Third Year Revelations

Third year taught me about some calculus on funny (non-existent) shapes, and how to draw passable pictures for topology real analysis, but mostly, it taught me to not to take myself so seriously all the time. I have found that things like to fall together exactly when you think they've just about fallen apart. 

o1. Good things come to those who wait... and those who bang their heads against the right walls for long enough.

o2. Perils of being a math major: chalk dust. It will get on all your black clothes, no matter how hard you try.

o3. Sometimes it just takes one. To my mentor: I probably wouldn't still be a math major without your unending patience and support. Thank you for seeing me through, and for always putting more faith in my abilities than I ever did.

o4. Having biweekly episodes of self-doubt and crises over whether you're pursuing the right degree are more normal than you would think.

o5. People are most beautiful at their most vulnerable.

o6. The world actually doesn't revolve around abstract algebra, contrary to not-so-popular belief.

o7. The most interesting things are those that confound you. These are the things that capture the imagination.

o8. Plausible deniability is always your best bet.

o9. People are usually pretty friendly if you ask them for help. Everyone likes to feel that their expertise is needed.

1o. If you're going to prank call someone, don't put your name in your voicemail message.

11. In the toolbox of abstract algebra, the First Isomorphism Theorem is the hammer.

12. And in the toolbox of analysis, it's the Triangle Inequality.

13. You will never, ever regret being a little bit braver.

14. Learn to laugh at yourself.

15. If you've got nothing else interesting going for you, name drop algebraic geometry whenever possible.

16. Learn to accept a compliment gracefully, and it will take you far.

17. People are always more open-hearted after midnight.

18. Sometimes the best way to deal with your problems is really just to pretend that they don't exist. Sometimes they just change, but sometimes they go away.

19. If you're feeling relaxed, you probably forgot about something that is due... tomorrow.

2o. Everything is more beautiful at night. But if it's still sparkly in the daylight, then you know it's for real.

21. Find the people who will walk with you, even if you don't know where you are going or where you will end up.

22. The stereotypes about mathematicians are stereotypes for a reason. (That's not always a bad thing, though.)

23. There is something beautiful about sitting in a darkened room by yourself.

24. Post-midnight driving, feeling like you're all alone in the world with nothing but the stars and city lights, makes you feel like you're on top of the world.

25. The ones who matter are the ones who will celebrate with you over your successes and hurt with you over your tragedies, and likewise.

26. Don't follow emotions; follow truth.

27. Hurting does not mean that you are sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. It means that you cry and scream and do whatever it takes, and then you get out there and love people in spite of it.

28. There's always going to be someone who is suffering more than you. But still—your pain is no less justifiable; your pain is no less real.

29. If you find someone who can see through your mask and your feigned happiness and call you on your made-up disguises, don't let them walk away.

3o. You can't just pick and choose your favourite definition of continuity... you must suffer through them all, because sometimes preimages just won't cut it.

31. Surround yourself with talented people. Sure, you'll suffer from feelings of mass inadequacy, but how else are you going to be better?

32. Just don't ever respond to your emails! You'll just be the eccentric unicorn in the department and people will have no expectations of you, so they'll be pleasantly surprised on the off chance that you ever do respond.

33. Persistence goes a long way.

34. You are infinitely more awesome in a good pair of heeled boots.

35. John Green is, surprisingly, usually right.

36. Campus is stunning at 4:00 AM.

37. Never leave an assignment question blank. Write something, even if it's nonsense. Sometimes your TAs are too hungover to care.

38. It is just as much about who you are as a person as it is about the numbers and title on your transcript.

39. Don't ever let yourself think that you are too good to start from the very bottom.

4o. Go to every single interview that you are offered, even if you think that the job and company are a joke.

41. Just because you wear a blazer and rent office space in a highrise building doesn't mean that you are a real company (ask me about this interview nightmare).

42. The Chinese Remainder Theorem is everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

43. And the Euclidean Algorithm... you can run, but you really can never escape the backwards Euclidean Algorithm.

44. If you can't teach, draw pictures. Lots of them. Preferably with coloured chalk.

45. You are no special unicorn.

46. Sweatpants are—you guessed it—still not okay!

47. Figure out your own standards for ethics instead of listening to someone else's.

48. Learn how to say no without giving excuses. It is always enough and you never need to justify your decisions to anyone but yourself.

49. Everything is really the same thing, except with more or less levels of generality.

5o. It is absolutely okay to be a quitter. Sometimes it's necessary for your sanity.

