6:30PM, the setting sunlight penetrated through surrounding forest, decorating my cubicle with golden coloration.

This is from one of my a presentation of a course project. I don't even bother to add a background to the slide. About the figure, I drew it in MS Paint within 3 minutes.

As illustrated in the phd comics: I'm not lazy. I'm an effort minimalist. Course is just the least important thing to a grad student once you are not planning for another degree anymore. In that case, you need good grade for fellowship.

At least it's easier to get A here than that in my Chinese grad school.

It's the end of the term again. 2 presentations, 2 exams and 1 assginment all due next week. After this term, I will have only 1 course left so that I can focus more on my research. I hate courses. Although I don't like research neither.

Well, 1 year ago, when I was in grad school in China, I just finished all my courses. I thought I would never take any annoying course again. However, the fate said "nope". So here I am.

Who knows what's gonna happen tomorrow I mean?

The hail lasted about 20 minutes. This video is shot from my office.
  

Fair media?

The most interesting is that some of these countries dare to accuse China of being guilty of "colonialism". Shouldn't a Western country be ashamed to mention this word?

And still, Youtube is manipulating the viewed counter of these 2 videoes to keep them out of the homepage. How fair!

I'm actally delighted to see those alleged "Free" countries doing this. The world is ironic, isn't it?

1. In Engineering, only 12.3% are female.

You don't say.

2. In Earning, male PhD $82,619 outperforms MSc $64,533

I don't understand, because I don't think education makes people better. Educated people are more qualified because you need to be qualified to get education, like you've to be richer and smarter to go to better university. So, conversely, the rich family and intelligence are the real reason supports you in future career market, not the courses taken in university. Schools teach nothing.

Whatever, I'm still hang in there with my MSc. $64,533 times the exchange rate, that is... much better than what I can get in China. Although it must be much lesser in Canada.

3. In Marriage, Grads 24.7% single rate outperforms 28.7% general population.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, more likely to have normal family.

But I suppose those extra 4% people are too bored so that they get married in grad school.

Bookish me, borrowed a book from library. It is the best of its kind, before and since, which casted significant influence on whole society.

I really should quit writing like this.

You may ask, is that about mathematics?

No, it's not. Neither is programming nor algorithm.

It's a novel.

Yes. In my opinion, the language you want to learn, the literature you should read. Although there is new word every 2 lines in this one, I still wanna challenge myself.

The good news is: I've read the Chinese version before, so it's easier to comprehend.

Why do people ever go to grad school here? This is my conclusion from 7 month observation. Grad students are nothing beyond following types. You may be one or several of them.

1. Foreign Gold Diggers

These VISA students are young blood from the thrid world, intelligent, determined and intrepid, seeking reborn lives in the New-World. They are pagans, fearing no one even God.

Rising from underprivilege, supporting by scholarship, they aim to be powerful and rich. To them, grad school is only a springboard into developed countries, a troublesome but necessary step in the path to fame and fortune.

(Bachelor is enough for ambitious native students.)

2. Academia Inheritors

These idealists are born in academia families or middle class families. They are good at school, thus can do annoying sciense talk from very young. Leading by interest, they want spiritual lives. Some of them even believe in greater good, and want to contribute to society.

They are big fans of their research. They have the true soul of science.

3. Future Proficients

For some occupations, 4 years higher-learning is not enough, like surgeons. Or it could be someone wants a better start point in career fair.

This is a price you have to pay for 1st-class life.

4. Vagabonds

These Peter Pans refuse to grow up, because they are too used to be students. They take grad school as a shelter hiding from the real life. Yes, if you and supervisor are both easygoing, you do have lower responsibility and more vacation here.

Some of them wake up after graduating and go to work, while others keep going and finally be professors.

5. Peacockish Boys

Academic titles are well worshiped all over the world, especially in Western countries. Dr.Zhang or Prof.Zhang sounds much better than Mr.Zhang. Lured by pride, young boys fall easily.

One day they'll find out the feeling is fake. The reality is, money works much better than a PhD title when hitting on girls.

That's for all. Question for you: Which type am I?

The picture above is a common life cycle of North American PhD student, which takes you approximately 7 years to go through. (Usually 2~3 years for MSc and 4~7 years for PhD respectively)

My co-worker Yan and I, we constantly have a debate on whether should man take PhD. (And I have the same debate with all other PhD students.) I'm negative and he's affirmative. Actually, the debate is just for fun. I don't expect refuting anyone, because people are so different. Academia has relatively low responsibility, which make it a perfect place to hide from real life.

Anyway, I still like the site PhD Comics very much, altough I'm not a PhD student. Maybe it's just like the comics said, master students is the larva stage of PhDs. What the comic shows is exactly like everything happens in our lives. I'm not recommanding this though, because I don't think anyone other than engineering grad students would appreciate it.

Today, a German guy told me I looked tired.

Did I?

I feel OK though. But, it's hard to say. Maybe I'm just too anxious to feel tired. If so, that's not a good news. Pressure makes you running faster, but also burns you out. And I don't wanna be burned out. Diligence is harmful when frantic, is not when organized. I should be like Winston Churchill said:

"In difficult moments, behave like a duck. Keep calm and unruffled on the surface, but keep paddling away underneath."

Anyway, I do need a mirror in my office.