Archive for April, 2008

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, there are two school traditions that I’ve participated in.

The first is Brownwater. Named (I believe) in reference to the inner-tubing that usually takes place down the mill stream creek that runs next to the school, it’s a weekend-long party with multiple events. This year I went to the casino night (not at a real casino; fake money, but real prizes), the comedian night, and the barbeque (where the float happens.) I did chose not to float down the stream, however, as the 40-degree weather (with hail) was a full-on indicator of a “bad idea”.

Brownwater 2008 (Casino Night)

Then there’s Blackwater. An unofficial event, completely unsanctioned by the school, it’s best described as a “raging party”, and everyone’s invited. With a couple kegs, plenty of drinking games, and a “it’s not fun until the police tell us to shut up” mentality going around, you can bet it was a good time. (And yes, the police did come by to tell us to shut up.)

Below are two pictures, one from Brownwater, one from Blackwater. I leave it to you to decide which is which.

If you guessed Brownwater, you'd be right.

If you guessed Blackwater, you'd be right.

Fun times!

We’re down to less than three weeks from graduation. In terms of classes, I have merely this week and next week left. You’d think I’d be thrilled, but I still haven’t found a job yet and that’s a major source of stress.

Still, I’m looking forward to being done. This has been a major adventure in my life. I’ve made some great friends and gained a huge amount of highly relevant knowledge. I’ve been supported by loving friends and family, which has made a huge difference.

Before graduation I have - at this point - a presentation to give in Leadership and a ton of work and presentations for Data Mining. I’m pretty much done with Operations Management - but for an off-site visit. The end it is sight!

I was a few graduation invitations to send out from the school. They look pretty snazzy… I’m just not sure who I should send them to. I mean, aside from my family, everyone else has something better to do at 9:30 AM on a Sunday! Anyway, here’s a sneak peek:

The cover of the invitation

And, of course, the inside:

The cover of the invitation

Please, come if you’d like. If you can’t, feel free to send money… or just pledge to my student loans. (E-mail me if you need my address for this task.)

The end is in sight!

I just got the results for my Operations Management midterm that I took just before Spring Break… 99/110 (90%), which is, apparently, the highest grade in the class. This is probably the best school-related news I’ve had in a while. Woohoo!

Graduation day - May 11th - is rapidly approaching. A mere 40 days remain before the conclusion of this program* and I’m ejected back into the harsh, cruel reality of the professional world.

In terms of classes, I believe I’ve taken all the tests I’ll be taking as part of this program. In my leadership class there remains only a large presentation (and the background research.) In my Operations Management class there also remains only a presentation. And, to keep with the trend, in my Data Mining class, has two projects to complete. Classes are technically over on the 29th, with finals afterwards; since I have no finals, I have less than a month of classes left.

What does this mean? I’m searching for a job with painful intensity, yet still trying to stay engaged in classes. It’s difficult since the pace of the two necessities is vastly different. Yet, I will figure it all out… for better or for worse.

*barring, of course, unforeseen events.