I am finally able to relax and take a little break. This week has been busy. Groups assignment on Wednesday along with a Russ 371 midterm, and CS 365 assignment on Thursday. My slacking over the weekend comes back to haunt me, as it almost always does.

Still no success in my search for a job; but I have to admit, I am almost definitely not doing enough. I get discouraged, think I have absolutely no marketable skills what-so-ever, kick myself a few times for all my moments of incompetence, and then lapse into the lethargy of resignation at a life of failure. How to avoid this, I am still not sure. On the other hand, doing my school work while procrastinating the job search is causing me to not slack as much.

I like the theoretical more than the practical. This is not helping me. What I would like to do is take a course or two over the summer, and read in whatever spare time develops; but financially that won't work out. So the back-up plan, assuming I don't find a job is take some courses and get a part time job, maybe on campus. Yeah minimum wage *sigh*. If I take three courses, I could apply for more student loans; but now that I have employed parents, that won't necessarily get me too much money.

Yesterday I found out about a new Pmath course. Pmath 434: Techniques in Computational Number theory. I wonder if it's any good? It seems to be a new course that is being introduced next term. My experiences with 'new' courses have been very positive, maybe I'll take this one next fall too.

Randomness: I got a call from a number I don't know in Toronto during my midterm last night. The Prof was down from Toronto, and helped me waste my afternoon by showing me a weird game where you evolve from a singular cell organism until you reach the point where you have a civilization capable of building galaxies. It is called Spore.

My group theory midterm was returned to me today. I was mildly disappointed, a few percentage points lost for not proving something I thought was obvious, another few for not being rigorous enough, but since I wrote that question down in the last two minutes, it was not unexpected.

Not bad, not great, I want to do better.

Today the university is closed because of weather. Which means my CS365 midterm has been put off, and the late assignment is due at noon tomorrow. I think I'll go slip it under the professor's door as soon as I am done writing this entry. While this is only mildly irritating to me, it seems to saving Holden's life.

The weather is actually not that bad. I have walked to school on much icier days. It is however wet, cold and miserable outside. I am staying inside until I dry off.

I think I just aced my groups midterm, there was one part of one question I didn't answer but I am confident about everything else. I couldn't think of a quick way to count the number of p-cycles in S_p. The answer maybe p!/(p-1)!. but that seems too big to me somehow. I felt pretty calm, and didn't get nervous, and didn't forget anything. This not cramming everything at the last minute seems to be working pretty well.

Last night I left my Russian thought and culture class early so I could get a good night's sleep, which I did. This morning I flipped through my notes one last time. Sleeping is good.

Now I must make a choice. I could start writing up my cs 365 assignment, and by doing so so, review for the midterm tomorrow, or do a little (or a lot) of last minute cramming for my Stat 240 midterm, which is at 12:30. This midterm I am not ready for. Fortunately, like a video game,  Stat 240 comes with three lives.

My valentine's day was nice. Thank-you Holden.

So this week I have three midterms and one assignment. My groups and stats midterms are on Wednesday, and my models of computation assignment and midterm are both on Thursday, and then I get to see Holden again. :-)

Actually, it is not as bad as it seems. I am on top of groups and models of computation, the assignment has only one more question left to solve (Yes, they have bee solved; not dolved!!). Stats will probably own me. This evening will be stats time.

I had a really good weekend in Toronto visiting Holden. It was interesting interacting with adults for once. Holden got drunk; but didn't say too many damaging things. Tasty food of many kinds including , and my first dim sum and my first rum and coke.

So, my efforts to finish my CS 365 assignment failed; so now I must finish it by next Thursday. Next Wednesday I have both my Stat 240, and my group theory midterms. This should be entertaining, where entertaining means exhausting. I need a break this weekend. I am glad I going to Toronto.

So that everyone stops asking me, I have retrieved my clipboard. It got left in the slavic studies reading room.

After three days of trying, I have finally done my group's assignment. When I say done, I mean solved all the questions. Nothing is written down, therefore my work is approximately 1/3 complete. I am not sure as to why it took me so long to get started on this assignment; fortunately it did not take me long to complete.

I think it is a good sign I think of my self as having put this assignment off perhaps too long, when it is not due until Wednesday. Tonight I will write up the solutions, and the last question for cs365, and again find myself without work.

Well, almost. I need to write out solutions to my stats problems. I have been trying to find out when the first quiz will be held. According to the course outline on UW-Ace (which is even more hideous than the rumours you have heard), the first quiz will be held on Wednesday, and the second on Wednesday, March 22. This statement, for the observant, does not in fact specify when the date of the first quiz. Is that next wednesday, or maybe the wednesday after that? Probably it will be in February. Knowing my luck it will be held on February 14th, followed by my group's midterm on February 15th and my CS 365 midterm on the 16th.

I am very thankful Holden will be coming on the 16th :-)

Yesterday was my last midterm. On tuesday I have an essay due in my Russian studies class, and then I am done with anything major until finals. Only three more calculus assignments to go.

I have found I have been making most of my recent entries the mornings after all-nighters. This is giving the impression that I never sleep. This is not true, I go home, and sleep and eat healthy green vegetables on a regular basis. This is the story I tell my mother and I am sticking to it.

Tonight I have been studying integer partitions. I am feeling much more confident about this topic now. I will read over the website notes tomorrow, and go see the prof in the afternoon to answer any questions I still have. noam_rion lent me a really neat book on the topic. He said he would be by at about 7pm to pick up; but I have not seen him; not that I mind, as I am still using it.

The next little while will be crazy. I have my linear algebra midterm on wednesday, and then my combinatorics midterm on thursday, then a calculus assignment on friday, and an essay worth 20% of my russian studies course on Tuesday.

The new roommate seems to be working out well.