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AFTER THREE TIMES DRIVING TO CAPE CANAVERAL AND THREE TIMES SEEING THE LAUNCH CANCELED, MY FOURTH TRY WAS A CHARM. LAST NIGHT A FEW OF MY FRIENDS AND I DROVE DOWN TO TITUSVILLE, FL TO WATCH THE LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY (MISSION STS-128). IT WAS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I WAS EXPECTING, BUT IT WAS SWEET.
WE TOOK OUR PLACE AMONG THE CROWD AT THE EDGE OF THE WATER AT THE END OF ROUTE 50. MOST PEOPLE STAYED ALONG THE ROAD BECAUSE IN ORDER TO GET TO THE EDGE OF THE WATER YOU HAD TO EITHER WALK THROUGH SOME NASTY IRRIGATION DITCH (OR WHATEVER IT WAS) OR DO A BALANCE BEAM ACT ACROSS A NARROW STRIP OF LAND IN BETWEEN THE DITCH AND THE WATER. THE LAUNCH PAD IS ACROSS THE WATER AT LEAST A COUPLE MILES AWAY.
THE LAUNCH WAS SCHEDULED FOR 11:59PM. WE HAD ABOUT 3 MINUTES LEFT UNTIL LAUNCH. AS I WAS SETTING MY CAMERA UP ON THE TRIPOD I HEAR THIS GUY'S VOICE BEHIND ME. HE WAS STANDING ALONG THE ROAD YELLING, "DOWN IN FRONT! DOWN IN FRONT!" I FIGURED HE WAS PROBABLY TALKING TO ME BUT I JUST IGNORED HIM. "HEY, YOU WITH THE CAMERA, DOWN IN FRONT!" I TURNED AROUND AND JUST KIND OF SHRUGGED MY SHOULDERS. I MEAN, REALLY? YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO A SHUTTLE LAUNCH AND START TELLING PEOPLE IN FRONT OF YOU TO TO KNEEL DOWN SO YOU CAN SEE? PFFF! GIVE ME A BREAK. MY FRIEND PAM TURNED AROUND AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE, "DUDE, SERIOUSLY? IT GOES UP!"
SO MY CLOCK FINALLY HITS 11:59 AND A COUPLE SECONDS LATER SOME YELLOW LIGHTS (WHAT LOOKED KIND OF LIKE LANDING STRIP LIGHTS) LIT UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WATER, PROBABLY 1.5-2 MILES TO THE RIGHT OF THE LAUNCH PAD. A FEW SECONDS AFTER THAT, I SAW A TINY SPARK THAT GREW TO A GIANT GLOW. LIFT OFF. THE WHOLE BODY OF WATER WAS ILLUMINATED! IT WAS LIKE WATCHING A SUNRISE. YOU COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING YET. IT WAS ALMOST AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN AND JUST ABOUT THE SAME COLOR. EVERYTHING WAS GOLD. SINCE IT WAS AT NIGHT, YOU COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE SHUTTLE, JUST THE HUGE BALL OF FIRE UNDERNEATH IT. IT WENT UP AND TO THE LEFT. I GUESS ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS LATER YOU COULD FINALLY HEAR THE LOW RUMBLE AND POPPING OF THE ROCKETS. I NEVER HEARD A SONIC BOOM, THOUGH.
I THINK THE MOST INTERESTING THING WAS THAT YOU COULD SEE THE GLOW OF THE FLAME CHANGE TO A BLUISH WHITE AS IT WENT THROUGH DIFFERENT LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. EVENTUALLY THE GLOW TURNED INTO A BRIGHT DOT THAT LOOKED LIKE A STAR. I'M THINKING THIS WAS BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AS MUCH ATMOSPHERE UP THERE TO DIFFUSE THE LIGHT. FINALLY, YOU COULD SEE THE PROJECTILE OF THE MAIN ENGINE CHANGE AS IT DROPPED OFF THE SHUTTLE AND FELL BACK TO EARTH. YOU COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING AFTER THAT, AND IT WAS OVER.
