Timewaster Take 2
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
taking 4 subjects this semester
4! :wtf: Try:
- Analogue Electronics II (hard)
- Digital Electronics II (very hard)
- Electrical Power Engineering (easy)
- Mathematics II (moderate)
- Introduction to Computer Architecture (easy)
- Technical Communication (easy)
- Computing Labs (easy)
- Electronic Labs (moderate)
- Spanish (moderate)
- Group Project
- Lab Project
This term we have:
- Fields & Devices
- Communications 2
- Signals & Linear Systems
- Control Engineering
- Mathematics 2
- Algorithms & Data Structures
- Technical Communication
- Electronics Lab
- Computing Lab
- Group Project
- Lab Project
- Spanish
See here[^] and the work-load is insane and so is the timetable (16 hours lectures (+3 for language), 8 hours labs, 1 hour tutorial, 5 hours Study Groups).
That is insane!:omg::wtf: Did you take that much on a bet while drunk? I'm a CEE myself so I know exactly what you're doing. For what its worth, I'm taking the 4 I mentioned (at the Masters level mind you, but its a Masters of Science in Computer Science), running my own company (we're 4) and I have a 10 month old and I'm preparing to my application packets for 10 universities for the PhD. Imperial College, if I were a resident, and I should go about making it so since the wife is English, I'd have considered it for the MSc/PhD, but I cannot afford London. Unfortunate really, since I have a 3.8/4.0. best of luck mate!
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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That is insane!:omg::wtf: Did you take that much on a bet while drunk? I'm a CEE myself so I know exactly what you're doing. For what its worth, I'm taking the 4 I mentioned (at the Masters level mind you, but its a Masters of Science in Computer Science), running my own company (we're 4) and I have a 10 month old and I'm preparing to my application packets for 10 universities for the PhD. Imperial College, if I were a resident, and I should go about making it so since the wife is English, I'd have considered it for the MSc/PhD, but I cannot afford London. Unfortunate really, since I have a 3.8/4.0. best of luck mate!
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Did you take that much on a bet while drunk?
Spanish is the only optional one there. But we have to take a humanities / language in the 2nd year so that slot is filled regardless. Everything else is compulsory. It is the reason why we're the best though...
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
running my own company
Not quite but I do do contract work during term time (well it kind of overflowed into term time) but at least it's an extra aside.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
I have a 10 month old
Can't confess to that one though...
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
for the PhD
Thought about a PhD but not sure if I want to do it, although Dad & I did come up with a cool research topic (involving using microphones to pin-point breaking clays on a shooting ground thus automating scoring).
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
but I cannot afford London
Since I'm living there it doesn't seem too bad. Compared to other places though it is expensive. Halls are about £150 / week but they are essentially on campus and campus IS central London / South Kensington. When you move out of halls there are many options Putney / Hammersmith is about £100 / week but a 45 minute bus ride in (or 25 minute bicycle ride). I'm 20 minutes walk from campus (in Chelsea) but staying in a family owned house so it's cheap, no one but me living permanently in the house. There's one thing about Imperial though, we work bloody hard but we party bloody hard too. Plus the fact the Uni is so rich (for a British one) so that does filter down to the clubs etc. I like'd a comment in Felix the student magazine where NICE (Health Body) wouldn't issue a cancer drug on the NHS because of cost and Imperial Health Centre said they'd prescribe it free to patients and swallow the cost in their £800m budget (this is a university hospital trust)...
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Did you take that much on a bet while drunk?
Spanish is the only optional one there. But we have to take a humanities / language in the 2nd year so that slot is filled regardless. Everything else is compulsory. It is the reason why we're the best though...
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
running my own company
Not quite but I do do contract work during term time (well it kind of overflowed into term time) but at least it's an extra aside.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
I have a 10 month old
Can't confess to that one though...
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
for the PhD
Thought about a PhD but not sure if I want to do it, although Dad & I did come up with a cool research topic (involving using microphones to pin-point breaking clays on a shooting ground thus automating scoring).
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
but I cannot afford London
Since I'm living there it doesn't seem too bad. Compared to other places though it is expensive. Halls are about £150 / week but they are essentially on campus and campus IS central London / South Kensington. When you move out of halls there are many options Putney / Hammersmith is about £100 / week but a 45 minute bus ride in (or 25 minute bicycle ride). I'm 20 minutes walk from campus (in Chelsea) but staying in a family owned house so it's cheap, no one but me living permanently in the house. There's one thing about Imperial though, we work bloody hard but we party bloody hard too. Plus the fact the Uni is so rich (for a British one) so that does filter down to the clubs etc. I like'd a comment in Felix the student magazine where NICE (Health Body) wouldn't issue a cancer drug on the NHS because of cost and Imperial Health Centre said they'd prescribe it free to patients and swallow the cost in their £800m budget (this is a university hospital trust)...
