Desiderata

This poem has a quietly powerful calming effect. I first read it a long time ago, but I keep coming back to it.
http://hobbes.ncsa.uiuc.edu/desiderata.html

Things all grad students should do early on

1. Create a file system for printed papers that you have read in alpahbetical (or any other indexable) order. When you read a paper, write comments on it with a pen. Mark main contributions, shortcomings, a bad assumption, an ingenious proof, and anything else that catches your eye. When done reading, put it in its place.

Take it from a veteran that in time you will remember almost no details of a paper that you had once read in depth. Keeping a commented version makes re-reading much faster. Not to mention that disorganized papers are nowhere to be found where needed, and are responsible for much paper wate.

2. If your work involves simulations, use version control of some kind. Softwares are available for every platform.

3. Again, if your work involves extensive simulations, learn about reusing code. Tons of well-written code is available online.

That way, you will get much more work done. Or, if you prefer, you will get more time to spend on "non-academic" activities such as blogging :)

Would you?

Writing a chapter in a book is a lot like a marathon, where you start with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement, but the end drags...

So the book goes on. Right now I am making a glossary and an index. The index particularly inspires me to poetry.

"Let us sift through some more
Piles of manure
Lousy it may be
Our responsibility
But if the stakes were high
Would you? Would you?"

A matter of ethics, I will quote the original. Listen to the song. If nothing else, you will enjoy my poem more.

Inspired by: Would You?

Artist - Singin' in the Rain soundtrack
Album - Singin' in the Rain
Lyrics - Would You?

"He holds her in his arms.
Would you? Would you?
He tells her of her charms.
Would you? Would you?
They met as you and I,
And they were only friends.
But before the story ends..."

"He'll kiss her with a sigh.
Would you? Would you?
And if the girl were I
Would you? Would you?
And would you dare to say,
'Let's do the same as they.'?
I Would. Would you?"

"And would you dare to say,
'Let's do the same as they.'?
I Would. Would you?"

Cheers,