I AM DEFINITELY PLANNING ON GOING TO AS MANY OF THESE AS POSSIBLE. EVERY TIME A LAUNCH COMES AROUND, I HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT'S THE LAST ONE. THESE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. LET ME FILL YOU IN ON THE TRUE STORY. LAST NIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST NIGHTTIME SHUTTLE LAUNCH. THERE ARE SIX MORE SHUTTLE LAUNCHES SCHEDULED. THE NEXT ONE IS TARGETED FOR NOV. 12 AT 4:22 PM.
HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE LAUNCH FROM THE NASA WEBSITE. THE PICTURE I TOOK DIDN'T TURN OUT THAT GREAT AT ALL.
OKAY, SO YESTERDAY WAS MY SECOND DAY OF CLASSES. TUESDAYS ARE GOING TO BE MY BUSIEST DAYS OF EACH WEEK. I GO INTO EGR 120 (ENGINEERING GRAPHICS) FROM 8:15 - 10:15. AFTER THAT I HAVE COM 221 (TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING) FROM 12:45 - 2. THEN I HAVE EGR 101 (INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING) FROM 2:15 - 3:15 FOLLOWED BY MA 241 (CALCULUS) FROM 3:30 - 4:30. MY LAST CLASS IS EGR 101 ASSEMBLY WHICH IS 5:15 - 6:30. LONG DAY. SO LET ME JUST GO DOWN THE LINE AND TELL YOU ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES FROM BEGINNING TO END.
FIRST UP, ENGINEERING GRAPHICS. NOT A WHOLE LOT TO REPORT ABOUT THIS ONE YET. THIS IS THE CLASS WHERE I'M GOING TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE LIKE AN ENGINEER, DRAW LIKE AN ENGINEER AND USE THE CAD PROGRAM, CATIA TO DESIGN THINGS. MY INSTRUCTOR IS AN OLDER WOMAN WHO SEEMS COMPETENT, ALTHOUGH SHE DOESN'T QUITE TALK LOUD ENOUGH FOR SUCH A GOOD SIZE CLASSROOM. EACH SEAT HAS A COMPUTER. THAT'S REALLY ALL FOR THAT ONE.
NEXT IS TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING. EVERY STUDENT ON CAMPUS HAS TO TAKE THIS COURSE. IT'S ALMOST SELF EXPLANATORY. YOU LEARN HOW TO WRITE ARTICLES, REPORTS, ETC. IN A WAY THAT IS MOST EFFECTIVE IN RELAYING INFORMATION. DIFFERENT REPORTS ARE FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES. NOT VERY INTERESTING. MY INSTRUCTOR IS A NICE OLD MAN WITH WHITE HAIR AND VERY SOFT SPOKEN. VERY. HE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT READING BOOKS AND WRITING TOO. HE'S REALLY QUITE THE NERD, BUT I LIKE HIM. OUR BIG ASSIGNMENT AT THE END OF THIS COURSE IS GOING TO BE TO WRITE AN ANALYTICAL PAPER ON A TOPIC THAT WE CHOOSE. IT HAS TO BE DONE IN GROUPS OF 4 AND I LOVE THE WAY THAT HE HAS DECIDED FOR US TO FIND OUR GROUPS. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THINKING OF A TOPIC WE WANT TO WRITE ABOUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE COURSE. THEN WHEN IT COMES TIME TO ASSIGN GROUPS, EACH STUDENT IS GOING TO PRESENT HIS/HER IDEA IN FRONT OF THE CLASS. IF THE OTHER STUDENTS LIKE THE IDEA, THEY CAN JOIN THAT GROUP UNTIL THE GROUP CONSISTS OF FOUR. I DON'T THINK I WILL PARTICULARLY ENJOY THIS CLASS, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT BAD EITHER. WE'RE GOING TO START BY STRESSING ON PROPER GRAMMAR, YAY!
