News:

Proud member of the Vin Diesel Friendship Brigade

Main Menu

I wanna be a student, too!

Started by LMNO, June 16, 2016, 03:46:44 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

LMNO

So, after much hemming and hawing, I've registered over at www.complexityexplorer.org and signed up to take a course in Dynamical Systems.  Supposedly, it only requires high school algebra.  We'll see.

Looking to get the feel of this under my belt, then taking more advanced courses.  Not sure what it will lead to, but it'll look pretty bitchin' on my resume/CV.

Vanadium Gryllz

That looks like an interesting website - could be a good resource. Complexity theory isn't something that I've heard of before but the syllabus for the course you're taking sounds interesting.

From the sounds of:

Quote2.Introduction II: Differential Equations

your maths skills could be getting quite a workout.


I've always liked the idea of online/lifelong learning but finding the drive to actually commit is difficult with so many distracting/easier things to be doing. Good luck!
"I was fine until my skin came off.  I'm never going to South Attelboro again."

LMNO

First week down. Integrated functions, fixed points, graphs.

My understanding was there, but I forgot how to take quizzes and got 7/10. Need to slow down.

Still, the course instructor is pleasant and the concepts were well laid out. I think I can do this.

Algebra was rustier than I thought, though. May need to hit Khan Academy for a bit.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: LMNO on June 16, 2016, 03:46:44 PM
So, after much hemming and hawing, I've registered over at www.complexityexplorer.org and signed up to take a course in Dynamical Systems.  Supposedly, it only requires high school algebra.  We'll see.

Looking to get the feel of this under my belt, then taking more advanced courses.  Not sure what it will lead to, but it'll look pretty bitchin' on my resume/CV.

OMG, this sounds like so much fun!
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


LMNO

So far, it's really fun. I miss being a student.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: LMNO on July 12, 2016, 12:59:35 AM
So far, it's really fun. I miss being a student.

Being a student is really awesome and fun in a lot of ways.

I am also really damn sick of it, but I think I am pretty addicted to having THINGS TO LEARN. I want a break, but I don't necessarily think I would tolerate a break very well. Which is good because unless something unexpected comes up (typing that made my stomach turn because I don't feel very secure about life right now) I will be starting again in two months.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


LMNO

Nailed the test on Differential Equations.  Mostly because we stuck primarily with qualitative solutions, dipping our toes into computational (Euler's Method), and pretty much not even looking at analytic solutions.

Still, I'll take 100% anyway.  Next, we're finally going to start looking at Chaos.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: LMNO on July 15, 2016, 02:05:29 PM
Nailed the test on Differential Equations.  Mostly because we stuck primarily with qualitative solutions, dipping our toes into computational (Euler's Method), and pretty much not even looking at analytic solutions.

Still, I'll take 100% anyway.  Next, we're finally going to start looking at Chaos.

Nice!
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


LMNO

Butterfly effect, Lyapunov Exponents, Bifurcations. Fun!

Amazingly enough, very little math needed to figure this stuff out.  Though I'm really leaning towards digging in to the Khan Academy stuff to get back into algebra and calculus.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: LMNO on July 29, 2016, 02:11:13 PM
Butterfly effect, Lyapunov Exponents, Bifurcations. Fun!

Amazingly enough, very little math needed to figure this stuff out.  Though I'm really leaning towards digging in to the Khan Academy stuff to get back into algebra and calculus.

This sounds pretty awesome!

I have no idea what I'm taking this Fall. The classes I registered for are essentially no longer applicable, but I can't register for graduate classes yet because I'm not in the system as a grad student yet.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


CBXTN

Is there a general thread for Schools, Unschools, self-schooling, and other autodidact shit?

I want to see a thread containing syllabi on courses that are not yet taught, premised upon things not yet here.

Ziegejunge

Quote from: CBXTN on July 29, 2016, 10:06:16 PM
I want to see a thread containing syllabi on courses that are not yet taught, premised upon things not yet here.

Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today,
I wish, I wish he'd go away...

Nast

(I don't know if this is a general academic aspirations thread or not, so if I'm threadjacking please move my post to the Open Bar or something.)

I also really miss school. Although, it may be just because I'm having such a shitty time finding a job that I yearn to crawl back into the warm womb of academia. In a perfect world I'd be studying ancient and non-Western art history right now, but it's not a feasible prospect at the moment because of lack of money for tuition and lack of job prospects in that field. I don't think the humanities are "worthless", I just think our society has a hard time applying the humanities in a practical way in our current capitalist system.
"If I owned Goodwill, no charity worker would feel safe.  I would sit in my office behind a massive pile of cocaine, racking my pistol's slide every time the cleaning lady came near.  Auditors, I'd just shoot."

LMNO

1. Feel free to make this a general "I'm learning stuff" thread.

2. Nailed Bifurcations of the Logistic Equation.  The tests are way dumbed down, but I'll take it.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: LMNO on August 05, 2016, 06:12:11 PM
1. Feel free to make this a general "I'm learning stuff" thread.

2. Nailed Bifurcations of the Logistic Equation.  The tests are way dumbed down, but I'll take it.

It sounds awesome, though! Also I have been thinking of some of these MOOCs basically as primers to the topic; I'm taking intro to epidemiology and intro to bioinformatics 4-week MOOCs before fall classes start.

I'm finally official and registered for Fall classes, which will be Animal Behavior, a thesis prospectus class, and a one-credit seminar class.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."