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crankyoldmanThat's it, I GET IT UNIVERSE. I HAVE UNOFFICIALLY DECIDED TO MAKE ONE OF MY GRAD SCHOOL STUDIES BE EDUCATION. UNOFFICIALLY ONLY BECAUSE I NEED TO FINISH THE UNDERGRAD WITHOUT DYING. BUT I AM NOT BECOMING A STUFFY PROFESSOR, OH NO, I AM GOING TO DEVOTE MY LIFE TO CREATIVITY.
Reasons?
- History Professors That Keep Pointing Me In That Direction With That Knowing Sort of Prodding
- My Job Of Awesome Which I Miss Like Fyre
- My Inability to Learn Anything Without BABBLING About It
- My New Favorite Aero Professor
More on that professor. So today, we get to class and he's setting up the computer projector for something. I'm thinking "oh neat, he's going to tangent on some Skunkworks stuff and basically make my life" because really? Tangents aren't just so that shit doesn't end up on the test. Tangents are where I actually learn as opposed to endless notes on the board (first_seventhe totally knows what I'm talking about).
So what he put up was this AMAZING video where an old dude was talking to a bunch of educators and basically said everything that I'd suspected since entering college and nearly losing my soul and getting it back. Basically, this guy said, "the older you get, the less creative you are encouraged to be".
!!
No fucking shit! But what amazed me is that one of my engineering professors not only admits to this, he spent the rest of the class talking to us to see how he could make it more engaging!
Um, I don't know about you, but Jersey Highwind (his accent is actually New Yorker, but Jersey Highwind has a better ring to it) totally just won me over, and I am getting over my professor shyness (I can't help it, THEY ALL USUALLY HAVE THIS AIR OF "I KNOW SO MUCH MORE SHIT THAN YOU") and going to see him today in his office because why the fuck not? He clearly likes discussing things, and what better to discuss it with a prof that teaches one of my favorite areas of the aerospace discipline?
Is it sad that it took this long to engage me, minus my first dynamics class because ROTATING PLANES OF REFERENCE IS COOL DAMMIT, to bring back my enthusiasm? I mean, I had to get kicked out and get a job in a barely related field to get into the groove again. And I'm still not entirely, Pilot Lectures may kick my ass, I've got to watch it.
But really, a prof that recognizes creativity and that while you have to have your shit right, a good engineer you will not be if all you follow is formulas is AMAZING.
I understand that a fair amount of my undergrad has been spent surviving "weed out classes". It makes sense, if anyone could be an engineer, there would be issues in the world. Even still, bridges fall, planes crash, death happens. What is becoming increasingly more obvious to me is that while they are getting the numbers they want, are they really getting the types they need? How many "straight A" students that can't start themselves on a project without a book does the industry need (no offense to you Straight Aers that are self-starters--I hate you for different reasons then. XD)? How many "C" students were in the room when the oxygen was running out on the Apollo 13 mission?
If you have an intimate knowledge of mathematics but shite for understanding what it does out of context, I don't really think you've learned that much. (my problem is the opposite, concepts? piece of cake. understanding how the frak a variable becomes that? takes a little longer)
But still, I'm feeling pretty hopeful, awesome, and again, I have fuel for my paper. Which is kind of the thing I'm looking forward to most this semester--writing that damn thing, and making it not suck. That and getting nerf planes thrown at me. Seriously, playing around in class is so awesome.
I'm not really complaining, just vocalizing. It's kind of a boost to my self-esteem when I realize that despite unnecessarily complicating my personal life, half-starving for a good part of a year, having a bit of a breakdown, completely losing touch with reality, and then being forced to take some time off school that I'm not only still alive, but actually better off. That's some karmic retribution there. XD Maybe that's why I find myself having a hard time relating to girls that are only a couple physical years younger than me, but clearly at least a decade younger as far as experience goes. I wouldn't say I'm necessarily the picture of poise and maturity, but breaking a nail doesn't tend to phase me near as much. It makes me miss people like Em, because she's had a ridiculous amount of life experience, superseding mine by lots.
tl;dr version for those watching at home:
Yay creativity!
Boo soul-sucking equations!
