hey yall long time no talk. not much has gone on here just eat, school, sleep repeat. except that i've been practising my origami some and i have reverse engineered something amazing.http://www.derudas.com/origami/cobra.htm
enjoy.
sayonara
p.s. my emai lhas changed from Saberchipmunk@yahoo.com to Matthew.l.gong@gmail.com for all those who didn't know
Sunday, September 24, 2006
And Two Weeks of Classes...
You know what? If you've been doing your homework and saying your prayers, graduate classes aren't too bad. Above and beyond the four classes I listed a few weeks ago, I signed up for a month-long macroeconomics class starting this last Tuesday. That brings me to 13.5 credit hours; twelve is a full load. So far I've been busy, but not stressed. There's nothing here that Drs. Christiansen and Showalter didn't prepare me for.
And I'm enjoying every single one of those five classes -- no filler electives or GE's or subjectively graded abominations. (Having only turned in two assignments, I'm leaning on some faith for that last stipulation.) This is a first for me: for all my effort picking courses, I've always seemed to end up with at least one dud.
We'll see how it goes once I start working. My first job started on Friday, when I went in for teacher training at the local Kaplan. Erin and I are in the same cohort. We're also looking variously at jobs translating for recent immigrants, doing research on campus, working at the local library, etc.
Finally, I should mention that Erin spent the last week with her parents and sisters in Decatur, city of corn. Boy is it good to have her back.
yoroshiku
-Abe
And I'm enjoying every single one of those five classes -- no filler electives or GE's or subjectively graded abominations. (Having only turned in two assignments, I'm leaning on some faith for that last stipulation.) This is a first for me: for all my effort picking courses, I've always seemed to end up with at least one dud.
We'll see how it goes once I start working. My first job started on Friday, when I went in for teacher training at the local Kaplan. Erin and I are in the same cohort. We're also looking variously at jobs translating for recent immigrants, doing research on campus, working at the local library, etc.
Finally, I should mention that Erin spent the last week with her parents and sisters in Decatur, city of corn. Boy is it good to have her back.
yoroshiku
-Abe
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Video of Apartment
Here's a video of an apartment walk-through in Michigan. This is about two weeks ago, before our stuff came.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
Three Days of School
4:47 PM
me: Hey
gongerin: halo
me: Coming home soon.
4:48 PM
Not much luck on the job search.
But I am in the right micro class.
4:49 PM
gongerin: So you couldn't get the work study?
me: Probably not.
Apparently the deadline was March.
The financial aid secretary said that's a hard deadline.
Some of the folks in the department here said it's a recommended deadline.
4:50 PM
But the financial aid people are the ones who do the processing and make the decision. ... I hadn't even decided for sure to come to Michigan in March!
4:51 PM
gongerin: Was is part of the whole application for financial aid thing?
me: The school and the university have different applications. I did the school application, but not the university app.
4:52 PM
gongerin: oh
me: Even if I had I'm not sure I would have know to check the "work study" box, or whatever.
know
known
gongerin: yeah
4:53 PM
financial aid always seems to be a big mess
me: ... especially with me.
Oh, well. I can probably find a local job if I have to.
gongerin: You'll be able to work more hours for Kaplan, if that works out
me: True.
4:54 PM
Not getting the work-study job leaves me more flexible.
We'll see.
gongerin: Maybe you'll still get a GSI spot
me: Fingers crossed.
It still won't pay bills this semester...
gongerin: yeah
4:55 PM
Although Kaplan could...
Anyway, I'm going to go knock one more door then come home.
Love ya.
gongerin: love you too
see you soon
me: PS - What's for dinner?
gongerin: taco salad
?
me: yum. Ok, bye.
4:56 PM
gongerin: bye
First week of classes; they all look great. Erin is looking at programs to apply to for January. I'm looking for jobs, preferably on campus. One job in particular -- doing communications and outreach for the public policy school -- looked very promising. The director seemed to like my portfolio and the interviews had gone very well. The very last question she asked wasn't even really a question, "You're approved for work-study, right?"
Work-study?
