experience and put you on a different long-term path. One can always switch paths, though it’s more difficult. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | I | + | In the end, I looked at where I had chosen to naturally spend my time at MIT. What did I reach for when I had a spare moment? What decisions felt right for me at the time - when I was not obsessing over every pro and con? Ultimately I ended up taking a role as a Product Strategy Manager at Oracle in their Cloud Customer Experience apps department. [[Why Oracle]]. At Oracle I can help companies develop great customer experiences. I think I have a lot to learn from Oracle - how to develop strategy, how to build valuations, etc. |
| − | + | I think part of the reason Oracle chose me was because of the unique perspective I can add. A good manager must balance fitting in and standing out. I'm not there to accept at face value the way Oracle has always done things. Many existing conventions are valuable, but leader must also know where to push the envelope and establish thought leadership. Plus, I don't intent on becoming complacent. Even if it is just on the side, it's very important to keep my spark alive and to continue to keep up my skills in tech and product management on the cutting edge. | |
| + | |||
| + | I am not 100% confident that I made the right choice. I've had a few people try to talk me out of my decision. It's probably 80% of what I want. It's the riskiest approach: it could either be super great or super lame. I think I have the most to learn here, which I could not learn elsewhere. My perspective on all this changes day by day, though I'm trying to avoid the recency bias. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Winter Break== | ||
| + | I've been super busy over the past two weeks, since school ended. I've been wrapping up my work for the semester, studying programming, and preparing [[MBA Applications|MBA school applications]]. Some MBA schools let one apply now, and then, if accepted, you have an option to attend starting in two years. This ended up being much harder than I thought, but I ended up thinking a good deal more about my future plans, writing and rewriting the essays. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Stanford asked me "[[What Matters to You and Why]]" and "[[What Do You Want To Do - Really!]]" I wrote that I enjoy building manufactured experiences - building well-engineered experiences that surprise and delight users, and have a natural business case. The two flanks of that which I also enjoy are problem solving/engineering and the technocratic aspects of management. I think this is a good metric to keep in mind. I still think my decision would be the same, regardless. I also wrote [[What Did You Do Well]] and [[What Is Something You WIsh You Did Better]] for HBS. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==IAP/San Francisco== | ||
| + | My goal for this [[IAP]] is to get much better at programming. MIT Computer Science teaches you about the big concepts, but less of the more practical aspects of it. Plus, I spent a good deal of time at MIT focusing on the management side of my education both at MIT and in internships. I ended up getting an externship at [[CardSpring]], a [[San Francisco]] start-up that helps companies set call backs on the use of credit cards. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I am staying at this Hacker Hostel in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco. It's a great neighborhood. The people the first day were ok, but the people now are much better. There are plenty of interesting conversations. Living with others in the same room turned out to be not quite as bad as I thought. However, the place is a bit dirty and cold - which detracts from the experience [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I'm also concertedly trying to live differently than I do at MIT. At MIT my life is all about productivity. I feel bad about not spending time checking things off my to-do list. My goal for IAP is to engage in more intellectual conversations than just crunch through a stack of work. I am certainly more of a planner than a spontaneous person. I've already noticed my personality changing - being less time pressured and gravitating more to valuable experiences. Being spontaneous is kinda fun..! I've noticed most others at MIT are more spontaneous. Would it help me improve my skills more than my aggressively trying to crunch through work? (Thinking about benchmarking again…) I settled into that work-drive drive through [[Learning to Learn]] and [[Working Out a System]] - and I've been afraid I'll end up even worse by switching. It would probably be better for me to pick up the hard topics, but time is just the problem at MIT! Will my personality change back with the pressures of MIT? | ||
| + | |||
| + | At MIT, I've just never hung out much with the programming community. I always ascribed this due to not having time - I always wanted to be more connected with the folks in SIPB - I just subconsciously ended up making other choices at MIT. I never really get into that community really. Was that the right choice? Should I have lived in EC? I think my perspective would have been very different - because I would have had different friends… But on the other hand I said coming into MIT that I had no interest in inventing a 5% improvement in compression. Other MIT students would have loved to use some obscure math principle to make an incremental improvement in an existing technology. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I had a great first week at [[CardSpring]]. I'm really happy they are giving me a shot this IAP. I've worked there three days and it's been fun to listen in with what is going on. Everyone is super smart - on both the tech and business sides. Everything is leaner - things get done. Though tech challenges are mostly around scaling up the system, edge cases, etc. However, everything seems to be about engineering prowess - which is intellectually challenging. It’s also very interesting just to sit in the office and watch them work - from an anthropological perspective. There is a lot to learn, but I think I am learning the material and fitting in better than I expected. I think I undersold my coding ability over the last semester - I just needed a 2 week refresher and update on the latest material. It is interesting to reenter this world I have not focused on, but I still think I prefer PM over software engineering. | ||
| + | |||
| + | There really is this feeling of scrappiness and problem-solving here - that is missing in many other organizations. On one hand it just seem to fit my culture more. I hope to be able to bring some of that spirit to my future experiences. I wish I could be more like that. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Still I'm really enjoying my time here in San Francisco. I'm meeting new cool people everyday - at a rate far higher than anywhere else that I have lived! Plus, I am meeting up with my existing friends - I have something planned with a friend pretty much every day this week! I'm super glad I chose to come to San Francisco after MIT! | ||
| + | |||
| + | I'm trying to find an apartment with someone else from the tech community, not just since it's cheaper, but to keep me from becoming isolated. Originally this turned out more difficult than I was expecting, since way fewer of my friends are going to San Francisco, than I imagined. But in the past few days I now have 2-3 serious possibilities, but no slam dunk. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Closing== | ||
| + | This semester my self confidence was at an all time low. MIT is hard. It's especially hard since you are competing with the best. Plus, one tends to comparing themselves against the best of others - taking the very best aspect of each person and combining it into this mythical person. However, San Francisco has brought back some my perspective. Things still ended up pretty good! My term GPA ended up pretty good. By many measures, I ended up with a very good job, even if it was not exactly what I had in mind at the start of the term. | ||
| + | --[[User:ThePlaz|ThePlaz]] 02:21, 8 January 2013 (EST) | ||
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Revision as of 07:21, 8 January 2013
Welcome to ThePlaz.com
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1/7/2013 Winter Personal Update
This has been a stressful semester, probably making it my least favorite at MIT. Why? A bunch of reasons.
Benchmarking
I think the biggest difference is that I coveted more the things which others coveted. Whereas I was comfortable with the level of my coding ability and grades in prior semesters, I felt much more pressure this semester to improve my performance to be more like the other students. Whereas before I was happy to buck the trend and spurn the things most other students valued, I tried to join the pack this semester. For example, I had wanted to improve my academic performance, especially in CS classes. That made it particularly stressful.