I'm considering Warick TBH. It's in Coventry making it a 30-40 minute ride from where my wife's family lives in Birmingham and its a top notch school and certainly one of the best in the field I'd love to research in (modeling and forecasting diseases and/or chemical reaction chains in Biological Systems) but I have to dish out about 10KGBP/year for my room and board not to mention the wife's and ickle 1.0.
Ed.Poore wrote:
Thought about a PhD but not sure if I want to do it
I got into that mindset because I want to make a difference. I was misdiagnosed with something that left me devastated for the longest time. I don't want that to happen later on to me or to anyone else, what if it were heart problems when I'm older?
Ed.Poore wrote:
Halls are about £150 / week
150/week * 52 (since I'll be there for several years and most likely staying put throughout that time) is 7800GBP and there's still room and board for my wife and son. Not sure if I can do it.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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I'm considering Warick TBH. It's in Coventry making it a 30-40 minute ride from where my wife's family lives in Birmingham and its a top notch school and certainly one of the best in the field I'd love to research in (modeling and forecasting diseases and/or chemical reaction chains in Biological Systems) but I have to dish out about 10KGBP/year for my room and board not to mention the wife's and ickle 1.0.
Ed.Poore wrote:
Thought about a PhD but not sure if I want to do it
I got into that mindset because I want to make a difference. I was misdiagnosed with something that left me devastated for the longest time. I don't want that to happen later on to me or to anyone else, what if it were heart problems when I'm older?
Ed.Poore wrote:
Halls are about £150 / week
150/week * 52 (since I'll be there for several years and most likely staying put throughout that time) is 7800GBP and there's still room and board for my wife and son. Not sure if I can do it.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
I've got to go over to Walsall Campus (University of Wolverhampton) next month with my daughter for her acceptance interview. While I'm up there, would you like me to enquire on your behalf what PhD courses they do? And Walsall is very near to Birmingham.
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I've got to go over to Walsall Campus (University of Wolverhampton) next month with my daughter for her acceptance interview. While I'm up there, would you like me to enquire on your behalf what PhD courses they do? And Walsall is very near to Birmingham.
I'd be eternally grateful :) I'll give them a call after the holidays are over. Incidentally, when are the holidays over?
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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I'd be eternally grateful :) I'll give them a call after the holidays are over. Incidentally, when are the holidays over?
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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I'm considering Warick TBH. It's in Coventry making it a 30-40 minute ride from where my wife's family lives in Birmingham and its a top notch school and certainly one of the best in the field I'd love to research in (modeling and forecasting diseases and/or chemical reaction chains in Biological Systems) but I have to dish out about 10KGBP/year for my room and board not to mention the wife's and ickle 1.0.
Ed.Poore wrote:
Thought about a PhD but not sure if I want to do it
I got into that mindset because I want to make a difference. I was misdiagnosed with something that left me devastated for the longest time. I don't want that to happen later on to me or to anyone else, what if it were heart problems when I'm older?
Ed.Poore wrote:
Halls are about £150 / week
150/week * 52 (since I'll be there for several years and most likely staying put throughout that time) is 7800GBP and there's still room and board for my wife and son. Not sure if I can do it.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
My best friend's girlfriend is in Warick (Biology I think) and really enjoys it there. Ironically he's thinking of moving closer to College next year and doesn't mind paying a bit more because we've got such a chaotic timetable (most days finishing at 6) by the time even I get home it's about 7, cook some supper, do some work and go to bed. Up at 7:30 and off again, with his 45 minute journey morning and night it's taking it's toll slowly. London is expensive but most people think it's worth it. I suppose with a wife and young un you haven't considered being a Warden? Someone who looks after the first years in halls, cheaper accomodation, extra perks and very close to campus (e.g. Beit, where I was last year took 2 minutes to get into my department). Moving towards Fulham / Putney / Hammersmith you can probably get places for under £100/week but since I didn't look I wouldn't know.
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My best friend's girlfriend is in Warick (Biology I think) and really enjoys it there. Ironically he's thinking of moving closer to College next year and doesn't mind paying a bit more because we've got such a chaotic timetable (most days finishing at 6) by the time even I get home it's about 7, cook some supper, do some work and go to bed. Up at 7:30 and off again, with his 45 minute journey morning and night it's taking it's toll slowly. London is expensive but most people think it's worth it. I suppose with a wife and young un you haven't considered being a Warden? Someone who looks after the first years in halls, cheaper accomodation, extra perks and very close to campus (e.g. Beit, where I was last year took 2 minutes to get into my department). Moving towards Fulham / Putney / Hammersmith you can probably get places for under £100/week but since I didn't look I wouldn't know.
