Music…

High Enough

Damn Yankees

Damn Yankees
and Words

I don’t want to hear about it anymore
It’s a shame I’ve got to live without you anymore
There’s a fire in my heart
A pounding in my brain, it’s driving me crazy

We don’t need to talk about it anymore
Yesterday’s just a memory
Can we close the door?
I just made one mistake
I didn’t know what to say when you called me baby

Lyric excerpts from Musixmatch.


I tumbled through my fifth year in engineering school at the University of Miami.  To be completely honest, I encountered obstacles with my senior project and took a little more time.  Though with that extra year, I took the initiative to pick up a second major of computer science, and a minor in psychology.  On that last year, however, I coasted compared to preceding years.  Specifically, I needed fewer credits per semester to graduate.

The University of Miami had one rate for full-time tuition (12-18 credits), thus the price for tuition was effectively the same for four classes versus six classes.  I regularly packed my semesters with 16-17 credits to maximize my tuition money, but this also meant that I would regularly take one or two more classes than my classmates.  Hence, I kept a very full schedule and worked three days most weekends.

However, choosing to pack my schedule in this way had its own set of consequences.  It was easier to ace a class when we had enough time to dedicate to it.  Getting four A’s and one B (versus just four A’s) meant that I could get 25% more classes, but it also meant that my GPA would be 3.8 instead of 4.0.  The more demanding the semester, the more my GPA suffered, but I refused to drop a class.

Continue reading “My last year as a student and my roommate”

Music…

One Night in Bangkok

Chess

Murray Head
and Words

Bangkok, Oriental City
But the city don’t know what the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the chess world
In a show with everything but Yul Brenner

Time flies, doesn’t seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boards in it
All changed, don’t you know that when you

Lyric excerpts from Musixmatch.


As I wrap up high school, I find myself attending a state convention.  In this particular case, it’s a mass competition between many schools in Florida.  On this multi-day trip, we packed those days with many events.  I will compete in three events.  They hold this convention for Mu Alpha Theta annually.  However, this is the first time my high school has attended since I started.  Our teachers and sponsors slowly increased interest in these competitions from one to the next.

They certainly did.  It all started with one announcement over the intercom, “Anyone interested in participating in math contests, should attend this particular meeting for information.”  Truthfully, I made up my mind already, I simply needed information on the logistics.  I didn’t yet know how I would do, but it’s not just about winning.  Years later, I continue to participate.

Continue reading “The foreign and familiar art of competition”