I also spent a great deal of time worrying about what distinguishes top performers from average students at MIT. Are they inherently smarter? Or did they make certain choices earlier? Do they have a head start since they have previous knowledge/exposure? Or is it something else? I was obsessed with benchmarking myself versus other students this semester.
Classes
I was only taking 5 classes. But I did more "work" than last semester. As always, I tracked the amount of pens and paper I used. This semester I used 34 blue pens (for notetaking) and 8 black pens (for problem solving). Last semester, I took 7 classes but only used 27 blue pens and 2 black pens. That's a 44% increase in usage of pen ink! I used 36 inches of paper, versus 29 inches last semester. That includes both written and printed notes.
The grades focused paid off marginally; I ended up with a term GPA of 4.4, which did not budge my overall GPA which has been stuck on 4.3 for quite a few semesters. I ended up with an A in 6.858 Security, which was I was somewhat surprised by. I was doing ok on the exams, plus I didn't think our project was rigorous enough. But the professor really liked our project. I enjoyed the class, though I would replace the obscure research systems with more real life systems, like the ones from Security Now. I got a B- in 6.046 Advanced Algorithms which really presently surprised me. I've traditionally gotten straight Cs in math-style classes because it's not really my way of thinking. I was worried about even passing, but the B- made me pretty happy. I ended up with a point under the average on the final! STS.085 Technology Ethics was a great deal of fun, including the final copyright project. I ended up with an A-. 14.72 Capitalism and its Critics was a difficult, but intellectually stimulating exercise in philosophy. The class' material was not what I expected going in, but I had fun being in the class with my friend. I ended up with an A- as well. However, I ended up with a C in 7.012 Biology. I am super upset about this. It's not that I didn’t put time into it, I certainly did try. The concepts felt challenging at first; but I got help from my Bio friend, and things started making sense the more I studied them. It was a good intellectual challenge, that I thought I had mastered to a large extent. Much of the disappointment here is that I was competing with Freshmen. Plus, I had gotten Cs in all my freshmen classes. Had I learned nothing at MIT in meta/problem solving skills??? I feel much better at problem solving since freshmen years, but the data didn't seem to show it. Had I got a B, I would have a 4.6 GPA for the term, which would have been tied for my max term GPA. Plus, I would have had a monotonically increasing yearly GPA - though there is still time for that!
I noticed I ended up doing homework more on my own this semester. I remember writing the opposite last semester. I don’t fully know why the changed happened. I think the nature of the work was different. In addition, all of the people I lived next to this semester at Baker House have been super amazing. I don’t know how I can match living at Baker House from both a physical perspective and intellectual perspective ever in my life again!
Baker President
Being Baker President was more stressful this semester, for a number of reasons. It seems like with everything we did, we ran into problems - way more than other semesters. I'm kinda glad my term is over at the end of IAP. Being President of Baker was still a great experience - in terms of building a team, supervising people, building connections, and engaging stakeholders. It was certainly worth the trouble for the experience. The Rooming Review, Security Plan, CPW, REX, and all our events were tons of fun. We had dodgeball, a magic show, a winter formal, a Poker Tournament, and Iron Chef, among others. I'm super proud of my core team - I could not have done it without the dedicated group of volunteers on Baker Exec. Plus we had some good results: Baker had the highest retention rate of any dorm during FYRE; a large improvement in our performance from prior years. In addition, students that lived in Baker rated their happiness the highest of any living group at MIT.
Next Term
Next term will be my last term at MIT. I have 4 required classes left, plus a paper. For my management degree, I have to take either 15.053 or 15.058 Linear Programming/Optimization, as well as 15.075 Statistical Thinking and Data Analysis. For Course 6, I need to take one more AUS or CS Lab class; I am looking at 6.170 Software Studio most closely, with 6.814 Databases as an option. I also need to do an AUP. I am planning on working on something relating to Penopticlick with Prof. Hal Abelson. I also need to take one more HASS-D. I am looking at 4.605, the History of Architecture, with 21H.142 The Age of Reason as a fallback. I also want to take a Harvard class, but I am unsure which one and if I can get the logistics to work.
After MIT
In part this semester was stressful was because I was looking for a job in Silicon Valley/Bay Area. This turned out to be much more difficult than I was anticipating, and took far longer than I had planned. I was looking for something more unique than a standard developer role. But, I also didn't know exactly what I wanted. Some of my most favorite internships have been from jobs that were custom crafted - they certainly weren't posted externally. This necessitated an expansive search, which took a great deal of time. Also, I focused on Silicon Valley, which was more difficult because I had no experience there, since I had taken a more circular route, thinking it would provide a valuable perspective. I thought this would ultimately add more value, but I think most didn’t see it that way, since that was not their own background. Also leaving MIT for interviews, for even one day during the semester, was very hard since I had to squeeze the weeks' work into 4 days. I visited San Francisco once, twice, and Bozeman, MT.
In addition, full-time recruiting was different since things felt so much more permanent. Companies has much longer interview cycles, and companies are less willing to take a chance. For me, making a decision to specialize somewhere was much more difficult thank picking an internship, where I valued diversity. I spent a lot of time thinking and rethinking which route I wanted to take. Even after 6 internships at a variety of places from state-owned to self-owned, 250,000 employees to 10 employees, Fortune 100s to startups, tech to banking, etc, I'm not 100% confident of the way I want to go. I wrote this long paper What Drives Me and What I Want to Do at the start of my search, but it was of little practical help.
What standard do you use to judge an opportunity? Do you go to the place that matches your strengths or that you have the most to learn from? Do you go where you can learn the most or where you can add the most value? Do you care about the long term path that each position puts you on? If someone offers to let you skip the usual prerequisites is that as a good offer, or do the prereqs provide valuable perspective? What parts of the job do you value? Responsibility? Ability to problem solve? What aspects matter the most? One opportunity looks better under one metric than another.
I'm almost certain I want a PM role over a development role - having experienced both. I'm still happy I did both a technical and business path. While the problem solving of engineering is fun - it's not what really excites me. However, it's important that I keep my tech skills to notch. But what gets you more experience? A strategy role at a 10 person firm, a 100 person firm, or a 100,000 person firm? They both offer a different experience and put you on a different long-term path. One can always switch paths, though it’s more difficult.
In the end, I looked at where I had chosen to naturally spend my time at MIT. What did I reach for when I had a spare moment? What decisions felt right for me at the time - when I was not obsessing over every pro and con? Ultimately I ended up taking a role as a Product Strategy Manager at Oracle in their Cloud Customer Experience apps department. Why Oracle. At Oracle I can help companies develop great customer experiences. I think I have a lot to learn from Oracle - how to develop strategy, how to build valuations, etc.
