Updated 3/22/25.
Wow, I am almost halfway through college. After the stress of shopping period, it has been a very quiet semester so far. I think I have settled into the rhythm of college, and I am not trying anything new. It feels that I now have more time to delve deeper into the things I care about.
Courses
Unlike previous semesters, I wasn't sure about my schedule at all. Reflecting back on my decisions in the past, there were usually very shallow reasons for taking or not taking a course. I would take course A because my friend was taking it or I would reject course B because it was held in a dusty classroom. Well, this was even more true this semester. All I learned to do was ruthlessly prune classes that I wasn't enjoying at the start of shopping period.
I ended up taking 4.5 courses this semester:
- CSCI 1670/1690: Operating Systems with Lab
- CSCI 1515: Cryptography
- ENGN 0520: Circuits and Signals
- EGYT 1320: Middle Egyptian II
CSCI 1515, ENGN 0520, and EGYT 1320 lectures are excellent, and I can wholeheartedly recommend taking a course with these professors. I am quite busy during the week, so I have to reserve Saturdays for operating systems, or else it won't get done.
My ongoing evaluation is on the courses page.
CSCI 0300 TA
I love TAing for CSCI 0300 ("Fundamentals of Computer Systems"). I want to write about it someday, but I think that TAing is one of the most fulfilling experiences you can have as an undergraduate at Brown. Highly recommend.
Sunlab Consultant
We cleaned up the Sunlab recently! Found Andy van Dam's (physical) lecture slides inside this projector.
CS DUG
We're also bringing back the CS Senior Yearbook this year! If you are a graduating senior at Brown and want a yearbook, you can fill out this form here.
Puzzle Club
After the hecticness of last semester, progress on the Puzzle Club site has been fairly steady. Most of the infrasture is in place, so we're all working on postprodding the puzzles, adding on the art, and improving the performance.
If you are looking for something cool to do in April, registration for the 2025 Brown Puzzle Hunt is open now on https://www.brownpuzzlehunt.com/!
Dance Dance Revolution
My friend shipped his DDR pad to campus, and I bought a projector for it. Wish I had more time to play on it—I have been using the projector more often to watch lectures.
Concluding Thoughts
It has been a pretty good semester. I didn't work too hard or worry too much. I found the time for my courses, my jobs, and puzzle club. I only dealt with like... 2 days of burnout after the semester ended, and that was for some other reasons.
But I do wish—at least for next semester—that I spend more time with my friends, more time developing as a person, and more time outdoors. My doctor says I'm deficient in Vitamin D.