THEN WE HAVE INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING. I THINK THIS WILL BE THE MOST INTERESTING COURSE OF THE SEMESTER. I'M GOING TO LEARN A LOT OF NEW STUFF IN HERE. THE TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS CLASS ARE PRETTY BROAD COMPARED TO OTHER CLASSES, BUT THE CLASS IS SPECIFIC TO THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY, AS IS A LOT OF MATERIAL IN OTHER CLASSES. THAT MAKES SENSE CONSIDERING THIS IS AN AERONAUTICAL SCHOOL, AND I THINK THAT IS PRETTY COOL. THE INSTRUCTOR IS AN OLDER MAN WHO HAS BEEN AN ENGINEER FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND HE SEEMS EXCITED TO TEACH US WHAT HE KNOWS. HE'S VERY INTELLIGENT, WELL TRAVELED AND HE'S SOMEWHAT ANIMATED BUT DOWN TO EARTH. I'M GOING TO LIKE THIS GUY AS WELL AS THE COURSE. THE TEXT IS WRITTEN BY VARIOUS PEOPLE IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, AND I LIKE THAT. WE REALLY DIDN'T GO OVER TOO MUCH DURING THE FIRST CLASS. HE JUST SORT OF WENT OVER WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ENGINEER AND THEN HE WENT AROUND THE ROOM ASKING STUDENTS ABOUT THEMSELVES. NOT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS CLASS YET EITHER, BUT I WILL MENTION THAT IT IS MY FAVORITE CLASSROOM SO FAR. EACH SEAT HAS A COMPUTER AND THE COMPUTER SCREEN IS SORT OF INSET INTO THE TABLE TOP. THE CHAIRS ROLL AND ARE VERY COMFORTABLE. THE FLOOR IS CARPET. IT'S NOT VERY BIG. I FIND IT VERY COMFORTABLE.
MOVING ON TO CALCULUS. THIS CLASS IS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FROM THE FIRST CALC CLASS I HAD. THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS FROM MY INTRO TO ENGINEERING CLASS IN HERE. THE INSTRUCTOR IS AMERICAN, WHICH IS WORTH SO MUCH TO ME. HE'S A GREY HAIRED GUY WHO IS VERY CHIPPER. HE JOKES AROUND BEFORE CLASS BUT AS SOON AS HE STARTS TEACHING MATH HE JUST SPEEDS RIGHT ALONG. I LOVE HOW FAST HE GOES. LET ME EXPLAIN SOMETHING ABOUT COLLEGE MATH. A LOT OF THE STUDENTS ARE STRAIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL OR JUST NEVER BROKE THE HABITS OF HIGH SCHOOL OR MAYBE THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW COLLEGE WORKS. I'M TALKING ABOUT RAISING YOUR HAND. IN COLLEGE, IT'S UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO! IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU JUST BLURT IT OUT. OTHERWISE THE INSTRUCTOR IS JUST GOING TO KEEP GOING. HE CAN'T SEE YOU IF HE'S FACING THE BOARD! JUST BLURT IT OUT. IT USUALLY SEEMS TO BE THE SAME KIDS THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT AS THE ONES WHO ASK RIDICULOUSLY STUPID QUESTIONS. THIS GUY WORKS SO FAST THAT THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO WASTE YOUR TIME. I LOVE IT. HE'S FAST, BUT HE'S ALSO THOROUGH AND HE MAKES THE POINT CLEAR. I SHOULD DO WELL IN THIS ONE.
AND LAST WE HAVE THE ASSEMBLY FOR INTRO TO ENGINEERING. THIS CLASS MEETS EVERY TUESDAY AND IT CONSISTS OF ALL THE STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY TAKING INTRO TO ENGINEERING. WE MEET IN AN AUDITORIUM THAT REMINDS ME OF COLLEGE AUDITORIUM CLASSROOMS FROM THE MOVIES. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THIS CLASS, BUT IT'S A LOT. I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS CLASS IS YET. YESTERDAY ALL WE DID WAS LISTEN TO A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS ENCOURAGING US TO JOIN CERTAIN CLUBS AT THE SCHOOL. ONE CLUB SEEMED PRETTY COOL. YOU GET TO BUILD HIGH POWERED ROCKETS, TEST THEM, AND BLAST THEM OFF. THEY BROUGHT IN A FEW TO SHOW AND TWO OF THEM WERE ABOUT TEN FEET HIGH. THEY BROUGHT IN THE ENGINE OF ANOTHER ONE THEY WERE BUILDING AND THAT ALONE WAS ABOUT 7 FEET LONG. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW BIG THE ACTUAL ROCKET IS GOING TO BE. IN THIS CLUB YOU CAN LEARN ALL ABOUT THE DIFFERENT FUELS THEY USE AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF. REALLY COOL. CLASS LET OUT EARLY YESTERDAY, BUT I'LL BE CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE DO IN THERE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT.