I think part of the reason Oracle chose me was because of the unique perspective I can add. A good manager must balance fitting in and standing out. I'm not there to accept at face value the way Oracle has always done things. Many existing conventions are valuable, but leader must also know where to push the envelope and establish thought leadership. Plus, I don't intent on becoming complacent. Even if it is just on the side, it's very important to keep my spark alive and to continue to keep up my skills in tech and product management on the cutting edge.
I am not 100% confident that I made the right choice. I've had a few people try to talk me out of my decision. It's probably 80% of what I want. It's the riskiest approach: it could either be super great or super lame. I think I have the most to learn here, which I could not learn elsewhere. My perspective on all this changes day by day, though I'm trying to avoid the recency bias.
Winter Break
I've been super busy over the past two weeks, since school ended. I've been wrapping up my work for the semester, studying programming, and preparing MBA school applications. Some MBA schools let one apply now, and then, if accepted, you have an option to attend starting in two years. This ended up being much harder than I thought, but I ended up thinking a good deal more about my future plans, writing and rewriting the essays.
Stanford asked me "What Matters to You and Why" and "What Do You Want To Do - Really!" I wrote that I enjoy building manufactured experiences - building well-engineered experiences that surprise and delight users, and have a natural business case. The two flanks of that which I also enjoy are problem solving/engineering and the technocratic aspects of management. I think this is a good metric to keep in mind. I still think my decision would be the same, regardless. I also wrote What Did You Do Well and What Is Something You WIsh You Did Better for HBS.
IAP/San Francisco
My goal for this IAP is to get much better at programming. MIT Computer Science teaches you about the big concepts, but less of the more practical aspects of it. Plus, I spent a good deal of time at MIT focusing on the management side of my education both at MIT and in internships. I ended up getting an externship at CardSpring, a San Francisco start-up that helps companies set call backs on the use of credit cards.
I am staying at this Hacker Hostel in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco. It's a great neighborhood. The people the first day were ok, but the people now are much better. There are plenty of interesting conversations. Living with others in the same room turned out to be not quite as bad as I thought. However, the place is a bit dirty and cold - which detracts from the experience [1].
I'm also concertedly trying to live differently than I do at MIT. At MIT my life is all about productivity. I feel bad about not spending time checking things off my to-do list. My goal for IAP is to engage in more intellectual conversations than just crunch through a stack of work. I am certainly more of a planner than a spontaneous person. I've already noticed my personality changing - being less time pressured and gravitating more to valuable experiences. Being spontaneous is kinda fun..! I've noticed most others at MIT are more spontaneous. Would it help me improve my skills more than my aggressively trying to crunch through work? (Thinking about benchmarking again…) I settled into that work-drive drive through Learning to Learn and Working Out a System - and I've been afraid I'll end up even worse by switching. It would probably be better for me to pick up the hard topics, but time is just the problem at MIT! Will my personality change back with the pressures of MIT?
At MIT, I've just never hung out much with the programming community. I always ascribed this due to not having time - I always wanted to be more connected with the folks in SIPB - I just subconsciously ended up making other choices at MIT. I never really get into that community really. Was that the right choice? Should I have lived in EC? I think my perspective would have been very different - because I would have had different friends… But on the other hand I said coming into MIT that I had no interest in inventing a 5% improvement in compression. Other MIT students would have loved to use some obscure math principle to make an incremental improvement in an existing technology.
I had a great first week at CardSpring. I'm really happy they are giving me a shot this IAP. I've worked there three days and it's been fun to listen in with what is going on. Everyone is super smart - on both the tech and business sides. Everything is leaner - things get done. Though tech challenges are mostly around scaling up the system, edge cases, etc. However, everything seems to be about engineering prowess - which is intellectually challenging. It’s also very interesting just to sit in the office and watch them work - from an anthropological perspective. There is a lot to learn, but I think I am learning the material and fitting in better than I expected. I think I undersold my coding ability over the last semester - I just needed a 2 week refresher and update on the latest material. It is interesting to reenter this world I have not focused on, but I still think I prefer PM over software engineering.
There really is this feeling of scrappiness and problem-solving here - that is missing in many other organizations. On one hand it just seem to fit my culture more. I hope to be able to bring some of that spirit to my future experiences. I wish I could be more like that.
Still I'm really enjoying my time here in San Francisco. I'm meeting new cool people everyday - at a rate far higher than anywhere else that I have lived! Plus, I am meeting up with my existing friends - I have something planned with a friend pretty much every day this week! I'm super glad I chose to come to San Francisco after MIT!
I'm trying to find an apartment with someone else from the tech community, not just since it's cheaper, but to keep me from becoming isolated. Originally this turned out more difficult than I was expecting, since way fewer of my friends are going to San Francisco, than I imagined. But in the past few days I now have 2-3 serious possibilities, but no slam dunk.
Closing
This semester my self confidence was at an all time low. MIT is hard. It's especially hard since you are competing with the best. Plus, one tends to comparing themselves against the best of others - taking the very best aspect of each person and combining it into this mythical person. However, San Francisco has brought back some my perspective. Things still ended up pretty good! My term GPA ended up pretty good. By many measures, I ended up with a very good job, even if it was not exactly what I had in mind at the start of the term.
--ThePlaz 02:21, 8 January 2013 (EST)
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[[Image:Nuvola apps important.png|25px|left]] 9/9/2012 Back to School Personal Update
We are one week into classes at MIT. Well 3 days into classes.
[[File:MIT Senior Fall-Schedule.png|thumb|Fall 2012 Schedule]] =====Classes===== This means I have had about one session of each class. [[7.012|7.012 Bio]] looks interesting. You have to get there 15 minutes early to get a seat. We will see how long that lasts. Plus the Professors said they are focusing on learning the patterns, not memorizing. [[6.858|6.858 Computer Security]] started out with a lecture on the systemic aspects of security - something I am familiar with. [[2.009|2.009 Product Design]] seems like a fun lecture, but I don't know if I want to put the time into the projects, let alone the homework. [[14.72|14.72 Capitalism and its Critics]] had some interesting reading - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead The Fountainhead] - which is about individualism. Ted, one of my friends, pulled me into his [[15.495|15.495 Quantitative Finance]] class. I'm not that into making money via hedge funds and the like - so while it would be interesting to learn, I don't think I will take it. [[6.046|6.046 Algorithms]] looks like it will be hard, especially since they require formal proofs. I am still not really comfortable with that. [[STS.085|STS.085 Internet Policy]] seems really fun. We have Hal Abelson, as well as Danny Weitzner, the former Deputy CTO for Internet Policy in the Obama White House, and Alan Davidson, the former Head of Public Policy at Google. While I seem to already be familiar with much of the classes' material, it will be a fun semester to dive deeper with these lecturers. My new [[iPad]] is turning out pretty handy both during the school day, and reading/studying back home since I am easily able to assess supplemental material.
