« May 2005 | Main | July 2005 »

June 29, 2005

annoying people

yes, they do exist everywhere you go...
we're supposed to have study groups every night to go over the homework assignments for class, and we have just been assigned to a group, no choice involved. last week's group was really good, we talked through the problems, had some insight, made a lot of bad jokes... this week's group is much more concerned with drinking/partying/going out than actually studying (this is one helluva expensive way to go about partying). so last night they just all decided not to meet at all. i sat down with a few other people who had been abandoned by their groups and we went through the problems and readings.
then, today before class, who should come up to me but every member of my group (save one)? and what did they want? oh yeah, to know what the homework was... because the prof does cold calls and so you'd better know the answers. anyways, long story somewhat shorter, i explained to them what the problems were about and sketched out the answers. grr. i mean, i don't mind helping people, especially if they are having trouble understanding, but for fuck's sake, these people hadn't even tried.
*sigh*

we'll see what happens tonight i guess...

Posted by lara at 04:02 PM

June 28, 2005

academia

i would never have guessed how much i would be enjoying the academic rigor here at stanford. after senior year at vassar, i was a little concerned that i would be tired, disinterested, not motivated to work etc etc. but how far from the truth! i am so excited every day to go to class and learn more... my interest is two-fold, which also excites me. the professors here are just brilliant. we were told at the beginning that they selected the best profs from the GSB to teach at our institute, and i think i believe them. the professors have basically taken their normal syllabus and shrunk it down into about a week's worth of classes, and still manage to give us an amazing introduction to their subject. and then there's their ability to make a class of 75 feel like a class of 5. amazing.
and then there's the subject matter. i think i am particularly overwhelmed by the intensely practical nature of our classes because it is such a striking contrast to vassar. don't get me wrong, i am not bashing the liberal arts way of teaching, it is just at the opposite end of the spectrum. everything we are taught here is with an eye for direct practical applicability in the business world - most of our classes are actually structured around case studies.

so... while i haven't really found any best buddies among the other participants, i am really enjoying the diversity of this crowd. my hallmates go out partying and drinking every night which makes me feel like i'm back in freshman year, but there are plenty of other interesting people to talk to and hang out with. sadly, my best frisbee ally just broke his toe yesterday in a pick-up game, but i'm even getting to play some frisbee here!

all told: stanford is just rockin... and i really love the challenge and stimulation of academia. we'll see how long i can stay away... i'm giving myself tops 5 years.

Posted by lara at 12:19 PM

June 24, 2005

RSS feeds, and how they are changing the nature of technology

very interesting article, and some quality thoughts on the matter of the evolution of the way in which we gather information from the internet:
Channel 9: Longhorn (heart) RSS

the more i think about this issue, and in particular the characteristics of the evolution that this guy is talking about, the more intrigued i am...you might recall that i occasionally talk about how the majority of our existing technology is pretty much a passive resource - the value of any database is only as great as the quality of the way in which information is retrieved from it by people - and i think that the development of RSS represents a significant change in this. it seems to me that RSS feeds, and perhaps the subscription services more so, are a significant step in the direction of creating technology that takes an active role in parsing and distributing information. imagine what this new type of technology could do for a company that has a massive database with information gathered from all its projects - this is the kind of stuff that makes my brain tick. loudly...

Posted by lara at 08:02 PM

June 22, 2005

it figures...

three years of living in a dorm at vassar and not once did i get locked out of my room. two days of living in a dorm at stanford and i've already locked myself out while taking a shower... nothing like wandering around the dorm in a towel looking for an RC to let me back in as an ice-breaker. i guess the whole self-locking doors thing is just too much for me to handle.

hopefully i've learned my lesson?

Posted by lara at 02:38 PM

people

so here i am at stanford. there's really so much that i could write about the last week that i feel completely overwhelmed and just won't. instead, i have some thoughts about the people here...
i find myself on the outside of several groups, among others the people on my hall. they've been going out drinking every night, and i'm pretty happy not doing that. however, it's a little odd just not being included. i find myself hanging out primarily with other europeans, which has given my brain plenty of fuel for thought. first off, i wonder if other people can as easily identify europeans... i picked out most of them at first glance. i don't think i could figure out what about them looks different; subtle differences in clothing, particularly for the guys, but not enough to really be that obvious.
and then there's the question of why i feel a lot more comfortable hanging out with other people from europe. perhaps i just haven't met the "right" people from the US here. but could i really feel more comfortable? it's a very loaded question in some ways... then again, the europeans that are attending a summer program at stanford aren't exactly average, so perhaps it's significantly more complex... who knows.

well, it's time to polish up my resume before tomorrow.

Posted by lara at 12:11 AM

June 09, 2005

summer reading

so, i'm trying to set myself up with a summer reading list. i realized that i'd really like to keep up with reading interesting, intellectual and stimulating books now that they are no longer being shoved down my throat by eager professors... ; ) and while i probably won't be diving into the latest research articles from the authors i've spent the last 4 years trying to understand, i am quite willing to push myself a little beyond the normal fluff reading that has usually accompanied me to the beach.
on this line of thought, i'd really appreciate input on things to read... as i will also share my opinions on the titles i have selected for myself.
so here's what i have so far:

for any of these books, i'd be very happy to send them to anyone who wants to read them and can't find them in a library... book exchange, anyone?
oh, also, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimond is an absolutely FABULOUS read and i strongly recommend it...

Posted by lara at 11:19 AM

June 01, 2005

wow...

just put on Guns'n'Roses November Rain (that a certain someone was kind enough to d/l for me) and am sitting here absolutely overwhelmed and surprised at the flood of emotions that this song is evoking. never would have predicted that. this song is a direct link to 6th grade, a time that i haven't really thought all that much about... it was a time of confusion - of trying on one hand to fit in more, on the other, being content with where i was. trying to figure out boys (still working on that one!). trying to figure out my body - and this was only the beginning.

well, it's been a walk down memory lane. any other people have songs like this that just wash over you and transport you back into your memories? just curious...

Posted by lara at 05:00 PM | Comments (1)

i want a picture that captures this song...

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
That call me on and on across the universe,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box they
Tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe
Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Sounds of laughter shades of earth are ringing
Through my open views inviting and inciting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a
Million suns, it calls me on and on
Across the universe
Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Posted by lara at 03:37 PM