Harry speaks!
Aug. 5th, 2009 12:11 amSo I had volunteered to do the continued fractions review with Fergie.
Obviously, we needed to be prepared. I did the chain of reasoning review with Fergie last year, and, well, it was kind of a mess. I intended to give that maxflow/mincut talk last year - no-one showed up, you may recall, except Erick, who already knew the material, and a sparrow that we had to let out the back door - and while I never ended up giving it, I remember practicing for it, and it being a mess.
So of course last night the two of us divvy up the topics and plan out what we're going to do and what proofs we're going to use. And we decide we're going to practice about 4:00 or so.
Well, guess, what, we can't, because 2nd-year lab presentations are at 4:00. Earlier? No, Glenn's giving a talk then; it'll have to be afterwards, at about 5:00. Only, what actually happened was, first group went way over time, we actually finished more like 5:30.
Unfortunately, I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night, and I've got a headache, too. I fall asleep during Glenn's lecture despite it actually being pretty interesting, and afterward I've *really* got a headache, still need to sleep, and am a real nervous wreck. I can do this, I think, if I can just calm myself down... which, well, I can't. And meanwhile, how am I going to practice? Fergie is gone elsewhere, most likely to eat... but how will I be able to do this without practice?
Well, I say, screw it. Perhaps I can't do this without practice, but I'm *sure* I can't do this without sleep - if I can even stay up this long (we're scheduled for 8:00). I go set my alarm for 7:30 and take a nap for 2 hours. That means skipping dinner and doing it entirely cold, but it really seems my best option.
Well, when my alarm goes off I wake up, I make it there on time, and... somehow, I pulled it off! OK, it wasn't exactly optimal - due to time constrains (Fergie went rather over time; I finished about 9:30) I had to go a bit faster than I think everyone could follow - but for a talk I hadn't practiced at all, I think it went pretty well - it flowed, it was coherent, I hardly stumbled, I'm pretty sure I was loud enough, I (mostly) managed to write on the blackboard as I talked (a real problem for me last year, and a big reason the chain of reasoning review turned out such a mess)... so, while I suppose it could have been a lot better, so far as I'm concerned, I pulled it off!
-Harry
Obviously, we needed to be prepared. I did the chain of reasoning review with Fergie last year, and, well, it was kind of a mess. I intended to give that maxflow/mincut talk last year - no-one showed up, you may recall, except Erick, who already knew the material, and a sparrow that we had to let out the back door - and while I never ended up giving it, I remember practicing for it, and it being a mess.
So of course last night the two of us divvy up the topics and plan out what we're going to do and what proofs we're going to use. And we decide we're going to practice about 4:00 or so.
Well, guess, what, we can't, because 2nd-year lab presentations are at 4:00. Earlier? No, Glenn's giving a talk then; it'll have to be afterwards, at about 5:00. Only, what actually happened was, first group went way over time, we actually finished more like 5:30.
Unfortunately, I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night, and I've got a headache, too. I fall asleep during Glenn's lecture despite it actually being pretty interesting, and afterward I've *really* got a headache, still need to sleep, and am a real nervous wreck. I can do this, I think, if I can just calm myself down... which, well, I can't. And meanwhile, how am I going to practice? Fergie is gone elsewhere, most likely to eat... but how will I be able to do this without practice?
Well, I say, screw it. Perhaps I can't do this without practice, but I'm *sure* I can't do this without sleep - if I can even stay up this long (we're scheduled for 8:00). I go set my alarm for 7:30 and take a nap for 2 hours. That means skipping dinner and doing it entirely cold, but it really seems my best option.
Well, when my alarm goes off I wake up, I make it there on time, and... somehow, I pulled it off! OK, it wasn't exactly optimal - due to time constrains (Fergie went rather over time; I finished about 9:30) I had to go a bit faster than I think everyone could follow - but for a talk I hadn't practiced at all, I think it went pretty well - it flowed, it was coherent, I hardly stumbled, I'm pretty sure I was loud enough, I (mostly) managed to write on the blackboard as I talked (a real problem for me last year, and a big reason the chain of reasoning review turned out such a mess)... so, while I suppose it could have been a lot better, so far as I'm concerned, I pulled it off!
-Harry
