Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I've finally completed my micro assignment, and now I have to worry about my research project, econometrics assignment and another macro assignment. Is there no end? Actually there is an end. I just hope that I'm there at the end of the day.
Work has become so... overpowering? Is that the right word? Now I view time in terms of assignments! When one is done, my first question is when is the next one due? Is that sad? But I think that every uni student would have gone through this phase, I'm just delayed and going through it now in honours. Bad thing? So many questions! And none of it is actually important but the ones my lecturers ask.
Speaking of lecturers, I just met up with my advisor and was shot down yet again because my topic was "not doable", but I guess its more of they aren't willing to supervise, which he did tell me in my face. On the bright side he offered me another topic which is similar to my original idea, and since its one of his research areas he said he could give me some help (I guess more help than an advisor would usually give). He did admit he was "using" me abit for his research, but I think that I'll probably be using him more than he is using me. I had question marks all over my head when he was talking, and now I have to read up and play catch up with the lecturer!
Dan
4:01 pm
Sunday, March 28, 2010
I was introduced to a card game yesterday called Nerds. It was so addictive that we spent 7 hours playing it yesterday! So I sit here now trying to complete my micro assignment before Tuesday so that I can enjoy another day of sports, followed by Easter! Looking forward to the break, though I can foresee work starting in middle of the holidays cause I need to get cracking on my research. I have a progress report due in 3 weeks and what progress have I made? Not much... well none actually. Not very impressive, I'm not impressed myself. When did work get so hard.
Dan
4:10 pm
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
For 3 years I was filled with anticipation, hoping and praying that I would get into the honours programme and now that I'm in, I'm not so sure I knew back then what I was actually wishing for.
I like a challenge, and honours would definitely give me that, plus it would help with my future job prospects (but...). I don't know what it is, maybe its the pressure of having to think of a research topic all on my own (and God knows how many have gone through my mind), the one I'm most proud of is "Incorporating expectations to model consumption behaviour in an overlapping generations framework", but the math and the theory that I have to use to back all that up is just way over my head. Not that it's not honours material, but my econometrics is sadly just not up to par. So I have to settle for "Immigration and its impact on wages".
Also, when I was doing my bachelors I always felt like the people around me weren't motivated enough. They were always slacking, putting things off to the last moment. Now, everybody is motivated, and not only that, we all think the same way!! After lecture today, I decided that I would go and visit my advance macro lecturer to discuss my research topic with her, since she mentioned in class that her consultation hours were quite free, and within 5 minutes there were 8 honours students there all with the same agenda! She directed me to another lecturer for a second opinion and as I walked along the corridor, I was amazed at how many honours students were having consultations with lecturers about research topics! I guess I really shouldn't be since this is what I'm supposed to be donig anyway, so I'm more of lagging behind than shocked that everyone is keeping pace with me.
This is me ranting having a 9am start and sleeping in every lecture I had today. I think I should have started this entry with that.
Dan
3:41 pm
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
First day of school today! And they did not go easy on us. Clearly the expectations of honours students are a lot higher. To start, our first day is a five and a half hour stretch of lectures without any breaks! I like how the coordinator takes a personal interest in the students welfare though, I suppose it is possible with a small class size. He suggested a honours welfare night (the terminology reminded me a lot of my army days), I recall that paintball, hand-gliding, skiing were among the options, but he doubted that the dean would approve of any, so he said it's most likely that we'd be going bowling with pizza.
I've been giving my subject selection some thought over the last few days. Wasn't quite sure if I wanted to take all honours year subjects, especially since there were some third year subjects that tickled my interest. But the coordinator told us that he would highly discourage it because more is expected of us, and said he was greatly saddened when an honours student said he wanted to do a 3rd year subject because it was easier.
Now I've directed my attention to my thesis topic, and it is not easy! I thought I had it in my head, but the more I search for a source article, the more I feel naive in my initial ideas. This is going to be a long year.
Dan
10:57 pm