My mountain of work
I’ve never been fascinated by mountain climbing, or even hiking, but after next semester, I’ll be an expert. Here’s the current list of high priority items I’ll be working on next semester:
- the Cardiac imaging project with Papadakis
- proctoring for the engineering college
- 19 hours of class, with 2 of them grad level
- studying for the general and math subject GRE exams
- applying to grad school, and for fellowships
None of these daunt me so much as the last one: I hate asking for recommendations. First, I don’t talk to my professors, ever, so I have no basis for an outstanding recommendation. Second, I don’t like asking busy people to do things for me. I’ll have no compunctions about asking Papadakis though, since it seems like I’ll be working my ass off on that project 
Essay writing isn’t my thing either, but comparatively easier. The application writing and such will be crammed into my weekends and other such instances of copious free time.
I’ve managed to convince myself I’ll be able to study in adequate amounts for my GRE exams by reading over the weekends— if I cram material in, 4 hours per day, I should be able to review all of calculus in a month, and likewise for diff. eq.— and doing several problems a day. As for proctoring, I have to hold 4 hours a week of office time when students can come in for help on homework or just understanding material in class— the latter situation never occurs, and the former is very rare— and that’s about how much time it takes me to grade their assignments, so I’ll do the grading then, and complete all my proctoring responsibilities at once.
While my approach to handling the others is all settled, I don’t yet know how I’m going to reconcile my classes with the cardiac project. I’m worried mostly that I won’t be able to study as much as I’d like to for the real variable class I’m taking, one of the two grad classes. The other is a stochastic processes class being offered by the engineering department, so should offer no significant challenge, except for time needed to do the homework. My other classes should be easy: philosophy, telecommunications, advanced linear algebra, and political science— again, only time needed to do the homework and write the papers.
One good thing: I now have a key to Papadakis’ office, and eventually a computer will be set up in there so I can work on the project whenever I have time— no more 9-5 in the computer lab. If I want, I can spend a whole Saturday up here working; not that I would. As a side benefit, I can keep my books for my classes around that part of the campus in there so I don’t have to lug them around.
Efficiency is the watchword now.