Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Well, at least for next week! Received a 88% of my latest Calc 3 test, which is pretty good. I have a feeling that it'll be hard to get any lower than a B, but I really need to get enough to receive an A in the class. Tomorrow I receive my Physics and Statistics tests back, pretty sure I'll do fine.

New Project, Blender!

Above is a picture of my first blender project. For some time I wanted to monkey around with 3d, and decided to give it a go with blender, a free 3d studio (and a very nice one). I really enjoyed the first project, which I followed using a really nice and simple tutorial. Although I don't plan on doing anything amazing as far as 3d modeling, it is a nice skill to have just for fun/if I ever go into a project requiring test models. I uploaded a video of my first animation just for the hay of it, pretty similar to the one presented by the tutorial. Below is my animation and a link to the tutorial.

http://www.gryllus.net/Blender/LearningUnits1_6.html

New e-mail working, along with some updates

Nothing new or exciting happening, but I did get salgat@salgat.net up thanks to zoneedit and Google domains. Test next week for math, 2 tests the week after for Physics and Statistics. Anyways, it is 1:30Am and I haven't really done much math homework, although the test is Wednesday. Going to do most of it tomorrow, save Tuesday for Physics. Tuesday I plan on also getting a table in my room and setting up my microcontroller "lab." I may start crunching homework in order to find more time for my hobby stuff, I have this book C Primer Plus that I may start cracking at. I have found that my biggest issue is not the language as much as the compiler. I am still not familiar with how to control the compiler to do what I need it to do, linking and whatever other things exist out there, along with the best techniques to use with programming. I'm afraid if I go too far I'll develop a horrible approach to programming haha. Well, October has arrived, and I am thinking of going out and getting some Apple Cider, which sounds delicious right about now...

First round of Exams are over

Last week I received all my test grades back. First the good news, 94% on my Calc 3 test. Hurrah to Vectors! Now on to Physics...64%! 

When I saw this test score, I had this feeling of grief that I really screwed up. This was made even worse because I snuck a view at someone elses test grade as I walked in, 84% on his. As we went over the test, I realized one reason why I did so bad, I wrote the answers to one question on the wrong part of the test, and he never marked it off. Thankfully he allowed me to get the extra 12 points for it, boosting my grade to a 76%. Unfortunately, I discovered two days later that the equations sheet I was handed for the test was missing half the equations! I lost at least 5% of my test grade due that. I showed this to my professor the next day, but he showed me in the top right corner that it said "Page 2 of 2." Although it isn't exactly fair, I don't hold it against him for not compensating for the lack of that half of the equations sheet that everyone else was able to use. I gained a life lesson from this experience, I need to be very proactive about making sure that I get what I need, to check these things over, and I know I can make up for it in future tests (afterall, my test score was 3rd highest in class, not counting those lost points from missing half the equation sheet). Furthermore, he did provide an extra credit lab that I was able to complete for an extra 5 points (which essentially, or at least for the most part makes up for that test goof up). Overall my professor is pretty cool, and I enjoy his humor.

I received a 88% on my Statistics test, and have an A in that class. I still have to play catch-up on the papers for Art class (behind one week), and need to finish 3 sections of Math homework tomorrow, along with finding time for Physics. Overall, this semester is doing fine, and although I'm pretty pressed for time during the week, I am enjoying it. All this commotion is helping pass the time, 5 weeks have already passed!

I have some plans for the new XMEGA 8-Bit AVRs coming out sometime later this year, or early next year. I'm going to limit my classes as much as possible next semester, probably will only take a C++ programming course, Engineering Physics 2, Introduction to Linear Algebra, and Introduction to Differential Equations. I hope time isn't constrained for that semester, I really want to play with my microcontrollers!

Too much work

Math consumed my entire weekend. I have no time for my electronics. I'm bummed. Next week is 3 tests, I still have 3 more chapters to finish homework wise in Calculus 3 before I will be ready for Wednesday's test, the teacher crammed in 4 chapters last Thursday. Engineering Physics test also coming up, should do well, but still have homework for that to finish also (2 chapters). Statistics is my one salvation, I hope. I have to do some homework for it, which will be due either Thursday or next Tuesday, but the problem is that it requires the lab which is open at the worst times for me. Hopefully I can do it all on Wednesday. Typically the first string of tests sets the mood for how things will be in the future, and gives me an accurate idea of what the teacher's expectations are for us. Wish me luck!

IMTS 08

Just got back from IMTS 08, located in Chicago at the McCormick Center. Was pretty fun, and saw a lot of machine tools. The robotics impressed me the most, Fanuc did one heck of a job with their huge displays. One had a robot holding a car frame, with some 10 welders working on it. Overall I had a lot of fun, and was able to stay in a nice hotel and everything. Thanks goes out of Monroe County Community College for paying for all of this!

A few updates...

Nothing too exciting to post about, but a few things have changed recently. My job status has changed, I only work Fridays at SHAINC as of now, and am picking up a new job as the Electronics Student Assistant at Monroe County Community College. Not sure if I'll keep my SHAINC job, I know it's only Fridays, and it is an extra $80 a week, which is a lot, but thats a whole day each week that isn't devoted to potentially more important things. At SHAINC they want me to setup a new inventory system to make things easier, I plan on just setting up a bar code scanner and having a database store the inventory and its location. The main issue they have with inventory is not finding something that is in the back room, but whether or not it's there to begin with. This will take out that difficult process of finding this out.

I've been wondering if I should change my plans about College. While I really want to go to Lawrence Technological University for my Electrical Engineering Technology degree, I've been thinking of going to University of Michigan - Ann Arbor or Dearborn instead and pursuing a Computer Engineering degree first. I really love Computer Engineering, and I know this is what my future career will be. Instead of paying $21,000 at LTU for a Technologist degree, I may be better of paying $11,000 per year for 2 years and going for the Computer Engineering degree. I seem to have all the requirements for UM fulfilled by the end of this year, and if I do get accepted to UM Ann Arbor I will likely take that route (7th in the country for Computer Engineering). I know for a fact that UM Dearborn will accept me, and while they are still prestigious, I'm not sure if I will take that route. The one thing really swaying my opinion is the facilities. LTU's facilities are...archaic. I visited once, and was pretty dissapointed. They are a great school, but nothing compared to the godly North campus of UM. I'll send in my applications to the three schools probably in November/December and see what scholarship I can get. I know a lot of people will say so and so school is over-rated, but with over $700 million invested in the engineering department, it's hard to argue with one of the country's best engineering schools.