It turns out work-study is a federally mandated financial aid program. Because it's subsidized, you have to be approved to hold a work-study position. Approval has to go through the university financial aid office, and the financial aid cycle ends in March. Before many grad students (including me) accept offers. (See my chat with Erin on the subject, above.)
So I'm not approved for work study and therefore probably won't get that particular job. A shame, really, because I was excited about it and probably as well qualified as anyone applying.
Tomorrow I'm planning on visiting the financial aid office for a counseling session. Maybe there's a loophole in the March application deadline. But my experience with that office so far has not made me optimistic. So I'm out looking for other positions. I applied with Kaplan on Thursday. Tuesday I'll hit up the Institute for Social Research to see if anyone needs a programmer/number cruncher research assistant.
All you Gong kids at BYU ought to be really thankful for an excellent education at bargain-basement prices. I know I am, increasingly.
yoroshiku
-Abe
me: Hey
gongerin: halo
me: Coming home soon.
4:48 PM
Not much luck on the job search.
But I am in the right micro class.
4:49 PM
gongerin: So you couldn't get the work study?
me: Probably not.
Apparently the deadline was March.
The financial aid secretary said that's a hard deadline.
Some of the folks in the department here said it's a recommended deadline.
4:50 PM
But the financial aid people are the ones who do the processing and make the decision. ... I hadn't even decided for sure to come to Michigan in March!
4:51 PM
gongerin: Was is part of the whole application for financial aid thing?
me: The school and the university have different applications. I did the school application, but not the university app.
4:52 PM
gongerin: oh
me: Even if I had I'm not sure I would have know to check the "work study" box, or whatever.
know
known
gongerin: yeah
4:53 PM
financial aid always seems to be a big mess
me: ... especially with me.
Oh, well. I can probably find a local job if I have to.
gongerin: You'll be able to work more hours for Kaplan, if that works out
me: True.
4:54 PM
Not getting the work-study job leaves me more flexible.
We'll see.
gongerin: Maybe you'll still get a GSI spot
me: Fingers crossed.
It still won't pay bills this semester...
gongerin: yeah
4:55 PM
Although Kaplan could...
Anyway, I'm going to go knock one more door then come home.
Love ya.
gongerin: love you too
see you soon
me: PS - What's for dinner?
gongerin: taco salad
?
me: yum. Ok, bye.
4:56 PM
gongerin: bye
First week of classes; they all look great. Erin is looking at programs to apply to for January. I'm looking for jobs, preferably on campus. One job in particular -- doing communications and outreach for the public policy school -- looked very promising. The director seemed to like my portfolio and the interviews had gone very well. The very last question she asked wasn't even really a question, "You're approved for work-study, right?"
Work-study?
It turns out work-study is a federally mandated financial aid program. Because it's subsidized, you have to be approved to hold a work-study position. Approval has to go through the university financial aid office, and the financial aid cycle ends in March. Before many grad students (including me) accept offers. (See my chat with Erin on the subject, above.)
So I'm not approved for work study and therefore probably won't get that particular job. A shame, really, because I was excited about it and probably as well qualified as anyone applying.
Tomorrow I'm planning on visiting the financial aid office for a counseling session. Maybe there's a loophole in the March application deadline. But my experience with that office so far has not made me optimistic. So I'm out looking for other positions. I applied with Kaplan on Thursday. Tuesday I'll hit up the Institute for Social Research to see if anyone needs a programmer/number cruncher research assistant.
All you Gong kids at BYU ought to be really thankful for an excellent education at bargain-basement prices. I know I am, increasingly.
yoroshiku
-Abe
Monday, September 04, 2006
Posting Bugs
Erin was having trouble posting earlier -- maybe you've had the same problem. I think I figured out the solution. First I had to register everyone as "admin" instead of "guest." Now you should be able to post by doing the following:
- Log in to gmail.
- Open the gong dynasty blog in a separate window.
- Click "Sign in" in the upper-right corner.
- Click the "Posting" tab to get a screen where you can start a post.
Let me know if this still gives you problems.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Moving Out Moving In
There are still more than a handful of boxes left to unpack, but we're closer to the finish line of our moving marathon. Abe declared the walk-in bedroom closet a "no mess zone" on Friday and you can now successfully sit on any of the living room chairs without moving a box first. The squeak of packing tape still hurts my ears.
Overall, the apartment will work out for us this year. It's about the same as our last one, maybe a little smaller. We've had a hard time with shelf space. Part of me wishes our possessions would have burned en route.
This coming week I'll hit the job search and grad school applications. I'm trying not to think about it until after Labor Day.
Abe and I substituted for nursery at church today. I tried to act dumb so they wouldn't call us as full-time nursery-ers next week. Not that I don't like nursery. Kids are preciously funny. But it is hard to get to know people in the ward if you only see them as you stick their dirty-diapered kid on their laps in the middle of the Sunday School lesson.
Dinner's ready. Chicken mushy something. I miss eating Sunday dinners at the Gongs'.
Overall, the apartment will work out for us this year. It's about the same as our last one, maybe a little smaller. We've had a hard time with shelf space. Part of me wishes our possessions would have burned en route.
This coming week I'll hit the job search and grad school applications. I'm trying not to think about it until after Labor Day.
Abe and I substituted for nursery at church today. I tried to act dumb so they wouldn't call us as full-time nursery-ers next week. Not that I don't like nursery. Kids are preciously funny. But it is hard to get to know people in the ward if you only see them as you stick their dirty-diapered kid on their laps in the middle of the Sunday School lesson.
Dinner's ready. Chicken mushy something. I miss eating Sunday dinners at the Gongs'.
(L to R) Front yard of our apartment. Abe in the makeshift living room.
Abe's Classes and Classmates
(I think I'll make writing on Sundays a habit for the next while.)
Orientation was on Thursday. Almost the whole entering class of 85 MPP and MPA students gathered in the Michigan Union to eat two meals; meet each other and the Ford School faculty and staff; and get some advice for navigating the coming months. Afterwards, I went for a self-guided tour of brand-new Weill Hall (Aside: every time I move into a new department, that department seems to get a new building.), registration on the school's eRecruiting system, and a math test to get me out of the standard first-year calculus course. It was a day of name tags, where-are-you-froms, and folders filled with multicolored handouts.
My classmates are a genuinely interesting crowd. Having spent two years on a mission, I had expected to be older than most of them, but that's not actually the case. Many of the others have been working at non-profits, doing extended internships for government, or otherwise kicking around for at least as long as I have. I'm probably just a little younger than average.
Like me, many of the other students don't really know what they're planning on doing, careerwise. The common denominator among public policy grad students seems to consist of two factors: 1) a scarcely bounded sense of idealism and personal responsibility for improving the world at large, and 2) no solid idea about where to start. It's an unusual kind of ambition.
My classes reflect that. I'm signed up for four three-credit classes starting next week. Later, I may add a half-credit seminar on China or macroeconomics, but for now, the lineup is:
yoroshiku
-Abe
Orientation was on Thursday. Almost the whole entering class of 85 MPP and MPA students gathered in the Michigan Union to eat two meals; meet each other and the Ford School faculty and staff; and get some advice for navigating the coming months. Afterwards, I went for a self-guided tour of brand-new Weill Hall (Aside: every time I move into a new department, that department seems to get a new building.), registration on the school's eRecruiting system, and a math test to get me out of the standard first-year calculus course. It was a day of name tags, where-are-you-froms, and folders filled with multicolored handouts.
My classmates are a genuinely interesting crowd. Having spent two years on a mission, I had expected to be older than most of them, but that's not actually the case. Many of the others have been working at non-profits, doing extended internships for government, or otherwise kicking around for at least as long as I have. I'm probably just a little younger than average.
Like me, many of the other students don't really know what they're planning on doing, careerwise. The common denominator among public policy grad students seems to consist of two factors: 1) a scarcely bounded sense of idealism and personal responsibility for improving the world at large, and 2) no solid idea about where to start. It's an unusual kind of ambition.
My classes reflect that. I'm signed up for four three-credit classes starting next week. Later, I may add a half-credit seminar on China or macroeconomics, but for now, the lineup is:
- accelerated microeconomics
- program evaluation
- issues in education policy
- elections and campaigns
yoroshiku
-Abe
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