Category Archives: UCI

Hello

Class is pretty boring, so maybe this would be a good time to actually update the blog with something personal. This is so much more boring than gaming posts I think. I feel like this stuff doesn’t really matter. Plus, people are either close enough to me that they don’t need to read it or distant enough that they don’t need to know. Of course, this is only read by William, who probably already knows, and James, who probably doesn’t care.

 
My position at MeridianLink ends soon (in three and a half weeks)! I started on May 13, 2008, so I’ll have been there for a year this time next week. I worked on my resume a bunch and went to the career fair a few weeks ago. I haven’t found much though. I was nervous before the career fair, but it was really nothing. A lot of the companies were pretty disappointing. We looked them all up ahead of time. Some of the companies that had software development positions opened didn’t know anything about those positions at the career fair. They were there only looking for particular positions even though their companies’ web sites listed multiple positions. There were also quite a few places that didn’t accept resumes and didn’t have much information. They simply told me to read their job listings on their site and apply there. If that’s the case, why come? There were also some places that I thought would have positions but that only had positions tangentially related. Of the remaining places, a good portion of them were only on the East Coast. Some were places that I didn’t really care about, but the NSA, CIA, IRS were interesting and all based on the East Coast. The NSA or CIA would be tempting, but I’m probably not qualified for something so competitive. I gave my resume out a lot though!
The most exciting company there was ArenaNet, the creator of Guild Wars. They weren’t listed in the documentation that was given out ahead of time, so seeing ArenaNet was a surprise. They also had no signs, banners, or anything. Just one table with a paper taped to it with their name (to specify to the companies where to set up), and one woman. I wanted to put off seeing them until the end because I was nervous and wanted the experience of talking to other companies. Near the end I saw the ArenaNet representative get up and begin to leave. I rushed over to talk to her, and she was more than happy to sit back down and talk a little. I think they were primarily looking for web development, which I’ve done at MeridianLink! I also expressed my interest in game development, and she took my resume.
I received an email from ArenaNet recently asking for code samples. They want a few thousand lines of my best work. I’m not sure what to give as a sample though. I feel like most of the Java work I’ve done at UCI is small and more of an excercise than anything important. I haven’t done too much programming in years besides my AI class last quarter and my classes this quarter. Off the top of my head, the only classes I took in the last two years that had a lot of programming were AI and signals classes using MATLAB programming. I don’t think MATLAB would be the best language to show, and I didn’t do very well in those classes anyways. My AI project from last quarter didn’t work well either. Regardless, Java isn’t even my strongest language anymore, and that’s what the majority of my UCI programming has been. My strongest is now C#, and all of my C# code is owned by MeridianLink. I’ll have to use what I learned at MeridianLink to code something up from scratch. ArenaNet said it doesn’t have to compile and run; it just needs to show my skill.
My Classics class is the first Classics class I’ve taken that I didn’t enjoy. It’s also the first Classics class I’ve taken that was a Comparative Literature class colisted as Classics. I think the professor is a Comparative Literature professor and part of the Classics department too. It’s interesting to be reading Ancient Greek novels, but I don’t really enjoy the class very much.
Senior Design is alright. The class is alright, but sometimes the lectures feel lengthy. The class does meet twice a week from 7:00 PM to 8:50 PM, so that’s probably a contributing factor. The teacher randomly calls on people though, which makes me nervous.
Okay that’s all. Now I’m at home and not so bored, so this post doesn’t get to be finished. Be glad I’m posting what I am.

Schedule

Assignments Due:

  • Tuesday, 3/3
    • Classics midterm, four hours
  • Thursday, 3/5
    • Signals Project, 10 hours
  • Sunday, 3/8
    • AI Project, 10 hours
  • Tuesday, 3/10
    • AI Quiz, 4 hours studying
    • Classics Project, 8 hours
  • Thursday, 3/12
    • Senior Design Project
      • Hardware, 8 hours = 4 hours * 2 (Rule of thumb: double expected for bugs)
        • Put in LEDs, 1 hour
        • Wiring, 1 hour
        • Put screen together, 1 hour
        • Test, 1 hour
      • Software 28 hours = 7 hours * 2 (This is C++ plus we don’t know what we’re doing) * 2 (rule of thumb)
        • Figure out how touchlib works, 1 hour
        • Learn to draw, 1 hour
        • Create movable interface, 1 hour
        • Print on screen, 1 hour
        • Add grid, half hour
        • Create edit mode, half hour
        • Create calculator, 1 hour
        • Display calculator and make movable, one hour
      • Finalization, 6 hours

 

 