WELL, THAT SUMS UP MY CLASSES. AS FAR AS THE CAMPUS OVER ALL, I HAVE TO MENTION THE AMOUNT OF NERDS HERE. I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY IN ONE PLACE. A LOT OF THEM ARE THE KIND THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY TALK TO AND RELATE TO. OTHERS, THOUGH, ARE THE KIND THAT ARE STRAIGHT OUT OF REVENGE OF THE NERDS. I'M DEAD SERIOUS. SOME OF THESE GUYS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO LOOK AS NERDY AS POSSIBLE!! IT'S QUITE A SITE. PANTS PULLED WAY UP WITH THEIR SHIRTS TUCKED TIGHTLY IN. HIGH WATERS AROUND THE ANKLES. OF COURSE IF THEY'RE WEARING SHORTS THEY ALSO ARE WEARING LONG WHITE SOCKS PULLED UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE. AND THEY ALL WALK THE SAME! YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. ELBOWS SLIGHTLY BENT INTO THEIR PERMANENT POSITION. THEIR HANDS MADE INTO FISTS WITH THEIR THUMBS ON TOP. STIFF NECK POINTED FORWARD WITH A SLIGHT BOUNCE IN THEIR STEP. COMPLETELY HARMLESS LOOK ON THEIR FACE THAT SAYS "PLEASE DON'T BEAT ME UP".
THE CAMPUS ITSELF IS COOL THOUGH. THEY HAVE A NICE WORKOUT FACILITY, POOL, TENNIS COURTS, VOLLEYBALL COURT, ETC. THE LIBRARY COULD BE A LITTLE BIGGER. THE FOOD THERE IS GREAT! THEY HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPOTS THAT YOU CAN USE YOUR FOOD PLAN AT, INCLUDING ONE ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET! AND IF YOU GET BORED, YOU CAN ALWAYS JUST WALK INTO THE ENGINEERING BUILDING OR AVIATION BUILDING TO LOOK AT JET ENGINES, ROCKET ENGINES, LABORATORIES, ETC. YOU CAN ALSO WALK UP TO THE TOP FLOORS AND WATCH THE PLANES TAKE OFF AND LAND. LONG STORY SHORT, I'M ENJOYING IT SO FAR.
WELL, I JUST GOT BACK FROM MY FIRST CLASS (PHYSICS). NOT A WHOLE LOT TO SAY ABOUT IT. IT WAS MOSTLY JUST REVIEW, IN FACT IT WAS ALL REVIEW. I CAN'T REALLY TELL YET, BUT I THINK I'M GOING TO LIKE THE INSTRUCTOR. I DON'T MUCH CARE FOR HIS HANDWRITING AND HE SEEMS TO GO OFF ON TANGENTS A LOT, BUT HE SEEMS TO HAVE A GOOD TEACHING STYLE.
THERE WAS ONE FUNNY THING THAT HAPPENED TODAY THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT. DURING CLASS, I VERY RARELY TAKE NOTES. THE WAY I SEE IT IS IF IT'S SOMETHING WORTH WRITING DOWN, IT'S PROBABLY IN THE BOOK ALREADY ANYWAY. I THINK NOTE TAKING TAKES AWAY FROM LEARNING AND PAYING ATTENTION DURING CLASS. IT'S HOW I'VE DONE IT WITH MATH FOR A WHILE AND IT SEEMS TO WORK WELL, IN FACT A LOT OF TIMES MY CLASSMATES HAVE COME TO ME FOR HELP WITH PROBLEMS. ANYWAY, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS THAT IT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO OBSERVE THE REST OF THE CLASS.
THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED THE CLASS TO GIVE HIM A SHOW OF HANDS OF WHO HAD A COMPLETE GRASP ON TRIGONOMETRY. MOST PEOPLE (IF NOT ALL) RAISED THEIR HANDS. WELL, SHORTLY AFTER THAT, HE STARTS REVIEWING ON THE BOARD ABOUT THE VERY FUNDAMENTALS OF TRIGONOMETRY E.G. THE PROPERTIES OF RIGHT TRIANGLES AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SINE, COSINE, AND TANGENT. IMMEDIATELY AND ALL AT ONCE THE STUDENTS DROP THEIR HEADS AND START WRITING IN THEIR NOTEBOOKS! HERE THEY HAD JUST CLAIMED TO HAVE A COMPLETE GRASP ON TRIG. YET THEY HAVE TO TAKE NOTES ON THE VERY BASICS OF IT. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS HUMOROUS. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT KEEP ME GOING DAY BY DAY.
I MAY UPDATE THIS AFTER MY CALC CLASS THAT I HAVE TO BE AT IN HALF AN HOUR.
I'M BACK.
OK, SO THAT DIDN'T GO VERY WELL. BEFORE I BEGIN, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE TROUBLE I HAD WHEN I FIRST TRIED TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. I WENT TO MY ADVISER (AS WAS REQUIRED OF ME) TO GO OVER WHICH CLASSES I NEEDED TO TAKE. I HAD ALREADY TAKEN A GOOD BIT OF TIME DOING RESEARCH ON THE INSTRUCTORS SO THAT I KNEW WHICH ONES I THOUGHT WOULD BE BEST FOR ME. ONE OF THE CRITERION OF A MATH TEACHER WAS THAT HE/SHE HAD TO HAVE AN AMERICAN SOUNDING NAME. NO, I'M NOT RACIST, BUT I'VE HAD TROUBLE IN THE PAST UNDERSTANDING SOME OF MY PROFESSORS' ENGLISH AND WHEN IT'S A MATH TEACHER ALL HOPE IS LOST. WELL, WHEN IT COMES TIME TO TAKE MY REGISTRATION FORM TO THE REGISTRAR, THE LADY AT THE OFFICE TELLS ME THAT SINCE I'M A FIRST YEAR TRANSFER STUDENT, I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER ORIENTATION TO REGISTER. APPARENTLY THAT WAS NOT ENTIRELY TRUE BUT IT TOOK A FEW DAYS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. BY THE TIME IT WAS FIXED AND I WAS READY TO REGISTER, I HAD LOST EVERY SINGLE SPECIFIC CLASS THAT I WANTED. THEY WERE ALL FULL. NONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS ON MY NEW SCHEDULE WERE THE ONES THAT I HAD CHOSEN. THE WORST PART ABOUT IT WAS THAT THE LAST NAME OF MY CALCULUS INSTRUCTOR WAS KHANAL (I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO ATTEMPT HIS FIRST NAME).
WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT TURNED OUT THAT MY FEARS WERE COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED. HIS ENGLISH WAS SO BROKEN AND HIS ACCENT WAS SO THICK THAT I PROBABLY UNDERSTOOD EVERY OTHER WORD AT BEST. ON TOP OF THAT, HIS WRITING AND GRAPHS WERE TERRIBLE. TO MAKE IT EVEN WORSE, THE CLASS ITSELF REALLY GOT ON MY NERVES. IT WAS NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF YOUNG MILITARY-LOOKING GUYS THAT SEEMED TO HAVE VERY HIGH OPINIONS OF THEMSELVES. THEY WERE KNOW-IT-ALLS THAT DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW IT ALL. YOU KNOW THE TYPE. THEY WOULD BLURT OUT ANSWERS AND START TO PAT THEMSELVES ON THE BACK BEFORE EVEN REALIZING THEY WERE WRONG. UGH. I HATE THOSE TYPES. THEN YOU HAVE THE GUY WHO GIVES US A WHOLE HISTORY OF THE DERIVATION OF PI AS HIS ANSWER TO THE QUESTION "HOW DO WE FIND THE AREA OF A CIRCLE?". WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU THAT YOU KNOW ALL OF THAT! NOW SHUT UP AND LET'S GET ON WITH THE COURSE. ONE GUY ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT THE FORMULA OF THE AREA OF A TRIANGLE AND EVERYONE LAUGHED AT HIM BECAUSE HE HAD TO ASK. IT REALLY WASN'T THAT DUMB OF A QUESTION EITHER. I MEAN, YEAH, HE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE ANSWER, BUT I'VE HEARD SOME GENUINELY STUPID QUESTIONS AND THIS WASN'T ONE OF THEM. I WANTED TO WALK OUT RIGHT THEN. COME TO THINK OF IT, I REGRET NOT SAYING ANYTHING. I MEAN COME ON. HOW RUDE. AND HOW HUMILIATING FOR THE KID THAT ASKED THE QUESTION. HE'LL PROBABLY NEVER GATHER THE COURAGE TO ASK ANOTHER QUESTION FOR THE REST OF THE SEMESTER.
LONG STORY SHORT, I WENT TO MY ADVISER RIGHT AWAY AND HAD HIM GIVE ME FORCED ENTRY INTO ANOTHER CLASS. AND GUESS WHAT? IT'S THE CLASS THAT I WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. I'M RELIEVED. I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW MY OTHER CLASSES ARE TOMORROW.
WELL, AS MANY OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, I'M STARTING AT EMBRY RIDDLE MONDAY TO BEGIN THE PURSUIT OF A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING WITH EITHER A FOCUS IN PROPULSION OR ASTRONAUTICS (THAT IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH DECISION WHEN THE TIME COMES). THE CLOSER IT GETS TO THE START OF CLASS, THE HARDER I FIND IT TO CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT. MARCIE AND CICI (WELL, CICI) CAME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT I SHOULD START BLOGGING MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE AS I GO AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING. (IF I GET MUCH MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT, I MIGHT JUST START CLOGGING ABOUT IT).
WHY DOES THIS SITE KEEP AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING MY FONT BACK TO THE DEFAULT?? IF I SIT HERE WITHOUT TYPING FOR A MINUTE IT GOES BACK TO THE DEFAULT SIZE AND FONT. IT'S DEFAULTY! I'M THINKING MY TYPING IN ALL CAPS MAY POSE SOME PROBLEMS, E.G. THE WORD "DEFAULTY" WOULD HAVE BEEN CAPATALIZED HAD I BEEN USING THE USUAL LOWER CASE LETTERS, BUT LET ME EXPLAIN WHY I'M USING THE UPPER CASE. IT'S ACTUALLY FITTING TO TONIGHT'S BLOG...
SO, I WENT TO THE BOOKSTORE TODAY TO GET THE MAJORITY OF MY BOOKS. IN FACT, I GOT THEM ALL EXCEPT FOR MY CALCULUS BOOK BECAUSE THERE'S A GUY IN ORLANDO THAT'S SELLING HIS FOR $75 WHICH WILL SAVE ME WELL OVER $100 OFF THE NEW PRICE OF THE BOOK, AND STILL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OFF THE USED PRICE (AT THE BOOKSTORE). SO I GOT THE BOOKS HOME AND IMMEDIATELY OPENED THEM UP AND STARTED READING. LET ME JUST SAY THIS, IT DIDN'T TAKE ME LONG FOR MY FEELINGS THAT THIS INDUSTRY IS GOING TO BE RIGHT UP MY ALLEY TO BE REINFORCED.
THERE IS SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON DETAIL, IT'S INSANE. FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY GRAPHICAL ENGINEERING BOOK, THE ENTIRE FIRST SECTION IS ABOUT WRITING LETTERS. NO, I DON'T MEAN LETTERS THAT YOU SEND PEOPLE. I MEAN LETTERS, LITERALLY. Is AND Os AND Gs... THE LETTER B REQUIRES 5 STROKES OF YOUR PENCIL AND THE STROKES HAVE TO BE DONE IN A CERTAIN ORDER AND GO IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION TO BE DONE PROPERLY. ALL THE LETTERS HAVE TO BE IN CAPS. SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, THAT'S WHY I'M TYPING IN CAPS (LET ME KNOW IF IT'S ANNOYING TO READ AND I'LL GO BACK TO THE REGULAR WAY). I DON'T THINK IT WILL TAKE MUCH TIME FOR ME TO MASTER MY PENMANSHIP FOR ENGINEERING BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN TO WHERE MY PRINT IS PRETTY NEAT AND LEGIBLE OVER THE YEARS AND HALF THE TIME I DO WRITE IN ALL CAPS ANYWAY.
IN ANOTHER BOOK, THEY TALK ABOUT OVERALL COMMUNICATION AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO EXPRESS YOURSELF THOUROUGHLY AND LOGICALLY AND WITHOUT BEING "PREOCCUPIED WITH FLOWERY DESCRIPTIONS AND THE PORTRAYAL OF EMOTIONS". YES!! NO ANNOYING HOPELESS ROMANTICS HERE!! NO FILLER!! JUST STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. AND THEN THEY GO ON TO POINT OUT HOW UNPROFESSIONAL GRAMMATICAL ERRORS ARE, NAMELY INCORRECT HOMONYMS (THEY'RE, THEIR, THERE... YOUR, YOU'RE... TO, TOO, TWO). THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS I COMPLAIN ABOUT! I'M IN HEAVEN!
I HAVE YET TO OPEN UP MY PHYSICS BOOK, I DON'T YET HAVE MY CALCULUS BOOK, AND THE ONLY ONE LEFT IS A BOOK ON CATIA WHICH IS A CAD PROGRAM (COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN FOR YOU ILLITERATES, AND I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE). I HAVEN'T OPENED THAT BOOK YET EITHER, BUT THAT CLASS SHOULDN'T BE TOO BAD BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH A COUPLE OF CAD PROGRAMS, AND I LEARNED THEM FAIRLY QUICKLY AND EASILY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS PROGRAM WILL BE MUCH MORE INVOLVED THAN THE OTHERS.
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE PART ABOUT WHAT KIND OF STUFF IS ACTUALLY AT THE SCHOOL. I WALKED MY SCHEDULE TODAY ON CAMPUS TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH WHERE EVERYTHING IS AND WHERE MY CLASSROOMS ARE. ON MY WAY TO ONE OF MY CLASSES, I PASS BY THIS CLASSROOM THAT HAS THREE OR FOUR HUGE JET ENGINES JUST SITTING INSIDE. THESE THINGS ARE SITTING ON THE FLOOR AND ARE TALLER THAN YOUR HEAD! ON THE WAY TO ANOTHER CLASS, I GET TO PASS BY THE STATE OF THE ART WEATHER CENTER WHERE I GOT TO SEE HURRICANE BILL CREEPING UP ON FLORIDA IN REAL TIME ON WHAT'S GOT TO BE A 9 FOOT TV SCREEN. THE PROJECTED PATH WILL COME IN TOWARD FLORIDA AND THEN JUST FOLLOW UP ALONG THE EAST COAST. IN OTHER CLASSROOMS THEY HAVE PRESSURE CHAMBERS, FLIGHT SIMULATORS, RESEARCH EQUIPMENT THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN TO SPACE... AGAIN, IT'S HEAVEN.
I'M THINKING ABOUT BRINGING MY CAMERA WITH ME TO CLASS ON MONDAY AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TAKE SOME PICTURES OF SOME OF THIS STUFF WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE TOO MUCH OF A TOURIST. I DON'T KNOW. WE'LL SEE. IF I DO, I'LL POST THEM UP. OH, I'M ALSO PLANNING ON GOING UP IN A PLANE BEFORE TOO LONG. I'LL TAKE PICTURES OF THAT TOO.
I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT ALL FOR TONIGHT. I THINK I'LL GO BACK TO READING MY BOOKS. LET ME KNOW IF THIS CAPS THING IS ANNOYING, FOR REAL.
