You say #25 I say #1
So the winter appears to be back in Ithaca. In the last two weeks we had two days in the 50’s with rain, a few days with highs around 12, and it is nice and sunny right now hovering around the upper 20’s.
If you have never experienced winter in upstate New York it is quite interesting, often 3-4 seasons in a week. It is not that bad though, I swear (granted I have 18 years of western New York weather under my belt).
The semester is in full swing. Class rooms are full, problems sets are due, and there are people on campus. This semester I am pretty much taking the bare minimum of courses. But I am happy with what I am taking. I am continuing my research. My class schedule include Introduction to Wines, a classic Cornell course for those of age. It is also the most failed course at Cornell. I have learned so far that my taste buds need some training as does my sense of smell. I am also taking History of Rock. It talks about the evolution of rock and roll form the 20’s through 2000. It is getting more interesting and I would recommend it to everyone. I am also taking Introduction to Game Theory. It is pretty fun we play at least one game every class. Maybe it will come in useful in the future. I am also taking a review course to prepare for the fundamentals of engineering exam. The class is a mixture of Mech E’s, Civils, and Biological Engineers, with some other majors mixed in. It is basically a review for everything I have done in the past 4 years, crammed into 10, 1:30 lectures.
I am starting to up my bicycling training and look forward to my final season. This semester I am trying to spend as much time as possible with my friends and find a job. It is pretty scary knowing that I will be done with Cornell in May.
I hope you are all studying hard, or did well on your midterms, I happened to be home when my sister was taking her midterms and gave her a little motivation. All of you should believe me when I say work hard it is not easy to get into Cornell, but when you do get in, it is a wonderful place that I feel privileged to have called home for the last 4 years.
Have a good one,
Sean
P.S. Look at the most recent ESPN/Coaches poll for men's basketball. We have a stellar basketball team right now. I almost cried at the end of the Kansas game.
Welcome back or so long
I am back, well I have been back for a little while.
I finished up all of my work form last semester and worked a little bit more in the office and eventually made my way home on December 23rd. I spent Christmas with my family and got a vinyl box set along with some ties and socks, I guess that means I need to find a job. I spent New years in New York City, and made my way back to Ithaca on January 4th . Since then I have been working in the office and prepping my research project for shipment.
It was a unique break, but I had fun, my apartment mate has been back for most of it and we found fun things to do. Unfortunately most of those things involved watching an infamous MTV show. I am ready for the semester to start. It is my final semester, and unfortunately the last semester of my collegiate cycling career.
Keep checking back for more updates on my last semester as I prepare to leave this wonderful place.
Sean
A winter wonderland or a frozen tundra.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or it will be soon.
Classes have ended here, and we are amidst final exams. I only have one final on Tuesday, but I have a large project due on the last day of finals. I kind of wish I just had exams, but I know if I had to take exams I would want to have projects, oh the catch 22. Here in the office applications are pouring in. Phone calls and emails are also coming in with questions; again one of the most common is that someone did not realize our testing requirement. Cornell Engineering requires one SAT II in math and one in science. If you do not take them you will be at large disadvantage, in short just take them.
This break I will be fairly busy. For the first time in two years I will not be spending New Years Eve at The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Hometown throw down in Providence, RI. I’ll take this opportunity to plug their new album, Pin Points & Gin Joints, which I bought two copies of, CD and Vinyl. Instead this year I will probably be going to New Hampshire to see family for Christmas and then spend New Years in New York City with my girlfriend, who will be turning 21. The first week of January will see me back at Cornell working for the admissions staff to make sure they have enough time to read each and every application thoroughly, which they do even when the student staff is not there.
For Christmas I am hoping for some new records. I do not think I mentioned it, but for my 21st birthday I built a stereo. When I do work in my apartment I usually spin some vinyl, since it sounds better than mp3’s or CDs. Music has been very useful at Cornell. For some reason I study best when listening to it; perhaps because it is predictable noise.
I hope everyone out there has a wonderful break, and does not get too stressed out about applying.
Have a good one,
Sean
Did I eat too much or shake plenty of hands
Hello
I am back in Ithaca. For thanksgiving break I made the short trek home, on Tuesday I might add. This year for the first time I did not have any classes Wednesday morning. I must admit I have always gone to my Wednesday classes before break and it has always been a good idea. The professors usually give you some little hints for the finals. That brings me to my next point. This is the last week of classes, they end on Friday, and exams start Wednesday night and run for a week an a half. I only have one exam this year, but I have a few reports I need to turn in.
As the semester draws to a close and I look at the one semester I have left I am a little sad. I am starting to miss Cornell without having left yet. Cornell Has been a great place to study and live for the past four years. Hopefully next semester will be the best yet. I have a great schedule that allows plenty of time to ride my bike and hang out with my friends. It also has a lot of time for me to continue the job hunt.
I have not started to panic about not having a job yet, as a lot of people are in the same boat as I am. I have learned some things though. Cornell is a great place to network, you just have to do it. You never know what your friend’s parents do for a living unless you ask. They don’t really teach you, at least not in Mechanical Engineering, how to network, but it is a skill you need. Aside from knowing people in industry it is also a great idea to find out your friend’s strength and weaknesses. I am not the best writer, and my cover letters show that for sure. I have a friend who used to be a communications major who is helping me with my cover letters, she is now an engineer (score one for the winning team).
Cornell is a giant place, and if you are fortunate enough to come here use it to your advantage. I know I could have used it better. I don’t think there is any other university that will give you the same feel as Cornell.
Have a good one,
Sean Whitehurst
*If you happen to love bicycles check out Cornell Cycling’s new blog: http://cornelluniversitycycling.blogspot.com/ or follow the club on twitter: http://twitter.com/CornellCycling/
I love groups or sometimes not so much
Hello,
It has been a while since my last post. Most of what I have been doing has been bicycling related. I have been trying to think of a topic to talk about for about a week now, and I think I have one.
Have you ever been in a group where everyone just clicks and the work is super smooth and easy? Those groups are great, but sometimes you get the opposite. Cornell has a mixed focus on group and individual work. I have been in some groups that were less than desirable. In many of those cases you can still work with your other members, you might have to make a few sacrifices and pick up a few extra tasks, but those are things that companies like to hear about in interviews. But occasionally you might find yourself in a group that is not actually a group where you seem to be all alone with the work of two people. This has happened to me this semester.
I am not going to give too many details, but it had become a problem. I was in my professor’s office hours three or four days a week and he was very accommodating. Eventually enough was enough and I asked to talk with him. He was very understanding and we came up with a solution together. He is aware of the problem and my grade will reflect it as will my partners.
A big lesson to take away form this is that professors were once students and they are approachable. Professors will probably have been in a similar situation as you are in, and most professors at Cornell are understanding and will try to help you out. I was under a lot of stress the last two weeks, but after talking to the professor I feel like I have been unburdened (is that a word?).
Remember a Professor’s job is to teach and help his students, research is secondary, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Most professors abide by this and are very approachable and will move their schedules around to accommodate you if you can’t meet during regular times.
Have a good one,
Sean
*Just because you may not think someone is a good lecturer does not mean that they are not good in office hours. In my experience my professors have been very helpful in a one on one basis.