51. Just aim to be irreplacable.

52. At some point you will begin to feel lucky, even if you don't believe in luck. Never let yourself forget that moment.

spellbound(ed)*

lately my mind has been on math.
but funny enough, i've been inspired by
a certain mathematician that i recently met,
to come to a particular conclusion:
talent enchants.
it captivates; it commands attention.
i don't care what you love,
but i love that you love it.
i love that it keeps you awake at night, thinking—
flushed with the breathlessness of ambition;
reeling with dreams and plans.
few things in the world are as compelling
as someone who is madly passionate about their craft,
whatever that happens to be—
words, music, art, math, faith; your choice.
talent takes an ordinary moment and
creates something extraordinary;
perhaps the most flawless charm of all,
a gift from the most divine,
driving humanity to chase beauty beyond ourselves—
captivating

*no, i haven't lost my mind. this is a math joke.

First Year Revelations

A collection of lessons I've learned from first year. A lot of conjecture on various university experiences, including but not limited to: mathematics, coffee, smiles, pseudophilosophy and love (or something resembling it). 

o1. Anyone who says math is about numbers is absolutely lying. There are no numbers in math, with the exception of 0 and possibly 1.

o2. The only acceptable letters in mathematics are x, y, z, a, b, f (as in f(x)), i and j. Anything else is absolutely off-limits.

o3. It's okay to change your mind.

o4. Everybody thinks they know what they want, but few people actually know. Realizing how little you know is the first step to enlightenment.

o5. When your new professor says "I do not discuss grades over email" or "these assignments should be treated as take-home exams", run. Very far.

o6. Never underestimate the power of a smile.

o7. Whether it's an all-nighter, insomnia, a hangover—coffee really is the answer to all your problems.

o8. Nobody knows anything about true love at 18, 19, 22, whatever. But it's fun to hypothesize, and you can get close enough to the real thing for all practical purposes.

o9. You can write something amazing and your professor will tear it to pieces because they are a hipster who is bitter over being rejected by countless literary magazines. Don't let them sway you.

1o. Bad ideas are the most memorable ones, and will result in the best stories to tell. Ask me about the time I pranked my linear algebra TA on Valentine's Day.

11. Ambition is one of the most attractive traits in any given person.

12. So is passion.

13. Being nice to the people working on campus will get you everywhere.

14. You should probably buy that textbook in September. It will be $150 well spent, and if you don't, you will regret it in April when you're staring at the poorly-scanned .pdf version you downloaded on your computer in an attempt to be frugal.

15. Student councils run a lot more things around campus than you could ever imagine.

16. The fact that the professor standing at the front of the room is an absolutely awful teacher and you occasionally doubt his sanity does not change the fact that he is probably completely brilliant beyond your current comprehension. It's easy to forget that our professors are some of the top minds in their field worldwide.

17. You will lose touch with the people who said "forever", and that is okay. You will also figure out who your lifelong friends really are.

18. You can get a lot of free food on campus if you know where to look.

19. Know your stuff if you're going to get into an argument over it with the professor in front of your entire lecture. Know it very, very well.

2o. Your campus will provide you with countless once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Take advantage of them.

21. You will despise your field of study at some point or another. It is inevitable.

22. Taking a chance and smiling at the stranger you've been locking eyes with all over campus is never something you will regret.

23. Western is a big place when you're searching for somebody, and a small place when you want to avoid somebody.

24. You will wonder what you're doing with your life and seriously doubt your choice of major at least once. If you don't, you're doing it wrong. Bonus points for an existential crisis.

25. Do what you love. This is harder than it sounds.

26. Riding boots will make any outfit look more put-together.

27. There are a lot of brilliant minds at university, and also a lot of not-so-brilliant minds at university. Which is which may surprise you.

28. Every other faculty is underrated.

29. Raw talent only gets you so far; the rest is hard work. Never forget that.

3o. Good storytelling is an invaluable skill and talent. Learn it.

31. Everyone here has something to teach you, whether they are your professor, a classmate, a stranger or a friend. Be open to learning.

32. "I don't know" is, occasionally, the only right answer.

33. Being a mathematics major comes with an accidental minor in the Greek alphabet.

34. After a while, campus begins to feel like home. Like when you spend twelve-hour days there.

35. Sometimes all you can do is live life one day at a time and stop planning the future. Tomorrow could change everything forever.

36. You really can do it all—with many cups of coffee.

37. Despite all the early mornings, late nights and stressful weeks, someday you're going to miss this—so make it all count.