Back in 2008 I moved out of my high-school coccoon and became a university student. But it appears that at the time I had left my coccoon of safety early and fell quite far. Not many people realise just how far, but the truth is, far enough to warrant an academic suspension of one year from University.
So, feeling a bit lost, I decided to enter the business world and got a Technical Support position with a local ISP. Great working conditions, a computer-based job that allowed me to learn more about networking and telecommunications, good pay and some great working conditions really helped bring me back up to a good quality of life and living. Of course, it did get tiring and draining after a while and I wanted a change. So to affect this change, I decided to return to university.
Re-enrolled and attending again, I'm studying three units (but still considered full-time) and working 32 hours at my job and getting back into the swing of university life.
Quite a lovely so far, my lectures and lecturers are all quite pleasant for two of my three units. Unfortunately, my third unit looks like it's going to be the challenging one. The slides are taken down before notes can go up, he puts things up without explaining them and frankly, leaves us a bit in the dust.
To counterract this, I'm going to need to spend a few days studying over my old programming textbooks (since I'm now about a year and a half out of practice) until I'm upto speed there, then try and tackle some of the theories being thrown at us.
Regards,
Adam O'Grady
PS: Matrix (2D-array) transpositions, is there a simpler method to do it (even it it means transposing it into a new array, temporary or permanent) that does not involve two nested loops? I think the language of focus at the moment is Java.
EDIT: I never updated this before, but the trick is just to have a boolean variable to tell whether the array is transposed. If it is, any access/modification to a (x,y) co-ordinate are instead accessed in (y,x) order. Thus the "transpose" method is a constant time function.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Pew Pew.
Again I post tired and before turning in for the night.
Recently I've fallen into the trap of video games. I find something and play it through until it begins to supplant other parts of my life. Most recently, a full playthrough of Bioshock and now Alien Vs Predator. All of this has been interspersed with many multiplayer rounds of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Team Deathmatch).
Why do I let them take me over?
There is no simple answer for this and in many cases, the answer is not one the layman would understand.
I hold videogames dear for the continuous state of progression and instant gratification they hold. Life is not something that can be torn through at a speedy pace. University, career paths and promotions take a lot of time and work. Video gaming, especially in the First Person Shooter genre of video games has a very high rate of progression through the storyline. You identify the problem, find the solution and complete it, all in the space of a few hours.
To continue this point, progression is also rewarded heavily. New abilities/weapons/skills/areas are rewarded for your efforts. A good video game is designed to let a player test out the new reward and once they begin to tire of it, they complete yet another challenge and the next reward is delivered.
The next major point behind the modern addiction to video games is the different worlds they allow us to escape to. From hunting down genetically-altered mutants to sniping world leaders, you can be anything and anyone you want in a video game. No longer constrained by the limitations of your socio-economic status, your nationality and physical/mental limitations, you can be whatever you want and do whatever you want.
Further to this, good games react on a level similar to good art, great literature or a perfect movie. A world is created before your eyes and the goal of the producer is to drag you in. To make you feel that you truly are a part of their little world. They want to make you fear the creeping aliens, feel vertigo as you leap between buildings while running from the police, scream out for your fallen comrades. So few forms of artistry can touch so many of your senses yet still keep such a level of interactivity.
What I have outlined above is the true beauty of video games. Of course, many do not see them this way, clouded by the casual crap and the Pong and Pacman of bygone ages. Many of these people can not and will not ever see the same thing that the video game nerd will, but the benefit of the doubt would oft still be appreciated.
Fin
With the exception of that little essay, my life has been starting to fill up again. The new position at work is enjoyable and flexible, the new beginnings at uni are coming up this week and should get me one step closer to a new chapter and achievement in life. I'm still feeling a bit odd, but I'm going to put it down to lack of exercise and ambition.
Oh, I'm also living at the girlfriend's house for now. I'm thinking of moving back home for university transport reasons and the comfort of my own room. Under the same relationship thing, I'm not really feeling anything for any of the people I previously believed I liked. Turns out neither of them are the sort of people I could be with for any sort of decent term. Neither provide the level of mental stimulation and intelligent discussion I crave.
Recently I've fallen into the trap of video games. I find something and play it through until it begins to supplant other parts of my life. Most recently, a full playthrough of Bioshock and now Alien Vs Predator. All of this has been interspersed with many multiplayer rounds of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Team Deathmatch).
Why do I let them take me over?
There is no simple answer for this and in many cases, the answer is not one the layman would understand.
I hold videogames dear for the continuous state of progression and instant gratification they hold. Life is not something that can be torn through at a speedy pace. University, career paths and promotions take a lot of time and work. Video gaming, especially in the First Person Shooter genre of video games has a very high rate of progression through the storyline. You identify the problem, find the solution and complete it, all in the space of a few hours.
To continue this point, progression is also rewarded heavily. New abilities/weapons/skills/areas are rewarded for your efforts. A good video game is designed to let a player test out the new reward and once they begin to tire of it, they complete yet another challenge and the next reward is delivered.
The next major point behind the modern addiction to video games is the different worlds they allow us to escape to. From hunting down genetically-altered mutants to sniping world leaders, you can be anything and anyone you want in a video game. No longer constrained by the limitations of your socio-economic status, your nationality and physical/mental limitations, you can be whatever you want and do whatever you want.
Further to this, good games react on a level similar to good art, great literature or a perfect movie. A world is created before your eyes and the goal of the producer is to drag you in. To make you feel that you truly are a part of their little world. They want to make you fear the creeping aliens, feel vertigo as you leap between buildings while running from the police, scream out for your fallen comrades. So few forms of artistry can touch so many of your senses yet still keep such a level of interactivity.
What I have outlined above is the true beauty of video games. Of course, many do not see them this way, clouded by the casual crap and the Pong and Pacman of bygone ages. Many of these people can not and will not ever see the same thing that the video game nerd will, but the benefit of the doubt would oft still be appreciated.
Fin
With the exception of that little essay, my life has been starting to fill up again. The new position at work is enjoyable and flexible, the new beginnings at uni are coming up this week and should get me one step closer to a new chapter and achievement in life. I'm still feeling a bit odd, but I'm going to put it down to lack of exercise and ambition.
Oh, I'm also living at the girlfriend's house for now. I'm thinking of moving back home for university transport reasons and the comfort of my own room. Under the same relationship thing, I'm not really feeling anything for any of the people I previously believed I liked. Turns out neither of them are the sort of people I could be with for any sort of decent term. Neither provide the level of mental stimulation and intelligent discussion I crave.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)