I suppose I wouldn't mind being a warden, so long as the wife and the baby are alright with it. I think I can convince the wife but the lad will be a bit tough to convince. I've just talked to my father-in-law, and the way he described it, getting me a permanent residence visa is a walk in the park! If I knew it was that easy, I'd have done it AGES ago! But that's good news because it means I wouldn't have to shell out major $$$. I'd be paying the same fees as a UK citizen. The question is, would I be eligible for the scholarships as well?
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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I suppose I wouldn't mind being a warden, so long as the wife and the baby are alright with it. I think I can convince the wife but the lad will be a bit tough to convince. I've just talked to my father-in-law, and the way he described it, getting me a permanent residence visa is a walk in the park! If I knew it was that easy, I'd have done it AGES ago! But that's good news because it means I wouldn't have to shell out major $$$. I'd be paying the same fees as a UK citizen. The question is, would I be eligible for the scholarships as well?
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
The question is, would I be eligible for the scholarships as well?
Depends on the company providing the scholarship I presume since IC don't really offer their own scholarships but rather get companies to fund people.
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
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I suppose I wouldn't mind being a warden, so long as the wife and the baby are alright with it. I think I can convince the wife but the lad will be a bit tough to convince. I've just talked to my father-in-law, and the way he described it, getting me a permanent residence visa is a walk in the park! If I knew it was that easy, I'd have done it AGES ago! But that's good news because it means I wouldn't have to shell out major $$$. I'd be paying the same fees as a UK citizen. The question is, would I be eligible for the scholarships as well?
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
permanent residence visa
This website can probably help http://www.workpermit.com/uk/permanent.htm[^] but if you need a reference then give me a shout.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
scholarships
These people possibly could help http://www.scholarship-search.org.uk/pls/mon/hc_edufin.page_pls_user_studmoney?x=16180339&y=&a=220707[^]
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
permanent residence visa
This website can probably help http://www.workpermit.com/uk/permanent.htm[^] but if you need a reference then give me a shout.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
scholarships
These people possibly could help http://www.scholarship-search.org.uk/pls/mon/hc_edufin.page_pls_user_studmoney?x=16180339&y=&a=220707[^]
Pardon my thickness in such matters, but what's meant by a reference?
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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Pardon my thickness in such matters, but what's meant by a reference?
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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As in Letter of recommendation[^]
Ah, gotcha! Much obliged my friend :)
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa Unix is a Four Letter Word, and Vi is a Two Letter Abbreviation "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
taking 4 subjects this semester
4! :wtf: Try:
- Analogue Electronics II (hard)
- Digital Electronics II (very hard)
- Electrical Power Engineering (easy)
- Mathematics II (moderate)
- Introduction to Computer Architecture (easy)
- Technical Communication (easy)
- Computing Labs (easy)
- Electronic Labs (moderate)
- Spanish (moderate)
- Group Project
- Lab Project
This term we have:
- Fields & Devices
- Communications 2
- Signals & Linear Systems
- Control Engineering
- Mathematics 2
- Algorithms & Data Structures
- Technical Communication
- Electronics Lab
- Computing Lab
- Group Project
- Lab Project
- Spanish
See here[^] and the work-load is insane and so is the timetable (16 hours lectures (+3 for language), 8 hours labs, 1 hour tutorial, 5 hours Study Groups).
That looks like a typical workload for my alma mater, Cal Poly, Pomona, CA, USA. Even then it still took 5 years to complete the degree, and graduating was like an extended vacation with only two jobs to worry about. I find it curious that you rate Digital Electronics Very Hard, and Analog only Hard. I found the opposite to be true; anyone with two fingers and a background in analog can teach himself digital easily. The opposite course would take a genius to master, as so much on critical importance is left out of the digital courses. The only thing hard about anything digital is mastering the discrete mathematics required, and that takes a somewhat different way of thinking about the world. Very interesting stuff, especially around boundary conditions. Good luck! It looks like a fun program. :-D
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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That looks like a typical workload for my alma mater, Cal Poly, Pomona, CA, USA. Even then it still took 5 years to complete the degree, and graduating was like an extended vacation with only two jobs to worry about. I find it curious that you rate Digital Electronics Very Hard, and Analog only Hard. I found the opposite to be true; anyone with two fingers and a background in analog can teach himself digital easily. The opposite course would take a genius to master, as so much on critical importance is left out of the digital courses. The only thing hard about anything digital is mastering the discrete mathematics required, and that takes a somewhat different way of thinking about the world. Very interesting stuff, especially around boundary conditions. Good luck! It looks like a fun program. :-D
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Roger Wright wrote:
I find it curious that you rate Digital Electronics Very Hard, and Analog only Hard
At the moment it's just there are so many places where you can slip up on things in the digital. Timing diagrams X| (including the ability to spot potentials for glitches, plus these are hand-drawn), state diagrams with 1000s of differemt ways of rendering them. This terms analogue is basically generalising on what we covered last year (broadly speaking BJT, FETs, Amplifiers etc) and building on these when the generalisation has been made. Basically Pappavasiliou (or however you spell his name) is teaching us all the useful and pratical engineering shortcuts / tricks for doing the analogue stuff we did last year where we had to derive / memorise 100s of formulae. I don't think the subject material is particularly hard, it's the rate at which we cover it. For instance by the end of this year we'll have covered more Maths than all the other departments (including Maths) put together. Ok we focus on the practical aspects and don't bother proving stuff but we've still covered a huge array of topics. The biggest issue is simply the quantity and rate at which we cover material because it's been widely acknowledged in Britain that our Electronics degree covers what other Unis do in three or four seperate degrees. Hence why we're the best :rolleyes:
Roger Wright wrote:
Good luck! It looks like a fun program. Big Grin
It is fun (some of the time :rolleyes:), the best bit is actually knowing that our extra-curricular activities (in my case shooting, climbing and a few other sports) are backed by one of the richest Unis in Britain. A few years ago our Union made an "accidental" profit of a few million pounds (they're not supposed to make too much profit because it's meant to go back into the students). Plus we get about £5.5 billion in research grants alone per annum (~£55 million for EE department).
