Author: paperbackdragon

Exams are over. It’s a strange feeling, since I’ve felt the burden of either assignments, dissertation writing, or exam studying since September. So strange, in fact, that I had to start working on something again. I chose to start reviewing the C++ programming language since I’ll probably be using it in my internship in a couple of weeks.

I’m reviewing it using the problems on Project Euler. It’s a set of math-based problems that are too complex to easily solve on paper or with a simple calculator, and so programming is the best way to go about solving them. …

In 17 hours, I’ll be done with my exams. Yes, I have a countdown. I’ve studied everything at least vaguely, and feel moderately confident about my last exam. I could be wrong, but we’ll see tomorrow. So I’m going to focus on the fun stuff.

Right after the exam, partying will be had, all night. Not sure where or doing what yet but the day will be epic fun. Which means I may have to skip the blog tomorrow if I don’t end up by a computer. Sunday, off to AZ for sun and red rock and reading and writing. …

Intense exam today. Probably got my worst score yet, just because the questions were about such obscure things and didn’t really test us on our overall understanding of the course. Bright side, only one more exam, the day after tomorrow.

I don’t write that much about video games, as I’m afraid it will alienate some of my audience. I’m suddenly inspired to though, from a Kirby pin (which I got at the PAX gaming convention in Seattle last fall) on my bulletin board. I should write about games more often though, since I enjoy them. If you play video games …

Finally, one of my three last exams done. Next one tomorrow morning, a day break, and then the last one. Studying has been intense, but stressing even more so. I’m bad for that.

I can’t really be bothered thinking of a proper blog topic. It’s late, and I want to play a game to de-stress before bed. Maybe Team Fortress 2. Found it fun a month or two ago, but haven’t really played it since I started playing League of Legends. Which is rather addicting, even though it only has one map for 5v5 and one for 3v3. Apparently another …

Item #3 is my mobile phone. It’s a T-Mobile G1, which I got for Christmas last year. It has many defects, for a few reasons. One, it was bought slightly used online, so I had to buy a new battery to replace the old bloated one. Then about a week after I got the …

A new episode of Doctor Who aired today called The Doctor’s Wife, and I’ve been excited to see it ever since I found out Neil Gaiman was to write it. In a spoiler-free quick review of it, I’d say it was everything I’d expected from Gaiman and more. Intense plot twists and surprises, strange characters, and dark undertones are all big parts of his writing style, and they were all there. I highly recommend it.

For those of you who don’t know, my interest in Doctor Who started a year or two ago, when a friend from UBC introduced …

Today I bought two books for Kindle that I’ll take with me on my trip to AZ. I bought Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, like I said a few days ago, but I decided on something else instead of The Wise Man’s Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss.

I’ve been reading The Wand in the Word, a collection of interviews of 13 fantasy authors (Brian Jacques, Garth Nix, Madeline L’Engle, Tamora Pierce, etc). I don’t think this book was actually mentioned at all, but in the middle of reading the interview of Garth Nix I was reminded that I hadn’t …

Another exam done today, which ended up being much easier than I expected. And I expected it to be easy. I was tired afterward though, since it was an early morning exam, and I didn’t want to do all the errands I had–doctor’s, bank, chemist (pharmacy in non-UK English), groceries. Then, though, I was happily surprised: all the people I encountered were kind, energetic, easy to talk to. Including the doctor, which was a relief. Nothing’s worse than a doctor you’re not comfortable talking to. Got everything done, and am now home. A good day overall. There are even thunderstorms …

All I can really think about is how tired I am of exams.

I’ve done five out of nine now. I had one this morning at 9:30am that lasted for two hours (most of them are one and a half) and I’ve got another one again, tomorrow at 9:30am. At least it’s not two hours. I wish I could console myself by saying the hardest ones are over, but it’s not true. All three of the exams I have next week are tough, and there’s one in particular I want to make sure to do well in. Two of them …