  • Monday, 3/2
    • 11:30-3:30 – Work
    • 3:30 – 4:30 – Go home
    • 4:30 – 5:30 – Dinner
    • 5:30 – 8:00 – Read
    • 8:00 – 12:00 – Classics midterm
  • Tuesday, 3/3
    • 12:00 – 2:00 – gem’s touchlib
    • 2:00 – 9:15 – Sleep
    • 9:15 – 10:30 – Get ready to go
    • 10:30 – 11:00 – Go to class, print midterm
    • 11:00 – 12:30 – Classics
    • 12:30 – 2:00 – Signals
    • 2:00 – 3:30 – AI
    • 3:30 – 5:00 – Go home, eat
    • 5:00 – 10:00 – Signals project
    • 10:00 – 12:00 – Work on touchlib
  • Wednesday, 3/4
    • 12:00 – 1:00 – touchlib
    • 1:00 – 2:00 – finalize Classics terms for project
    • 2:00 – 10:00 – sleep
    • 10:00 – 11:00 – Get ready to go
    • 11:00 – 12:00 – eat
    • 12:00 – 2:30 – Signals project
    • 2:30 – 3:00 – Go to class
    • 3:00 – 4:00 – Signals discussion
    • 4:00 – 5:00 – Go home, eat
    • 5:00 – 8:00 – Signals project
    • 8:00 – 12:00 – Classics project
  • Thursday, 3/5
    • 12:00 – 2:00 – AI project
    • 2:00 – 9:30 – Sleep
    • 9:30 – 10:30 – Get ready
    • 10:30 – 11:00 – Go
    • 11:00 – 12:30 – Classics
    • 12:30 – 2:00 – Signals
    • 2:00 – 3:30 – AI
    • 3:30 – 5:00 – Go home, eat
    • 5:00 – 8:00 – Classics project
    • 8:00 – 12:00 – AI project
  • Friday, 3/6
    • 12:00 – 2:00 – AI project
    • 2:00 – 10:00 – Sleep
    • 10:00 – 11:00 – Get ready
    • 11:00 – 12:00 – Eat
    • 12:00 – 12:30 – Set up SVN
    • 12:30 – 1:00 – Go
    • 1:00 – 1:30 – Meeting with Ihler
    • 1:30 – 2:00 – Meeting with group members
    • 2:00 – 2:30 – Go to work
    • 2:30 – 6:30 – Work
    • 6:30 – 8:00 – Eat
    • 8:00 – 10:00 – Set up SVN
    • 10:00 – 12:00 – Live Nude People
  • Saturday, 3/7
    • 12:00 – 1:30 – Live Nude People
    • 1:30 – 3:00 – Eat
    • 3:00 – 11:00 – Sleep
    • 11:00 – 12:00 – Get ready
    • 12:00 – 1:30 – eat
    • 1:30 – 5:30 – AI project
    • 5:30 – 6:30 – Eat
    • 6:30 – 10:30 – Senior design hardware
    • 10:30 – 11:00 – Go home
    • 11:00 – 12:00 – Eat
  • Sunday, 3/8
    • 12:00 – 2:00 – Senior design software
    • 2:00 – 10:00 – Sleep
    • 10:00 – 11:00 – Get ready
    • 11:00 – 12:00 – Eat
    • 12:00 – 4:00 – Senior design hardware
    • 4:00 – 4:30 – Go home
    • 4:30 – 6:30 – Senior design software
    • 6:30 – 7:30 – Eat
    • 7:30 – 12:00 – Senior design software
  • Monday, 3/9
    • 12:00 – 8:00 – Sleep
    • 8:00 – 9:00 – Get ready
    • 9:00 – 11:00 – Senior design software
    • 11:00 – 12:00 – Eat
    • 12:00 – 6:00 – Senior design software
    • 6:00 – 7:00 – Eat
    • 7:00 – 12:00 – Senior design software
  • Tuesday, 3/10
    • 12:00 – 2:00 – Senior design software
    • 2:00 – 9:30 – Sleep
    • 9:30 – 10:30 – Get ready
    • 10:30 – 11:00 – Go to class
    • 11:00 – 12:30 – Classics
    • 12:30 – 2:00 – Signals
    • 2:00 – 3:30 – AI
    • 3:30 – 4:30 – Eat
    • 4:30 – 9:00 – Senior design software
    • 9:00 – 10:00 – Actually, Scurbs! (If we’re on schedule, which we won’t be)
    • 10:00 – 12:00 – EMPTY?!?!?!
  • Wednesday, 3/11
    • 12:00 – 7:00 – Sleep
    • 7:00 – 8:00 – Get ready
    • 8:00 – 8:20 – Go
    • 8:20 – 9:45 – Dentist
    • 9:45 – 12:30 – Finalize senior design
    • 12:30 – 2:30 – Eat long lunch
    • 2:30 – 3:00 – Go
    • 3:00 – 4:00 – Signals discussion
    • 4:00 – 9:00 – Finalize senior design
    • 9:00 – 10:00 – Eat
    • 10:00 – 12:00 – Finalize senior design
  • Thursday, 3/12
    • 12:00 – 4:00 – Finalize senior design
    • 4:00 – 7:30 – Sleep
    • 7:30 – 8:30 – Get ready
    • 8:30 – 10:00 – Transport project, set up
    • 10:00 – 12:00 – Senior design expo
    • 12:00 – 12:30 – Eat
    • 12:30 – 2:00 – Signals
    • 2:00 – 3:30 – AI
  • Then cry.
  • THEN GO DRINKING

And then all I’ll have to worry about are my actual finals!

School

I’ve been in school again for over a week! It’s alright. CSE 112 is about circuits and is based on the one class I failed at UCI. We took this test on the first day that wasn’t worth any points to see how we were at the subject. It was kind of hard =/ I think I’ll have some trouble in this class. Today was the discussion’s first meeting. Our professor runs discussion as well. He was annoyed that no one had looked at the homework yet that was assigned Tuesday and is due next Tuesday. He wondered why we would show up to discussion if we hadn’t looked at it and how he was supposed to help us with it. It really annoyed me. How were we supposed to know he was going to go over the homework?
CSE 151 is about VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integrated – integrated circuits). He said he expects us to have taken and be familiar with CSE 112 even though it’s not a prereq. He also won’t let us switch into a discussion because it’s waitlisted. We’re at slots 1 and 2. The discussion in which we’re enrolled conflicts with a class we’re trying to add. The TA doesn’t mind us going to the full discussion, and it’s not like we even need to go! I don’t know what we’ll do about that.
CSE 135A is about signals. It’s prereq is another class I really hated. He wouldn’t let us add unless we passed a test. It was really hard, but we both passed. He signed our add cards, but it conflicts with that discussion. Not sure what’ll happen. Maybe add cards ignore schedule conflicts? If so, we could just not go to discussion.
Lastly, I’m taking senior design project course. I’m working with gem, Corey, and his brother. Hopefully it’ll go alright!