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Roger Wright wrote:
I find it curious that you rate Digital Electronics Very Hard, and Analog only Hard
At the moment it's just there are so many places where you can slip up on things in the digital. Timing diagrams X| (including the ability to spot potentials for glitches, plus these are hand-drawn), state diagrams with 1000s of differemt ways of rendering them. This terms analogue is basically generalising on what we covered last year (broadly speaking BJT, FETs, Amplifiers etc) and building on these when the generalisation has been made. Basically Pappavasiliou (or however you spell his name) is teaching us all the useful and pratical engineering shortcuts / tricks for doing the analogue stuff we did last year where we had to derive / memorise 100s of formulae. I don't think the subject material is particularly hard, it's the rate at which we cover it. For instance by the end of this year we'll have covered more Maths than all the other departments (including Maths) put together. Ok we focus on the practical aspects and don't bother proving stuff but we've still covered a huge array of topics. The biggest issue is simply the quantity and rate at which we cover material because it's been widely acknowledged in Britain that our Electronics degree covers what other Unis do in three or four seperate degrees. Hence why we're the best :rolleyes:
Roger Wright wrote:
Good luck! It looks like a fun program. Big Grin
It is fun (some of the time :rolleyes:), the best bit is actually knowing that our extra-curricular activities (in my case shooting, climbing and a few other sports) are backed by one of the richest Unis in Britain. A few years ago our Union made an "accidental" profit of a few million pounds (they're not supposed to make too much profit because it's meant to go back into the students). Plus we get about £5.5 billion in research grants alone per annum (~£55 million for EE department).
Ed.Poore wrote:
Timing diagrams
Those were fun; compared to the analog classes, that was like playing in kindergarten. Eliminating race conditions (or potential ones) was particularly entertaining. But I always found what is happening between zero and one most interesting, and the whys of it. I was constantly surprised after I graduated that the digital weenies had so much trouble moving their precious ones and zeroes from place to place in the real world. It turned out that none of them ever looked at the transition region of the devices they were so blithely saturating, and few would know a neper from a leper. Saving digital guys' asses became something of a trademark for me in my early engineering years. A couple of uH here, and few nF there and - bingo - nice well behaved digital waveforms at the receiving end. They all thought it was black magic. :-D It sounds like you have a great school, and an opportunity few ever encounter to really become expert in a challenging field of study. I hope you make the most of it, and have great fun along the way. I sure did... :)
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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Ed.Poore wrote:
Timing diagrams
Those were fun; compared to the analog classes, that was like playing in kindergarten. Eliminating race conditions (or potential ones) was particularly entertaining. But I always found what is happening between zero and one most interesting, and the whys of it. I was constantly surprised after I graduated that the digital weenies had so much trouble moving their precious ones and zeroes from place to place in the real world. It turned out that none of them ever looked at the transition region of the devices they were so blithely saturating, and few would know a neper from a leper. Saving digital guys' asses became something of a trademark for me in my early engineering years. A couple of uH here, and few nF there and - bingo - nice well behaved digital waveforms at the receiving end. They all thought it was black magic. :-D It sounds like you have a great school, and an opportunity few ever encounter to really become expert in a challenging field of study. I hope you make the most of it, and have great fun along the way. I sure did... :)
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Oh I'm having fun alright, when I get the chance to. At least we're being taught by some of the best in the world. Apparently our Maths lecturer is one of the best on complex numbers, vector algebra and that kind of thing (few theorems named after him). One of the lecturers you might have heard about was Dr Tom Pike[^]. Plus we've also had some famous people[^] (perhaps the most famous of which in recent years was Brian May :cool:).
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder