Bonus 8-End of Semester Check Up

Here we are, the final stretch. I was doing so well at the beginning of the semester but I've been drowning since about the end of March. I hit a rough patch in my personal life and since then I stopped keeping up with my assignments. It wasn't on purpose of course but usually by the time I remembered to do them after the due date. Then I would do it and forget to post or post something that sounded like complete poop. I think I will end the semester well though.

This blog idea was fun. It was nice to read everyone's post and it surprisingly we got to learn about each other through what we wrote. I gathered that Brandon loved Japanese culture, Kenneth is something of a master with words, Alex can hold his ground in an argument, Kathleen can always find a unique perspective took look at things, etc. While this was a good experience I know that this format type of class isn't for me. Any class that requires most of the work to be online are the bane of my academic existence. I can not for the life of me be consistent with online coursework. I learned that the hard way when I had an online math class in high school. I thought I was just stupid because math wasn't my strong suit but I had to take another online course in college and my original hypothesis was supported: online classes will never be my strong suit because I always forget about them. I'd rather turn in a physical piece of paper. The humiliation of everyone turning in a piece of paper while your hands are barren and the teacher giving you the side eye is a perfect motivator for bringing in your work to the class. Anything online will be pushed to the back of my mind unless its a quiz that I have to take or something of the sort.
One thing I really enjoyed in this discourse class was how genuinely chilled everyone was. We could talk about anything during class discussions and no one would get a rod stuck up where the sun don’t shine. There are a few classes where I feel comfortable talking and this class is one of them. Maybe because it was smaller. Talking in front of the class wasn’t too difficult to do either because of how we’ve kinda bonded through the semester. It’s bittersweet leaving the class and at least I never have to take another discourse course till I die so that’s a plus.
Here’s to good health, good grades on our finals and good lives. It’s been real, Discourse 300, it’s been real.

Bonus 8 - Midterm Check Up - Brandon Ince

        I am losing steam. Opinions are beginning to become harder to formulate and defend, assignments are harder to keep track of, work conflicts with study and I still haven't made enough to pay off tuition. The amount of pint up stress and dread and the notion of having a relaxed final college semester is neigh irreconcilable. When time is spent doing one assignment I regret not spending that time doing another assignment, when I switch over to the other assignment I wonder why I didn't even finish the first assignment causing an equal amount of grief and distraction - thus the cycle of building tensions begins.  All things considered, I am a wreck. But with this first bonus point blog post I hope to break this cycle of doing-in-vain and commit to doing something that exceeds expectation instead of simply what is on the docket - a "bonus" if you will. Before your very eyes I will lay out my "All American 3 Step Plan to the Betterment of Body, Ethic, and Spirit." (Though it's not necessary that every step betters each virtue all together, like a toddler its best to take it one step at a time.) The goal is nothing as concrete as "loose twenty pounds by May 9th", but simply to feel like a better person on my own terms, in my own way - by May 9th.

All American Step #1 - Low Carb Diet
         I am a sloth. The only form of honest exercise I get every week is the long and incredibly arduous climb to the Education Building second floor for my lovely Discourse 300 class, both the class and the stairs leave me winded, but both are worth it. However, seeing how I'm typically a stagnant human being, carbs are my worst enemy for keeping healthy and beautiful. Spaghetti may be tasty and there may be nor greater pleasure than crackin' a bag of home-style original Lays, but if I'm not planning to run any marathons - or at all actually- then those treats best stay on the shelf. It takes a certain kind of lifestyle to sustain an intimate relationship with the bottom portion of the food pyramid and that certain lifestyle is a foreign to me as French prose.

All American Step #2 - Be Inconvenient  
        Convenience is the root of anxiety. The most dangerous habit I have formed over the years is orienting my schedule to allow me the most amount of uninterrupted rest along with the least amount of work. This method of lifestyle min/maxing is an awful thing to get used to. For me it has engendered an irresponsible amount of procrastination and an influx of low quality/effort work. I know if I am allowed to continue on like this I am bound to collapse - collapse under the stress induced by my hedonistic style in "taking it easy". Instead of fixating on the delights of lethargy, try finding the joys of superfluousness and discomfort. Exercise, which is lauded by intellectuals across the land, is - after all - quite uncomfortable.

All American Step # 3 - The Little Things, baby. 
        Oh what happiness can be found in the little things. Someone once said, "From a blade of grass one can learn 500 lessons" This open minded mentality can lead to lots of things, a better consciousness both social-wise and academically, a greater sense of appreciation for most things, and if you forget your phone in the bathroom then its a great time sink.

Bonus 8 - Midterm Checkup - JJ Leath

            I’m doing alright this semester. I have all A’s in my classes, so that’s fine. I unfortunately have not made as much professional progress as I would have liked to. This is my first semester back after dropping out of the University of Arkansas, so I think I underestimated the amount of time that school would take out of my days. I have an idea of an algorithmic trading system, but I haven’t been able to work on it much due to school and work. Further, I have an idea for a software company that uses a dynamic correlation equation that I wrote along with predictive geometry to assist the retail trading industry in timing trades and executing orders. I think that it could have a huge impact, but I haven’t had time get it off of the ground.

            While the professional strain has been annoying, I have learned a great deal this semester. That is what is most important. If I felt like I wasn’t learning, I’d probably drop out again. I came into this semester knowing hardly anything about computers, programming, or data science. These three weaknesses have caused me a lot of professional strife. This weakness is one of the reasons I decided to return to school. My programming skills are finally to the point where I am able to create programs to observe data through the CQG platform. Further, I have started building my own computer that will use neuron-powered chips instead of binary chips. I am also now proficient in data science. I have learned enough where I am now able to write my own equations to describe market phenomenon and develop algorithms to uncover profitable strategies in the market. My skill development has been what I have been most proud of this semester.

            There isn’t a whole lot that I would change about this semester. I have become too socially involved. When I was in New York and Chicago, I knew nobody. This solitude allowed me to get a lot done. As I have returned home, I am reunited with old friends and have made new friends while at UMKC. This is great, and I am very grateful for the people in my life, but I am having a hard time striking a balance between my life and my social circles. I need to get better at this.

            As far as goals go, I have to be careful. I have too often made grandiose goals that are impossible to achieve, and then I become depressed when I fail to meet those goals. So, if I am being practical, my professional goals will not be accomplished by the end of the semester. I would like to get further, so I will say I will strive to have the skeleton of the program I want to sell to retail traders done by May 9^th. Further, I will strive to have the algorithm for my algorithmic trading system completely finished by May 9^th. I will also maintain my grades at A’s for the rest of the semester. Most importantly, I would like the skills to develop UIs from scratch and make data diagrams in Python by the end of the semester. These are all of my long-term goals. As far as short-term goals go, my main one is to get everything planned for London. I am moving to London for the summer to work at another prop firm, so I need to get everything planned for that ASAP. I hope to accomplish everything that I am wanting to, but even more, I hope that I won’t be too hard on myself if I fail to do everything I am wanting to.