I, like all people, have had many times in my life where I felt like I was simply enduring, just trying to make through the next challenge.
Since returning home from an LDS mission and starting college, life has offered me many such experiences. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to be melodramatic. I know how richly I have been blessed, and understand that I have much to hope for in life. It is not my intention to complain, but to simply state that these experiences I have had, these experiences of struggle, have shaped the way I view the world.
I have long believed that experience is the best teacher we have. True to that belief, I have learned far more from heartbreak and disappointment than any victory or triumph.
I have learned that by simply enduring, we can build our character, develop a hope for the future, and cultivate and faith in ourselves. While I understand that the day of bliss and ease will never come, I am hopeful that I can endure through this next stage of life.
This past week has been about enduring, as will the next. But I am hopeful that things will work out, the dots will connect, and I can learn to live a rich and joyful life.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Connecting the Dots
I've mentioned this before, but I'm very excited for the next two semesters because they will in all likelihood be the last of my undergraduate career. I'm optimistic for the future, even though I'm not entirely sure what lies ahead.
I've had a great job for the last two and half years that I hope to start full time after graduation. The company I currently work for is an analytics firm that specializes in providing predictive analysis for financial institutions. Having majored in statistics, I feel confident that some of the skills I have acquired in school will translate nicely to the work place. If all goes well, I'll be able to build an impressive resumé and work experience, which would help me achieve my goal of being accepted into a top MBA school.
If the future were within my power to control, I would love to be accepted to UCLA. I loved living in California and would be ecstatic if the bumpy road of life brought me back to its golden coasts.
No matter what happens over the next few years, I feel confident that things will work themselves out. As Steve Jobs said in his famous stanford commencement address, "you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." Although I don't know how, I feel hopeful that they will connect as push through the uncertainty of life.
I've had a great job for the last two and half years that I hope to start full time after graduation. The company I currently work for is an analytics firm that specializes in providing predictive analysis for financial institutions. Having majored in statistics, I feel confident that some of the skills I have acquired in school will translate nicely to the work place. If all goes well, I'll be able to build an impressive resumé and work experience, which would help me achieve my goal of being accepted into a top MBA school.
If the future were within my power to control, I would love to be accepted to UCLA. I loved living in California and would be ecstatic if the bumpy road of life brought me back to its golden coasts.
No matter what happens over the next few years, I feel confident that things will work themselves out. As Steve Jobs said in his famous stanford commencement address, "you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." Although I don't know how, I feel hopeful that they will connect as push through the uncertainty of life.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Midterms.
Week 6 of my last fall semester of college was busy. It was easy to feel overwhelmed as the stress of three midterms, homework and assignments at work continued to mount. I've mentioned in previous posts that my class load is pretty technical, and four of my five classes are statistics courses.
The first test I took was for my continuous probability and inference class, Stat 340. To this point in the term, this class easily feels like it will be the most difficult. Most of our homework thus far has required us to prove various theories using calculus. After studying for a few days with some friends in the department I felt pretty good going into the test. That all changed the minute the test was handed out. Unfortunately, it was MUCH more difficult than the practice test our professor had given us the week before. I didn't do too well, but I doubt anyone else did well either. If there's a curve I should be okay.
The second test was for my linear regression class. After hours of memorizing tedious formulas I felt like I could do pretty well. The test seemed pretty straightforward, and I feel optimistic about my score.
By Saturday I was burnt out. Even though it was the weekend I had one more test to knock out, the dreaded M COM grammar exam. I didn't study nearly as much as I should have and will most likely be forced to take the retake.
Either way, I feel pretty good about what I was able to accomplish this week. Bring on the next round of midterms!
The first test I took was for my continuous probability and inference class, Stat 340. To this point in the term, this class easily feels like it will be the most difficult. Most of our homework thus far has required us to prove various theories using calculus. After studying for a few days with some friends in the department I felt pretty good going into the test. That all changed the minute the test was handed out. Unfortunately, it was MUCH more difficult than the practice test our professor had given us the week before. I didn't do too well, but I doubt anyone else did well either. If there's a curve I should be okay.
The second test was for my linear regression class. After hours of memorizing tedious formulas I felt like I could do pretty well. The test seemed pretty straightforward, and I feel optimistic about my score.
By Saturday I was burnt out. Even though it was the weekend I had one more test to knock out, the dreaded M COM grammar exam. I didn't study nearly as much as I should have and will most likely be forced to take the retake.
Either way, I feel pretty good about what I was able to accomplish this week. Bring on the next round of midterms!
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