Lots of stuff, whee.
Today’s algo lecture was among one of the most interesting lectures I’ve ever been to. The professor started out a little shaky, and then got completely confused in notation and in his explanation and stopped… and then tried to recover, and got even more lost… and it was actually kind of funny. I feel a little bad for him, but meh… I doubt this is his first time lecturing, so I don’t know.
Also, apparently junior year is the time for major angst, so let me join in the fun. Lately, I’ve been doubting more and more that CS is the right major for me. That said, I have no desire to change my major since the thing that I’d rather do is photography, and besides the fact that I don’t have the skills to be a photo/art major (and that CMU doesn’t have a photo major), I’m also not talented enough to make a living off of photography. In any case, I’m apparently good (enough) at CS that I can graduate and get a good job… and I don’t completely hate it (I just don’t enjoy it nearly as much as photography).
I dunno… the past few weekends I’ve found myself in my room huddled over math proofs for my various courses, and it’s just not at all enjoyable for me. I’ve also procrastinated like hell on my latest graphics project (build a roller coaster and animate a first-person view of riding it) because it’s just seemed completely uninteresting to me. The fact that graphics is my only programming course this semester, and that it’s the only course I’m seriously considering dropping, doesn’t forbode well for other CS courses.
Instead, I’ve been going out and shooting massive amounts of film and digitals and then spending time in the darkroom/lab working on prints… and the more I do it, the more I realize that it’s really what I love to do. I really, really want to be a photo major.
So yeah, I dunno. I do enjoy my major though, even if I don’t particularly enjoy the classes (at least when compared to photo courses).
Wheee.
Today was our photo crit in color photography (for our artificial lighting project). I shot formal portraiture, student life, and music for the assignment. They came out very nicely, and Dylan apparently liked them, so yay. I think I’ve found my niche in portraiture, so that makes me happy. Time to start experimenting with it.
Relatedly, you should go to http://art.alanv.org and look at some of (what I consider) my best photography. Whee.
In the world of ITG, I definetly see myself improving.
Got an S+ (#1 machine record) on KeeL Over (marathon course)
Also starred (#1 machine record) Infection normal doubles (only a 6-foot, but meh… I’ll take my victories where I can get them)
Yayzor?
hey lan, i just wanted to let you know that i went to go look at your photos and they are beautiful! keep up the good work!
Agh, you’re not the only one with doubts about his CS major.
Oooh, lovely photos. The colors in the student life shots are very elegant… makes it look like they’re going to school in a fine hotel or a palace. Also
… also I forgot to escape my less-than sign. I meant to say < black and white.
I think major-doubt is more common than you might expect. I almost gave up my CS major to go to grad school in journalism, and I still catch myself dreaming every now and then about becoming a professional copy editor :-) A few of my friends, too, have gone on to jobs or grad school in completely different areas from what their undergrad degrees were in.
[Sigh.]
I mean <3 black and white. Tonight is not my night.
Sorry for the comments spam; I will go to bed now.
Ditto on the awesome pics; especially this one. Seeing stuff in 35mm (albeit scanned) is nice in comparison to digital… I kind of miss it. The graniness is nice.
Why not be a photo major, if that’s what you enjoy doing?
Are you planning to go to grad school? Supposedly, employers only care about the biggest degree you have. Thus, if you’re going to grad school, you can just have fun for now being a photo major. After all, a lot of what you are proving to an employer by showing them a degree is simply your ability to meet deadlines and follow directions.
And I doubt you have to be absolutely brilliant to get a career in photography… I think you should go for it. I’m much more in favor of doing what one loves in life than what one thinks is SMARTEST.
djayha: Because I can’t pay the bills as a photo major, and because I hate grad school and don’t plan on going (I’m going to start working immediately after undergrad).