=====Baker REX===== Before classes started, I had already been on campus for over a week and a half (since 8/23). I've been on campus so long, because as [[Baker President]], I had to entertain over 130 freshmen living in [[Baker House]], plus the others who came to visit, during "[[Residence Exploration Week]]" or REX.
I think we had a tremendous REX. [[CPW]] and REX are our opportunities to brand Baker for the new students and establish the tone for the upcoming year. We made signs and banners to advertise our events - all in the same visual identity as the rest of Baker. We played music all weekend to try and liven up the campus area.
[[File:Baker Skyline 2012.jpg|thumb|Baker Skyline 2012]]
We gave out over [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475720082/ 300 servings of Ice Cream and give tours to about 100 people]. We had about [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475727258/ 30 parents at our 2 parents events]. I think most parents came during CPW and didn't want to go to the same event twice. About [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475731748/ 200-250 people came to our stargazing event] thrown by our former astronaut and Housemaster, Jeff Hoffman. We had to move Sunrise inside due to the rain, but I think we still did about [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475743032/ 200-250 servings of waffles and freshly squeezed orange juice]. It takes the dining hall about a month to go through that much waffle batter. Over [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475737402/ 740 people came to our party Skyline] - a record I think! (The school newspaper ''The Tech'' called it "boring" and "not well attended". [http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N34/review.html] I'm not sure where they get their facts from.) On the other hand, Baker Confidential, a new event imposed system-wide by MIT Housing, was a total disaster. The administration also handed out meal tickets to other groups during that time who didn't respect our event. However, overall we had one of the highest retention rates ever - only [http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N33/housing.html 4 out of 130] people wanted to leave Baker. Normally, we have about 10 out of 100 wanted to leave.
Rooming also went pretty well. We added a [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475750642/ BBQ outside] to allow people to mingle and find their roommates and people they want to live near. For the BBQ we used our dining hall, Bon Appetite to provide pre-prepared food that we just had to cook. To stand out from the other groups, we also did better food than hot dogs and hamburgers. This all worked out pretty well. We had some icebreakers prepared - but everyone seemed to get along so well we didn't have to use them. I also redid the [[:File:Baker Rooming Sheets.pdf|rooming forms]] so the instructions would be more clear. That was a fun exercise in information design. We took 4 hours to do the [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475756146/ actual rooming]. We were trying to design the floors such that the majority of the people would be happy. I think we largely succeeded. We had 2 rooms that were very unhappy, and a further 2-3 rooms that were somewhat unhappy. We were able to move the very unhappy rooms so that they were then happy with their situation.
Overall, I am really happy how the everyone worked together to make the events come together and be a big success. We did a much larger volume than most of the other dorms and it’s a challenge to move this many people through at such high volumes. We only had a few hiccups - the little details have degraded our REX events in the past. For example, we had a steady supply of cold drinks all night, arranged in an organized fashion.
=====Disney===== I enjoyed my time at [[Disney]]. I got first hand experience in how Disney manages its [[Disney Parks and Resorts Online|Parks and Resorts Online]] operations. I got to think about not only the low level, concrete stuff (how often you release) but the larger strategy issues about team size, use of contractors, and team organization. I also had incredible freedom to explore. I met with MIT alumni around Disney, including both executives and recent graduates. I really enjoyed doing these meetings and I think it was pretty informative to learn about the different divisions of Disney. On really busy days, Disney has this program called Cross-U where office workers can work in the park. I did that twice. I also learned about Disney's attention to detail in how they develop products - both on our websites and in the actual parks.
On the other hand, WDPRO had mostly people who were in the later stage of their career because they enjoyed the 9-5 aspect of the work and the stability of working for a large company. I think I am looking for something a little different coming out of school. I think the right moment for me at Disney is later on - I think it would be fun to be a VP - but how do I get there? What is the best intermediate step? It could be the right role at Disney - depending on what they offer.
=====Summer Photos===== At the end of my summer in LA, I drove down to [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475318912/ San Diego] and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475466592/ drove to Las Vegas] ([http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475487998/ Day 1] and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475502562/ Day 2]) and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475521972/ Primm]. My brother also came to visit and we saw [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475376322/ USC], the [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475383752/ Hollywood Sign], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475400250/ Magic Mountain], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475409074/ Pasadena], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475417922/ CalTech], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475437664/ Harvey Mudd], and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475445922/ UCLA]. I also went to [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475561240/ Disneyland] and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157631475586182/ California Adventure] one last time with my friend Eddie.
=====After MIT===== This is also the time where I need to think about what I want to do after school. I spent 6 hours thinking about what I liked about each of the 5 internships that I had. I came up with a [[What Drives Me and What I Want to Do|list of characteristics]]. I realized that almost all of the items were related to characteristics of the work environment, not the industry or job title. Now certainly each job implements each of the characteristics to a different extent, and this is something I have to think through. Here's a short summary:
- I want a challenging work environment
- The industry/work doesn’t matter as much as being pushed to learn something new and improve
- I want an all-consuming project that I want to stay late for and to be proud of
- A group of super smart peers to work with and motivate me to improve
- A team that complements each other and provides unique perspectives
- A boss that provides constant growth challenges
- Somewhere where I can add unique value and make an impact
- Somewhere I can take responsibility for my work
I have already gone to a few info sessions and submitted a good number of applications for a full time position. This seems to be what I am most excited about right now at MIT. Hopefully the work wraps up before classes get hard.
That's all for now, back to work for classes, Baker, and job apps.--[[User:ThePlaz|ThePlaz]] 11:09, 9 September 2012 (EDT) ''[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:ThePlaz&action=edit§ion=new Leave Plaz a (public) message] [[Image:File_icon.gif]] or [[User:ThePlaz:E-mail me|send me a (private) e-mail.]][[Image:Mail_icon.gif]]'', ''[http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThePlazPersonalUpdates Subscribe via RSS feed], ''[http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=786542 Subscribe via email]'', ''[http://friendfeed.com/theplaz Detailed feed]'', ''[[Old Updates|See past updates]]''
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[[Image:Nuvola apps kpovmodeler.png|30px]] [[AP Physics]] ''[[Science|(Science)]]''
{{OneNote Site|apphysics}}
- [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN48G1COdBI Rube Goldberg Machine on YouTube]
[[Image:Nuvola USA flag.png|30px]] [[AP US Government]] ''[[History|(History)]]''
{{OneNote Site|apusgov}}
[[Image:Nuvola_apps_package_wordprocessing.png|30px]] [[English 12]] ''[[English|(English)]]''
{{OneNote Site|humanities}}
- [[:Image:Literature in Review Dorian Gray.mp3|Dorian Gray Book Discussion Podcast]]
- [[:Image:Macbeth Podcast Michael Dan Greg.mp3|Macbeth Scene Performance Podcast]]
- [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKf9scuX1j8 Peter Paul Rubens Photo Story] (on YouTube)
- [[:Image:Senior_Project.doc|Senior Project: Electronic Voting Machine Insecurity]]
[[Image:Mr Mullen ThePlaz Shirt.JPG|270px]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps kbrunch.png|30px]] [[Calculus]] ''[[Math|(Math)]]''
{{OneNote Site|calculus}}
[[Image:Nuvola apps edu languages.png|30px]] [[AP Psychology]] ''[[Psychology|(Psychology)]]''
- [http://siggyappsy.pbwiki.com/ Teacher's Site] with review questions and notes
- [[LoveSick Erica Character Analysis]] Summer Reading
- [[AP Psychology Practice Question: Chapter 1: Experiments]]
- [[AP Psychology Chapter 4 Review]]
- Scholarly Papers Review
- [[Fitts' Law]]
- [[Union Steward's Self Confidence]]
- [[September 11th's Self Perceived Benefits]]
- [[Chapter 11 Assessment]]
- [[Snow White and the 7 Psychological Disorders]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps package editors.png|30px]] [[AP Micro Econ]] ''[[Economics|(Economics)]]''
- '''[[Micro Economics|See Notes]]'''
[[Image:Nuvola apps bug.png|30px]] [[Biology]] ''[[Science|(Science)]]''
- [http://www.havsd.net/~vpollard/ Teacher's Website]
- [[Biology Key Concepts]]
- [[Properties of Water: Penny Lab]]
- [[Antony van Leeuwenhoek]]
- [[Islands of Adventure is like a Cell]]
- [[Chapter 11: Intro to Genetics Study Guide]]
- [[:Image:Biology 12.1 Study Guide.doc|12.1 DNA]], [[:Image:Biology 12.2 and 12.3 Study Guide.doc|12.2 DNA Replication and 12.3 RNA Study Guides]]
- [[Chap 15 Darwin and Evolution Study Guide]]
- [[Chromosome 14 - Alzheimer Disease]]
- [[:Image:Meiosis Web Worksheet.pdf|Meiosis Web Worksheet]]
- [[:Image:Biology Evolution Notes.jpg|Evolution Notes]]
- [[:Image:Biology Classification Notes.png|Classification Notes]]
- [[:Image:Animals Found During Creek Exploration.pdf|Animals found During Creek Exploration]]
- [[:Image:Biology Final Review.jpg|Final Review (highlights from all chapters)]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps kmplot.png|30px]] [[PreCalc]] ''[[Math|(Math)]]''
- [[:Image:PreCalc_Syllabus_Page_1.JPG|Syllabus]], [[:Image:PreCalc_Syllabus_Page_2.JPG|Page 2]]
- [[:Image:PreCalc IS4 Identitiy Sheet Page 1.JPG|Identity Sheet]], [[:Image:PreCalc_Identity_Sheet_Page_2.JPG|Page 2]]
- [[:Image:PreCalc_Unit_Circle.JPG|Unit Circle]]
- [[:Image:PreCalc_Forumals_Sheet_Page_1.JPG|Forumals Sheet]], [[:Image:PreCalc_Forumals_Sheet_Page_2.JPG|Page 2]]
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 1|Chap 1: Functions]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 2 Part 1|Chap 2 Part 1: Polynomials]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 2 Part 2|Chap 2 Part 2: Rational Functions]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 3|Chap 3: Exponential and Log Functions]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 6|Chap 6: Vectors]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 7|Chap 7: Multivariable Systems]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 8|Chap 8: Sequences and Series]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Chap 9|Chap 9: Analytical Geometry]]'''
- '''[[:Category:PreCalc Final Review|Final Review]]'''
=====Chap 4===== ''(independent study)''
- [[:Image:Chapter_4_Test_Topics.JPG|Test Topics]]
- [[:Image:Chapter_4_Review_Page_1.JPG|Review]], [[:Image:Chapter_4_Review_Page_2.JPG|Page 2]], [[:Image:Chapter_4_Review_Page_3.JPG|Page 2]]
- [[:Image:Chapter_4_Review_2_Page_1.JPG|Review 2]], [[:Image:Chapter_4_Review_2_Page_2.JPG|Page 2]]
- Independent Study Withheld
- [[:Image:PreCalc_Chap_4_Part_2_More_Pratice_Page_1.JPG|Part 2 More Practice]], [[:Image:PreCalc_Chap_4_Part_2_More_Pratice_Page_2.JPG|Page 2]]
- [[:Image:PreCalc_Chap_4_Part_2_More_Pratice_After_Test_Page_1.JPG|Part 2 After Test]], [[:Image:PreCalc_Chap_4_Part_2_More_Pratice_After_Test_Page_2.JPG|Page 2]]
=====Chap 5===== ''(independent study)''
- Independent Study Withheld
=====Chap 5/6===== ''(independent study)''
- Independent Study Withheld
[[Image:Nuvola USA flag.png|30px]] [[American Studies]] ''[[History|(History)]]''
- '''[[American Studies/Projects|Projects]]'''
- '''[[American Studies/Projects|Notes]]''' from Out of Many Textbook
- '''[http://www.teachingsolutions.org/ftce.html FTCE test]''' : FTCE test failure reveals how to rip through the FTCE test.
- ''developed [[Headline Notetaking Format]]
[[Image:Nuvola USA flag pen.png|30px]] [[English 11]] ''[[English|(English)]]''
- [[Puritans in a New World: The Setting of The Scarlet Letter]]
- [[The Forest in The Scarlet Letter]]
- [[Pearl: A Byproduct of Sin]]
- [[Religion: Then and Now Group Project]]
- [[Grapes of Wrath Chapter 13]]
- [[Uncertainty in The Grapes of Wrath]]
- [[Think for Yourself: The Fallacy of Organized Religion in Huck Finn]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps edu mathematics.png|30px]] [[IAG 4H]] ''[[Math|(Math)]]''
- ''See [[:Category:IAG 4H]]
- '''[[IAG 4H All Work by Date]]'''
- [[:Category:High Dive|High Dive]]
- [[:Category:Rational Functions|Rational Functions]]
- [[:Category:World of Functions|World of Functions]]
- [[:Category:Small World Revived|Small World Revived]]
- [[:Category:IAG 4 Power Worksheets|Power Worksheets]]
- [[:Category:IAG 4 Independent Study|Independent Studies]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps edu science.png|30px]] [[Chemistry]] ''[[Science|(Science)]]''
- ''See [[Chemistry]] for a list of all work
- [[Chemistry#Matter and its Properties|Matter and its Properties]]
- [[Chemistry#Gas Laws|Gas Laws]]
- [[Chemistry#Atoms, Bonding, and the Periodic Table|Atoms, Bonding, and the Periodic Table]]
- [[Chemistry#Combinations and Reactions|Combinations and Reactions]]
- [[Chemistry#Acids and Bases|Acids and Bases]]
- [[Chemistry#Review|Final Review]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps package network.png|30px]] [[World Cultures]] ''[[History|(History)]]''
'''[[World Cultures Daily Questions]]''' ====Units====
- [[:Category:World Cultures Basics|Basics/Introduction]]
- [[:Category:World Cultures Africa|Africa]]
- [[:Category:World Cultures Middle East|Middle East]]
- [[:Category:World Cultures South Asia|South Asia]]
- [[:Category:World Cultures China|China]]
- [[:Category:World Cultures Japan|Japan]]
- [[:Category:World Cultures Korea|Korea]]
- [[:Category:World Cultures Latin America|Latin America]]
====Portfolio==== '''''See [[:Category:World Cultures Portfolio]]'''''
- Africa: [[HDI Graph Reflections]] - [[World Cultures Portfolio/Africa|Decolonization Report]]
- Middle East: [[World Cultures Portfolio/Middle East|Population Density Report]] - [[Middle East Essay|Essay: A Peaceful Vacation]]
- South Asia: [[World Cultures Portfolio/South Asia|Rainfall Report]] - [[:Image:South Asia Graph.JPG|South Asia Comparisons Graph]] - [[World Cultures Portfolio/Postcards|Postcards]]
- China: [[World Cultures Portfolio/China|Sphere of Influences Report]] - [[World Cultures Portfolio/Mao Button Journal|Mao Button Journal]]
- Japan: [[World Cultures Portfolio/Japan|Natural Resources Report]] - [[World Cultures Portfolio/Japanese Violence Journal|Japanese Violence Journal]]
- Korea: [[World Cultures Portfolio/Korea|Physical Map Report]]
- Latin America: [[World Cultures Portfolio/Latin America|Landforms Report]]
- Worldwide: [[World Cultures Portfolio/T-Shirt Trade|T-Shirt Trade Report]]
====Projects==== '''[[:Category:World Cultures Comparison Project|Comparisons (Final) Project on Globalization]] ([[World Cultures Comparison Project/Paper|Paper]], [[Globalization Video|Video]])'''
- [[:Category:Pitts Article|Pitts Article]]
- [[World Cultures News Articles|Category News Articles Project]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps korganizer.png|30px]] AP [[Macro Economics]] ''[[Economics|(Economics)]]''
- '''[[Macro Economics Complete List|Complete List]]'''
- [[:Category:ME Notes|Notes]]
- [[:Category:ME Study Questions|Study Questions]]
- [[:Category:ME Morton|Morton Activities]]
- [[:Category:ME Econ Live|Econ Live Activities]]
- [[:Category:ME Articles|Articles]]
- [[:Category:ME Other|Other]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps file-manager.png|30px]] [[English 10]] ''[[English|(English)]]''
[[Image:The Power of One Book Cover.jpg|right|75px]] [[Image:Cultures Paper Instructions Page 1.JPG|right|75px]] [[Image:Red Scarf Girl Cover.jpg|right|75px]] [[Image:Nectar in a Sieve Book Cover.jpg|right|75px]] [[Image:In Beautiful Disguises Book Cover.jpg|right|75px]] [[Image:Chinese Seamstress Cover.jpg|right|75px]]
- [[:Image:English 10 Syllabus Page 1.JPG|Syllabus]], [[:Image:English 10 Syllabus Page 2.JPG|Page 2]]
- '''[[English 10 by Date|English 10 Work by Date]]'''
- [[:Category:English 10 Vocab|Vocabulary]]
- [[:Category:English 10 Grammer|Grammar and Literary Elements]]
- [[:Category:English 10 Middle East Poetry|Middle East Poetry]]
====Projects/Papers====
- [[Red Scarf Girl SSR Project]]
- [[:Category:English 10 Response to Quote|Response to Quote Essay]]
- [[:Category:Cultures Project|Cultures Project/Paper on Religiously Motivated Laws]]
- [[Literary Criticisms Project]]
- [[Nectar in a Sieve|Nectar in a Sieve SSR Project]]
====Books====
- [[:Image:2006 Summer Reading List.pdf|The 2006 HHS Summer Reading List]]
- [[:Category:Power of One|The Power of One Book Center]]
- [[:Category:English 10 In Beautiful Disguises|In Beautiful Disguises Book]]
- [[:Category:Chinese Seamstress|Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Book]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps kig.png|30px]] [[IAG 3H]] ''[[Math|(Math)]]''
- ''See all at [[:Category:IAG 3H]]''
- [[:Image:IAG 3H Syllabus Page 1.JPG|Syllabus]], [[:Image:IAG 3H Syllabus Page 2.JPG|Page 2]]
- [[:Category:Fireworks Unit|Fireworks Unit]]
- [[:Category:Orchards Unit|Orchards Unit]]
- [[:Category:Small World Unit|Small World Unit]]
- [[:Category:Meadows or Malls Unit|Meadows or Malls Unit]]
- [[:Category:IAG 3H Final Review|IAG 3H Final Review]]
- [[:Category:Logic Puzzles|Logic Puzzles]]
- [[:Category:IAG Power|IAG Power Worksheets]]
- [[:Category:IAG 3H PSSA Practice|IAG 3H PSSA Practice]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps bookcase.png|30px]] [[English 9]] ''[[English|(English)]]''
[[Image:Chocolate War Book Cover.jpg|right|50px]] [[Image:The Chosen Book Cover.jpg|right|50px]] [[Image:Romeo and Juliet DVD Cover.jpg|right|50px]] [[Image:Antigone DVD Cover.jpg|right|50px]] =====Reserach Papers/Essays=====
- [[Hazing Paper|Bullying/Hazing Research Paper]]
- [[:Image:“The Many Benefits of the Industrial Revolution” Brochure Copy.doc|“The Many Benefits of the Industrial Revolution” Brochure Copy]]
- [[Romeo_and_Juliet_Book_Center#Essay|Is Romeo and Juliet still Relevant Today?]]
- [[Antigone_Book_Center#Essay|Is Antigone is more stubborn then Creon?]]
---- =====Projects and Lessons=====
- [[String|''Piece of String'' Short Story Project]]
- [[Comma Rules]] Lesson
---- =====Book Centers=====
- The ''[[Chocolate War]]'' Book Center
- [[The Chosen Book Center]]
- [[Romeo and Juliet Book Center]]
- [[Short Stories]] Unit
- [[Antigone Book Center]]
---- =====Homeworks=====
- [[:Image:Parody – The Spy Apprentice.doc|Parody – The Spy Apprentice]]
- [[:Image:Allegory and The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf.doc|Allegory and The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf]]
- [[:Image:Aries A Sonnet.doc|Aries: A Sonnet]]
- [[English Language Joke]]
- [[:Image:Bildungroman Notes.JPG|Bildungroman Notes]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps kverbos.png|30px]] [[Western Civ|Western Civ]] ''[[History|(History)]]''
=====Projects=====
- [[Philosophes]] Compare/Contrast Slideshow and Essay
- [[French Revolution Timeline]]
- [[Germany Unification]] Timeline
- [[Russian Revolution Lesson Group Project]]
---- =====Outlines=====
- [[:Image:Chapter 6.1 - The Scientific Revolution Outline.doc|Chapter 6.1 - The Scientific Revolution]]
- [[:Image:Chapter 6.3 – Spread of Enlightenment Ideas Web Outline.doc|Chapter 6.3 – Spread of Enlightenment Ideas]]
- [[:Image:Chap 9.1 Beginnings of Industrialization Outline.doc|Chap 9.1 Beginnings of Industrialization]]
- [[Chap 11.2 – Imperialism and Nigerian Case Study Notes and Outline]]
- [[:Image:Chap 13.3 Outline – The World At War.doc|Chap 13.3 – The World At War]]
---- =====Maps and Creative===== [[Image:French Revolution Napoleon-peque.jpg|120px|right]]
- [[Ottoman Empire Acrostic]]
- Fictional [[German Troop Journal]]
- [[:Image:Despot Flyer.doc|Despot Flyer]]
- [[:Image:Political Cartoon.png|Louis-Phillipe Political Cartoon]]
- [[:Image:African Colonies Map.png|African Colonies Map I Made]]
- [[:Image:Group 1 – Napoleon’s Rise to Power Script.doc|Napoleon’s Rise to Power Script]]
- [[:Image:Letter from the Editor - Industrialization and Imperialism.doc|Letter from the Editor Re. Industrialization and Imperialism]]
---- =====Essays and Reports=====
- [[:Image:History Government Quiz.doc|Types of Government Quiz]] [[:Image:History Government Quiz Answers.doc|(answers)]]
- [[:Image:Europe – Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna.doc|Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna]]
- [[Chap 9-2 Group Project|Industrialization Group Project]]
- [[World War I without the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand]] - What would happen?
- [[:Image:Legacies- French Revolution and Congress of Vienna.ppt|Legacies of the French Revolution and Congress of Vienna SlideShow]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps edu phi.png|30px]] [[IPS]] ''[[Science|(Science)]]''
- [[Obstacle Course]] Unit 1 - Motion Obstacle Course design
- [[Sports Video]] Unit 2 - Forces NASCAR Video
- [[Electricty Handbook]] Unit 3 - HFE Home
[[Image:Nuvola_apps_kcalc.png|30px]] [[IAG 2H]] and [[IAG 1H]] ''[[Math|(Math)]]''
- [[:Image:Solve It - Prompt -1.doc|Solve It Prompt 1]]
- [[Bee's POW - You Must Be Wrong]]
- [[Math Will Rock My World - Extra Credit]]
{{Main Page:IAG1}}
[[Image:Nuvola_apps_kate.png|30px]] [[Latin]]
===[[Latin 3]]=== =====Projects=====
- [[Achilles Video]]
- [[Commodus Report]]
- [[Hyperbole]]
- [[Latin Fable|Latin Fable: Rana et Musca]]
=====Notes=====
- [[Scansion Notes]]
=====Journals===== Double Entry Journals have 2 components: What I Learned (a summery), and Personal Response (a reflection)
- [[English: The Miracle of Language]]
- [[Early Roman History]]
- [[Rome: Year One]]
- [[Rome: The Decline]]
- [[Subjugating Ancient Women]]
- [[Roles of Ancient Women]]
- [[Empowering Ancient Women]]
- [[The Fall of the Roman Empire]]
- [[Odyssey Part 1]]
- [[Odyssey Part 2]]
- [[Odyssey Part 3]]
- [[Dateline Troy Part 1]]
- [[Dateline Troy Part 2]]
- [[The Rage of Achilles]]
- [[The Olympian Gods: Another Perspective]] Extra Credit
===[[Latin 2]]=== =====Projects=====
- [[Roman Travel Project]]
- [[Sejanus]]
- [[Echo and Narcissus Myth]]
- [[The Journey of the Hero]]
=====Journals=====
- [[Origins of Latin and English]]
- [[Rome FAQ]]
- [[Roman History]]
- [[Augustus]]
- [[Roman Women]]
- [[Tiberius]]
- [[Caligula]]
- [[Claudius]]
- [[Nero]]
- [[Perseus Myth]]
- [[Hercules Myth]] Extra Credit
===[[Latin 1]]===
- Very Basic [[Latin Grammer Notes]]
- [[:Image:Roman Family - Double Entry Journal.pdf|Roman Family Note Sheet Project (PDF)]], [[:Image:Roman Family - Double Entry Journal.doc|(Word)]]
- [[:Image:Latin Nurse Poster.pdf|Latin in Nursing Interview Poster (PDF)]], [[:Image:Latin Nurse Poster.doc|(Word)]]
- Basic [[Latin Timeline]]
[[Image:Money-256x256.png|30px]] [[Entrepreneurship]] ''[[Business|(Business)]]''
{{OneNote Site|entrepreneurship}}
- [[:Image:InstantClinic Business Plan.pdf|Business Plan]] (and [[:Image:InstantClinic Presentation.pptx|Presentation]]) for InstantClinic - a convenience health care clinic
- [[:Image:Mark Zuckerberg.ppt|Mark Zuckerberg Presentation]]
- [[:Image:Build'A Pizza.pptx|Build A Pizza - Pizza Chain Business]]
[[Image:Nuvola apps personal.png|30px]] [[Business Law]] ''[[Business|(Business)]]''
{{OneNote Site|businesslaw}}
[[Image:Nuvola apps amarok.png|30px]] [[Pop Music]] ''[[Music Classes|(Music)]]''
- '''[[:File:Pop Music Binder.pdf|Binder]]'''
- [[Pop Music#Unit 0: Intro|Unit 0: Intro]]
- [[Pop Music#Unit 1: Elements|Unit 1: Elements]]
- [[Pop Music#Unit 2: Roots of Rock|Unit 2: Roots of Rock]]
- [[Pop Music#Unit 3: Vocal Harmony and the Producer|Unit 3: Vocal Harmony and the Producer]]
- [[Pop Music#Unit 4: British Invasion; Folk and Rock|Unit 4: British Invasion; Folk and Rock]]
- [[Pop Music#Unit 5: Counterculture and the Present|Unit 5: Counterculture and the Present]]
[[Image:Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png|30px]] [[Template:Main_Page:OtherSchool|Other]] [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:OtherSchool&action=edit edit]
{{Main_Page:OtherSchool}}
[[Image:Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png|30px]] [[8th Grade]]
- [[IAG 1]]
- [[Latin 1]]
- [[English 8]]
- [[Geography]]
- [[8th Grade Health]]
- [[8th Grade History]]
- [[8th Grade Science]]
- [[8th Grade Seminar]]
- [[8th Grade Tech Ed]]
[[Image:Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png|30px]] [[7th Grade]]
- [[7th Grade History|History]]
- [[Info Tech 7]]
- [[7th Grade LA|Language Arts]]
- [[7th Grade Math|Math]]
- [[7th Grade Science|Science]]
- [[7th Grade Spanish|Spanish]]
- [[7th Grade Music|Music]]
- [[7th Grade Sci-Sem|Sci-Sem]]
|width="45%" class="MainPageBG" style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; background:#f6ffff;border:1px solid #6495ed;vertical-align:top;"|
[[Image:Nuvola apps kuser.png|30px]] ''[[Template:Main_Page:About|About Me]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:About&action=edit edit]
{{Main_Page:About}} {{Main Page:Website Content}}
[[File:Theweeklyspin.png|30px]] ''[http://theweeklyspin.com The Weekly Spin]''
The Weekly Spin is a weekly rant about technology and tech policy with Michael Gdovin. We often cover the cell phone industry, the FCC, DRM, and Michael likes to throw in some Apple rumors.
Download the latest episodes: [http://theweeklyspin.com TheWeeklySpin.com] Audio Podcast
[[Image:Nuvola apps laptop pcmcia.png|30px]] ''[[Template:Main_Page:Student_Tools|Student Tools]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:Student_Tools&action=edit edit]
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[[Image:Nuvola apps knewsticker.png|30px]] ''[[Template:Main_Page:News|News]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:News&action=edit edit]
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[[Image:Nuvola apps multimedia.png|30px]] ''[[Template:Main_Page:Video|Video]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:Video&action=edit edit]
{{Main_Page:Video}}
[[Image:Tecker 911 Logo.png|110px]] ''[http://911.tecker.net Tecker 911]''
- ''[http://911.tecker.net Website]''
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=370 100: Troubleshooting Tips and A Look Back (Final Episode)]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=367 99: Picnik]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=364 98: Maps Roundup]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=363 97: OpenID]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=361 96: Basecamp]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=359 95: eBooks]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=357 94: Netflix]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=355 93: Learning to Program]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=353 92: Live Sync]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=351 91: Mint]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=349 90: Power Saving Tips]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=347 89: Reusing Old Computers]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=345 88: VLC]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=320 87: Digg]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=318 86: Watching TV Online]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=317 85: Geotagging Photos]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=315 84: iPhone]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=312 83: Google Earth]
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- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=303 79: Tablet PC]
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- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=281 77: Gmail]
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- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=276 75: What We Use]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=258 74: U3]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=256 73: Twitter]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=254 72: iWork]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=251 71: Digital TV Transition]
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- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=157 53: Speeding up Startup]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=154 52: Net Neutrality]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=127 51: Podcasting]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=125 50: Taking a Break]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=120 49: TiVo]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=117 48: OLPC]
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- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=109 44: Backup]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=106 43: Bluetooth]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=105 41: PayPal]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=104 40: DS vs PSP]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=103 39: Free Software]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=96 38: Mac]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=89 37: Burning ISOs]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=88 36: Facebook]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=87 35: Wii]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=86 34: File Zipping]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=85 33: Portable Apps]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=84 32: Web Hosting]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=83 31: Flickr]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=82 30: Haverford Township Day 2008]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=81 29: File and Printer Sharing]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=80 28: Truecrypt]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=79 27: Notebook Cards]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=78 26: Words: The Latin Dictionary]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=77 25: Behind the Scenes]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=76 24: Windows Movie Maker]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=75 23: Wikipedia Reliability]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=74 22: Firefox Add-Ons]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=72 21: Computer Storage]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=70 20: War Walking]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=69 19: Wifi]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=68 18: CollegeBoard.com Tools]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=71 17: Audacity]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=67 16: RSS]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=66 15: Destroying Stuff!]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=53 14: Ubuntu]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=49 13: Google Docs and Spreadsheets]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=49 12: Microsoft Office 2007]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=49 11: Windows Vista]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=49 10: LAN Party]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=48 9: MLA Formatting]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=39 8: TI-83+ on your Computer]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=37 7: Security Tips]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=37 6: YouTube on your iPod]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=36 5: Upgrading a PC]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=26 4: PowerSchool]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=25 3: Skype]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=24 2: Legal Music Downloading]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=22 1: Firefox]
- [http://911.tecker.net/?p=54 Mac, PC, Linux Ad]
- ''[[Tecker 911|Article]]''
[[Image:Nuvola filesystems camera.png|30px]] ''[[Template:Main_Page:Photos|Photos]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:Photos&action=edit edit]
{{Main_Page:Photos}}
[[Image:TI-83--rotated.png|65px]] ''[[:Category:TI|TI-83+ Stuff]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:TI&action=edit edit]
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[[Image:Nuvola apps kcmprocessor.png|30px]] ''[[Template:Main_Page:Tech|Tech Stuff]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:Tech&action=edit edit]
I am a lot into technology. Here are links to some of my web sites as well as modifications and how-to articles about other software. {{Main_Page:Tech}}
[[Image:Nuvola apps gaim.png|30px]] ''[[Template:Main_Page:Misc|Miscellaneous]]'' [http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:Misc&action=edit edit]
These are things I wrote for this site, but not required school work or are not tech things. {{Main_Page:Misc}}
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