(no subject)

[annathyst]

So I'm back from my excursion to The Dreaded South. I'll probably post more about ASA and Vaughn's later, but some things came to my attention when I got home that were more important.

- I got my transfer evaluation from RPI. Apparantly 54 of the *checks* 63 credits I took at SRC transferred. What DIDN'T transfer, unfortunately, is the one major-relevant course I HAD at SRC - that being equivalent to their CS2. I'm going to get on that later this week, it'll be a real drag if I have to waste a semester on that class again. I also apparantly got out of their Bonehead English (tm) requirement courtesy of my SAT Verbal score...who knew, that damn thing was good for something after all.

- I also got a form I have to signn affirming my awareness of the lead paint my housing contains. It has a pamphlet entitled "Protect your Family from Lead in Your Home" and everything. Mother almost had a heart attack upon seeing it; I'm thoroughly amused. At the paint thing, that is, not the near heart attack. The latter would probably be bad..

* reads pamphlet*

Okay, apparantly lead paint can be harmful in two ways.

1. if you eat paint chips
2. poorly maintained paint can flake and form lead dust, which is inhalable.

I've never eaten paint in my life, and if dust becomes a problem, I'll be noticing it before brain damage happens. Furthermore, I am neither a pregnant woman nor a small child, though I suspect that a pregnant woman who eats paint really oughtn't to be pregnant.


I did manage to lose my trusty Swiss Army Knife Cybertool somewhere between Vaughn's car and entering security at ATL. It's a damn shame...that knife has been my constant companion for years, and it's almost the perfect balance of size and utility...it's less bulky than a Leatherman Wave (fits easily into a pocket), but is almost as useful...I suppose I'm gonna have to replace it at some point; has knife/multitool technology advanced since I bought that Cybertool when it was brand spanking new, or am I better off just buying another one?

Comments

[bitvoid.livejournal.com]

Let us know what you find on the multitool front..my current knife is from before the Cybertool was even available, and I'm thinking it might be time to replace it, rather than bother trying to sharpen the knives and unbend the corkscrew and scissors..Also, I really want a better corkscrew..which perhaps says something about how my priorities have changes since I bought the knife..

[princesskaite.livejournal.com]

I decided to check out your journal after your introduction on the RPI board. While credits not transferring sucks, having to take CS2 will probably be good for you. Everyone at RPI (engineers, scientists etc) take CS1 so its kind of a joke. CS2 will probably be easy for you and its the first CS class that CS majors take so you'll get to meet people in your major *and* get introduced to all that other silly stuff like computer rules and how things work etc that you will be expected to know in your more serious classes and which your professors will expect you to already know how to navigate.

Good Luck!

[annathyst]

Yeah, but if I have to take CS2, that means I can't take DSA and Mach Org until spring semester, which will be a pretty major drag. Plus, I hear that the prof doing CS2 this semester leaves quite a bit to be desired (it's Kettnaker, isn't it? I sat in on her CS2 course when I visited. Not as bad as my (since-departed) CS prof back at SRC, but...)

I'll talk to my advisor when I arrive for orientation and work it out. Thanks for the different perspective, though.

[princesskaite.livejournal.com]

Um, its pretty much crap that you can't take DSA and CS2 at the same time. If they won't let you register for it online, go to the first DSA class. After class there's like big cattle call and the proff signs all the special permission sheets. Explain that you're a transfer, that you've already had CS2 etc and more likely than not they'll give you permission to take the class. I have no idea what class Mach Org used to be? Comp Org maybe? But chances are the same depending on who the prof is. If its carouthers (sp?) he'll probably let you in. I switched from ChemEng to CS and took all my CS classes in like a year - and took lots of things together I wasn't suppose to. They prof's are pretty laid back about it. Don't let the admin scare you. I'm not sure how they're running CS2 classes these days, but it used to be a lot of TA's doing most of the teaching. If you can get a list of them you can find a good one I'm sure. Also, depending on who your advisor is - they'll either be a lot of help or suck.

[annathyst]

Mea culpa, comp org it is. It's mach org at a lot of other colleges.

I wasn't aware that they could be that flexible - thanks for the heads up. Feels good to have that particular worry off my shoulders.

[princesskaite.livejournal.com]

Yeah - they change what things are called all the time :) I thought I was dating myself ;) I took comp org and the senior level class that comes after it as an elective *simultaneously* so it can be done. RPI has a lot of idiosynchracies that you will come to discover and sometimes treasure.
If you have other questions you can let me know...i've pretty been every 'special case' possible during my tenure there.

[annathyst]

I may yet take you up on that. Thanks for the offer.

SRC's course and prereq system was more of a mass of exceptions than a set of rules, so I wasn't sure what kind of rigidity to expect from a "real" college.

Now, to wrench the thread in another direction altogether, what can you tell me about life on campus and so forth? I posted to rpi.general saying hi, and got a response saying that all I needed to know would be the phrase "'Tute screw". While I can understand the sentiment, there's gotta be more than that - spill!

[princesskaite.livejournal.com]

ahhh
this is an involved question that could take a while
Do you have one of those email address thingies? :)

[annathyst]

e-mail: teferi@wmute.net
AIM: ashtae basand
ICQ: 10755244, though I haven't used that in a while

take your pick of comms methods :)