OMGWTF can I has graduation now?
~Cendri
Reasons?
- History Professors That Keep Pointing Me In That Direction With That Knowing Sort of Prodding
- My Job Of Awesome Which I Miss Like Fyre
- My Inability to Learn Anything Without BABBLING About It
- My New Favorite Aero Professor
More on that professor. So today, we get to class and he's setting up the computer projector for something. I'm thinking "oh neat, he's going to tangent on some Skunkworks stuff and basically make my life" because really? Tangents aren't just so that shit doesn't end up on the test. Tangents are where I actually learn as opposed to endless notes on the board (
first_seventhe totally knows what I'm talking about).So what he put up was this AMAZING video where an old dude was talking to a bunch of educators and basically said everything that I'd suspected since entering college and nearly losing my soul and getting it back. Basically, this guy said, "the older you get, the less creative you are encouraged to be".
!!
No fucking shit! But what amazed me is that one of my engineering professors not only admits to this, he spent the rest of the class talking to us to see how he could make it more engaging!
Um, I don't know about you, but Jersey Highwind (his accent is actually New Yorker, but Jersey Highwind has a better ring to it) totally just won me over, and I am getting over my professor shyness (I can't help it, THEY ALL USUALLY HAVE THIS AIR OF "I KNOW SO MUCH MORE SHIT THAN YOU") and going to see him today in his office because why the fuck not? He clearly likes discussing things, and what better to discuss it with a prof that teaches one of my favorite areas of the aerospace discipline?
Is it sad that it took this long to engage me, minus my first dynamics class because ROTATING PLANES OF REFERENCE IS COOL DAMMIT, to bring back my enthusiasm? I mean, I had to get kicked out and get a job in a barely related field to get into the groove again. And I'm still not entirely, Pilot Lectures may kick my ass, I've got to watch it.
But really, a prof that recognizes creativity and that while you have to have your shit right, a good engineer you will not be if all you follow is formulas is AMAZING.
I understand that a fair amount of my undergrad has been spent surviving "weed out classes". It makes sense, if anyone could be an engineer, there would be issues in the world. Even still, bridges fall, planes crash, death happens. What is becoming increasingly more obvious to me is that while they are getting the numbers they want, are they really getting the types they need? How many "straight A" students that can't start themselves on a project without a book does the industry need (no offense to you Straight Aers that are self-starters--I hate you for different reasons then. XD)? How many "C" students were in the room when the oxygen was running out on the Apollo 13 mission?
If you have an intimate knowledge of mathematics but shite for understanding what it does out of context, I don't really think you've learned that much. (my problem is the opposite, concepts? piece of cake. understanding how the frak a variable becomes that? takes a little longer)
But still, I'm feeling pretty hopeful, awesome, and again, I have fuel for my paper. Which is kind of the thing I'm looking forward to most this semester--writing that damn thing, and making it not suck. That and getting nerf planes thrown at me. Seriously, playing around in class is so awesome.
I'm not really complaining, just vocalizing. It's kind of a boost to my self-esteem when I realize that despite unnecessarily complicating my personal life, half-starving for a good part of a year, having a bit of a breakdown, completely losing touch with reality, and then being forced to take some time off school that I'm not only still alive, but actually better off. That's some karmic retribution there. XD Maybe that's why I find myself having a hard time relating to girls that are only a couple physical years younger than me, but clearly at least a decade younger as far as experience goes. I wouldn't say I'm necessarily the picture of poise and maturity, but breaking a nail doesn't tend to phase me near as much. It makes me miss people like Em, because she's had a ridiculous amount of life experience, superseding mine by lots.
tl;dr version for those watching at home:
Yay creativity!
Boo soul-sucking equations!
OMGWTF can I has graduation now?
~Cendri
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-13 07:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-13 08:46 pm (UTC)They need a fucking directory in that damn building.
Actually, I filled the guy who helped me find out where I'm going's "boy scout quota" for the day.
Which is awesome.
~Cendri
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-13 09:43 pm (UTC)Omg, we are such dorks.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-13 11:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 03:47 am (UTC)YOU RULE!! :D YAY CREATIVITY !