Arduino

Read the description.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKfAYbUGRVw

Post iExpo

I don't think anyone understood our presentation, haha.

I feel a little guilty because I didn't go to either of the practices (work, work, work). Apparently, though, it went very smoothly at practice. Our helter skelter performance was largely a result of 1. a person not showing up, 2. me not having a script to replace that person, 3. technical difficulties. Well, at the very least, I hope everyone thought our presentation was endearing and entertaining.

The iExpo went really well, though. I can't believe Dianne flew all the way in from New York! It's almost like we're important or something. She was very kind and seemed very interested in what we are doing. Another surprise was Emily Wang. She's a recent UIUC grad and she works for our other iCOA, State Farm. She's actually working on our project (but more formally, obviously) for State Farm and is interested in collaborating with us. She wants our business plan within the next week and wants us to have our final project done in two months. Unfortunately, I don't have a real business plan (but ahhh that's what Xing and Lisa are for). It's strange. I think I'm starting to feel relevant to society?

Still, I'm rather hesitant to do iFoundry next semester, at least with the same time commitment. Of course, GPA comes first and I'm taking some pretty difficult, or at least time consuming, courses. No blow off ones, either: DiffEq, Matrix Theory, Phys 212, TAM 210, AE 199 and Rhet. Okay, well Rhet's kind of a blow off, but it is time consuming. I'm really excited for my AE 199 class. I basically get to work on a senior design project. It's only a one hour class but I'll probs be spending 4 hours a week on it. On top of that, I'll be doing OTCR. I also would like to sleep sometime next semester.

We'll see. That's basically my mantra right now. The beginnings of the semesters are never too hard, at least, so maybe I'll finish this State Farm project and then cool down for a while. There are just too many things to do it college.

p.s. Kevin will probably read this eventually and he should know that his presentation was fantastic. Five (out of five) stars!

Uhhh, project?

I almost feel like this whole experience was like a long, drawn out lesson.

You know, those life lessons that you hate to learn?

All of this time, planning out this entire project, everything, and I'm not even going to do it?

Ugh.

Well, it's not that it's not ever going to happen, just not until next semester. . . and I'm not doing iFoundry then :( (but that's for another blog post).

All of this so called 'exposure' will certainly be useful in future business situations and interviews, but I really just wanted to do the project. I'm not entirely disappointed, though. I mean I will certainly be more suave when I encounter these problems in the future, just like how my iSA's are. . . all of the time. I'll figure it out in due time

In response to Islam

I’m gleefully tagging along to the newest trend of blogging about useful/ important things. This is better than most of the trends I’ve seen lately (aka, attention girls: tights are not pants).

Addressing the division of teams thing-

iFoundry is all about the real world, right? Yes, academia is nice, but often, that’s not what real engineering is like. So in the spirit of the ‘real world’, however cruel, do you really think picking a project and going along with it is how it works? Although I have little exposure to the ‘real world’ (::cough:: freshman ::cough::), I hardly believe that’s how it works. No, you’re in a group of engineers, given a vision and have to discern what exactly you want that vision to be. Part of that process is convincing others that your idea is the best, compromising with them. After all, getting what you want (and think is right, hopefully) is an art form. Better yet, it’s a subject to be studied and learned. If we’re allowed to be idealistic here, then I’d even venture to say that the project could/should encompass something everyone wants. That’s success in its truest form, isn’t it? Basically, I think the way groups are picked should stay the same.

As for the communication thing? iFoundry stretched itself a bit too far. We need to find/create one forum for communication, and if Islam has an idea for it, I would love to hear it.

Rainy Days = Longer Blogs

"Hey, man."
"What?"
"It's midterms already."
"Oh. Yeah."
"That means we only have two months in the semester left."
"Wow. That's pretty soon."
"Yep."
"Wait. . . we've only been in school for a month and a half."
"What? Jeeze two months is in FOREVER."

And so it goes. Time is going quickly and slowly at the same time. Figure that one out, Physics.

At least iFoundry is helping to pass the time. Some of the other chairs and I have been meeting with the iFoundry people to address our concerns and questions with the program. That's what I enjoy about being in a pilot program, coordinators are eager for criticism and any sort of input. So when, after a meeting, a professor had not only listened to my advice, but utilized it, I almost died of happiness. Right there.

We're doing two separate projects now, one for each of our corporate sponsers. I'm doing State Farm instead of IBM because I simply can't resist them dangling the words 'freshman' and 'internship' (used together) in front of me. Well, I'm actually interested in their project, too. Plus there exists a chance that this project is actually useful, and they'll change their HR website thing after our input. If you can't tell already, I like being heard.

The iCheckpoint is coming up soon, soon, soon. Next Wednesday, in fact. My superawesomefantastic group is prepared, though. I'm excited for the video one of the people in our group is making for the 'identity' part of our project. It should be a nice break for everyone after all of the presentations.

OBSESSION

Yes, it's true. I'm guilty. I'm obsessed.
I compulsively check my email. If I go an entire day (god forbid) without checking my email, my inbox will be flooded with countless (and by countless, I mean around 20) emails. They're not my typical "Save 20% on new Express clothes!", either. No these are important emails: ones about teleconferences to IBM and meetings with State Farm. Many of these important emails are due to iFoundry- no surprise there.
It's pretty gratifying, though. I open my gmail and people of coporate importance, their time, their words, are addressed personally to me.
Don't get me wrong, though. I still enjoy seeing emails of my friends that are at school in California, Missouri, Alabama, etc.

Okay- I got to go write some emails.

I'm usually more of a realist, but

As of today, when my roommate asks me, "Jrod, why are you on Facebook again? Aren't you supposed to be doing homework?" in that concerned, motherly tone, I can respond, "I am doing homework."
Thank you, iFoundry
Soon, when my friends from home ask me, "Jrod, what all have you learned in that smart school?" and I reply,
"Well, recently I've gone over integration by parts, Kirchhoff's circuits, and titrations-"
and they say, "Okay, but can you fix my tractor?", I won't have to hang my head in shame.
Thank you, iFoundry.
In roughly four years, I will enter the 'real world' with a vast network of businessmen, engineers, professionals, and friends (hopefully).
Tha-well, you get it.

Perhaps, I'm selling it too much, but then again, I am but a naive freshman. Being a nerd in college makes me feel like a kid in a candy store, except better because the skittles and M&M's never mix (I dare you to mix them, it's disgusting). Back to the point. I'm not selling iFoundry because I'm being graded on my blog (A, please?), but rather, I'm trying to make it what I hope it really is. If I can do that, then does the rest really matter?
Yes, actually, it does. Let me be idealistic for a while, though and then we'll see what happens.