Well, I finally got (I think) the last of my tutees and my class schedule is set so this is my 5 day Mon-Fri schedule:
Work (tutoring): 25.5 hours (I actually have 2 more hours available on the schedule but no one’s taken them yet)
In classes: 11 hours
Driving between VCC, UCF, and my house: 12.5 hours
Sleeping (as if I got 8 hours a night sleep…): 40 hours
Total: 89 hours
Wow…no wonder I’m so exhausted at the end of the week. I always said there weren’t enough hours in a day. Now I have proof of it.
This seems to be test week for me at UCF. I’ve already got a take-home test that is due Monday for Proof and Logic that I’m not worried about. I haven’t started it yet, but I did look at the questions and there was nothing in there that gave me pause. I should make a very good grade on it.
I took my first test in Matrix and Linear Algebra on Monday. Surprisingly, it was only 4 questions and there were no adjugates on it. Another question was solving 3 equations with Cramer’s Rule. That was very easy. The other 2 were solving a matrix via Gauss-Jordan elimination and solving a matrix via upper and lower triangle decomposition. I’m pretty confident on the LU triangular one and so-so on the Gauss-Jordan one. Hopefully I’ll get my test score back tomorrow but it’ll probably be Monday.
No test has been announced yet for my Probability class.
And that leaves Differential Equations. The test will be given this coming Tuesday and will consist of 9 questions. They will cover seperable, exact, linear, and Bernoulli differential equations, only one of which will be an initial value problem. Also on the test will be my ability to determine the linear dependence or independence of a group of functions via their Wronskian. I do not have good feelings about this test but will study as much as I can until Tuesday going on the belief that I can do good.
Probably not though…
Well, my plan to do daily updates has not faired well. I blame it on the lack of time I have for anything save school or work. So, here is a recap as to my classes over the past couple weeks.
Oh, and not getting the books for a class until 2 weeks into a class is not a good thing!
Proof and Logic in Math: So far, so good. Most of the beginning was just doing truth tables which are very easy. Then we did tautologies and now we’re actually writing simple proofs. We just got a take-home test given to us which is due on the 9th. Should be pretty easy.
Matrix and Linear Algebra: Started out real easy and ramped up pretty quick. Matrix manipulation is extremely easy but now we’re doing some weird stuff with discriminants that lost me pretty quick. I need to read the book some more and get some more problems under my belt. This coming Monday will be our first test and I want to be prepared for it.
Probabilities and Applications: Was easy but now has gotten extremely hard. We just started a section on figuring out the probability of the i-th ball in the j-th box for n balls and m boxes. It went right over my head. Plus he threw infimum and supremum limits at us which he admits are advanced calculus concepts. I am going to need a lot of practice to keep up with these.
Differential Equations: By far, the most difficult class I have this semester. I got behind by not having the book and wasn’t able to keep up with the homework. Add that to my lack of ability to do these (admittably) difficult integrations and a professor who moves like lightning and I’m definitely struggling in the class. I’m still trying to figure out the first differential equations assigned and he’s already done with Bernoulli equations and has moved on to IVP and BVP which really look difficult. I think I’m screwed…
So, one class is pretty easy (so far), 2 are difficult but I’m holding on, and 1 I’m just totally lost on. The worst thing is I increased my hours available to tutor (as I need the money) but this just puts me further in the hole as I have less hours available for studying and homework.
Wish me luck…
To my math library, that is. “A Transition in Advanced Mathematics” by Smith, Regen, and S. Andrs and “Calculus 7th Edition Brief” by Anton, Bivens, and Davis. The “Advanced Mathematics” book is actually an older version of the book I’m using in my Proof and Logic in Mathematics class and I’m hoping the majority of the material is the same.
To view all of the books in my math library, click here.
In one word, it’s exhausting. Between my work at VCC as a tutor and my classes, Monday through Thursday I leave my house by just past 8am and don’t arrive back at home until 8:30pm or so. Friday is my only savior right now as I currently get home and an “early” 5:30pm-sh time but I have the potential to be working until 7:00pm.
At least Saturdays and Sundays are mine…to do homework. It’s going to be a fun semester…
At least the Monday coming up is a holiday so I have that to look forward to!
Today is the 21st birthday of my son Bryan. He is a music major also attending classes at the University of Central Florida.
Happy Birthday Bryan!!
Day 2 is about to start as I’m currently waiting in my Probability and Random Stuff class waiting for it to start. So far I only have one gripe. What is it with these “kindergarten” chairs they make us sit in? At my old school, Valencia Community College, for the most part we sat at tables. This was nice as I had room to put out my books, paper to write on, or later on, my tablet PC to take notes on, and we weren’t cramped. Now, for all 4 of my classes at UCF, I have to sit in these individual desks that feel like they were made for a 12 year old. …sigh…
Oh, and why does every room have a blackboard in it? Weird that as modern a school that UCF appears to be for the most part that they would still use blackboards instead of whiteboards. I was actually picturing every room would be equipped with a smart whiteboard for the professor to use. Blackboards seem so 20th century!
My first day is half over now. I just got out of my “Matrix and Linear Algebra” class. That class is going to be great. A former classmate of mine, Tim from my Calculus III class with Professor Patel, is in the class with me. He and another guy spent most of the class playing World of Warcraft on their laptops. And the professor sounds like he should be answering tech support calls somewhere in New Delhi. He’s a bit hard to understand but I don’t think it will be too bad.
I’m now waiting for 6 o’clock to roll around so I can go to the Logic and Proof in Mathematics class. Fortunately (or unforunately when you have almost 2 hours to burn), the buildings the classes are in are real close. Of course, that gives me more time to write these entries.
My fifth class that is. An open seat finally appeared and I was able to get registered for Matrix and Linear Algebra for the Spring. I can’t wait for classes to start in just over two weeks.
