“I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudo-science and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive. Where have we heard it before?

Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused, in times of scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we agonize about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us-then, habits of thought familiar from ages past reach for the controls.

The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir.”

–Carl Sagan (The Demon-Haunted World)

Another day has come and gone, Dr. Nichols still hasn’t left my test in the Student Success Center. I’m getting irritated beyond imagination right now at what I view as abhorrent incompetence. If this kind of behavior is tollerated in education, we are surely doomed. Education should not be hampered by a professors inability to reasonably carry forth the duties of his or her post. Especially when I contribute as a taxpayer and student to pay his salary, damn it.

Today, I’m posting some of the information provided in my student loan exit counseling. Here are some important things you should know about student loans:

Guarantor
A nonprofit organization or state agency that guarantees a Stafford, PLUS or Consolidation loan issued by private lenders. Guarantors protect lenders against the risk that a loan will not be repaid. If you fail to make your loan payments for several weeks or default on your loan, you will be contacted by your guarantor.

Lender
The bank or other organization that lends the money for the student loan. Because your lender communicates important information to you about the status of your loan, you need to update your lender if your address or phone number changes.

Secondary Market
An organization that purchases student loans from lenders. The transaction generates funds for lenders to make new student loans. If your loan is sold, you will be notified of the new owner.

Servicer
An organization hired by the lender, secondary market or guarantor to perform student-loan-administration duties. If a servicer is handling your loan, you will make your payments directly to the servicer instead of to the lender.

KEY TERMS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Interest
The charge you pay for the use of a lender’s money. Interest is charged as a percentage on your principal balance. Interest rates on Stafford loans disbursed since July 1, 2006, are fixed at 6.8 percent. Interest rates on Stafford loans disbursed prior to July 1, 2006, are variable and can change each year on July 1.

Capitalization of Interest
Accrued interest added to the principal balance of the loan, increasing your principal balance. Capitalized interest becomes part of your principal balance and increases the total amount you owe.

Default
Failure to make installments on payments when due for a period of at least 270 days, or failure to meet other terms of the loan. The consequences of default are serious.

Grace Period
The period of time allowed before you must begin repaying your loan. Grace periods typically run six months after you leave school or reduce your enrollment to less than half-time.

Principal
The outstanding loan amount, including all applicable fees, on which the lender charges interest. As the loan is paid, a portion of each payment is used to satisfy accrued interest and the remainder is used to reduce the principal amount.

I’ve been working to add new features to this blog to enhance the user experience as well as my own. As of today (February 21, 2009), the site now contains my resume, debt profile, and an anti-spam contact form. Also, I’ve added a sponsor page where everyone that bought me a coffee (see the bottom of my posts for details) will be added to my list of sponsors!

I’ve been watching the stock market closely alongside employment reports. In case you’ve been in a coma for the past 6 months, the market is crashing, and its crashing hard. Construction has ground to a halt virtually everywhere. Unemployment has skyrocketed. With all this in mind, grad school looks better and better as each day passes, but I’m highly considering a dual-major approach. To supplement my MSCE, I’ve been considering a masters in physics or possibly even mechanical engineering. With that said, is it better to know what the market is doing or is it better to be blissfully unaware?

Just a little update on why you shouldn’t go to a university that changes from quarters to semesters in the middle of an academic year. After completing my petition to graduate, I received a degree audit. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the procedure, the university examines the requirements of your degree along with the coursework you’ve completed and makes a determination of what you need. The gist of the letter I received is shown below:

You need:

1.) Sub or waiver for MATH 498 (Senior Research 3) in progress

2.) Sub or waiver for MATH 411 (Modern Algebra 2) course waived

3.) Sub or waiver for MATH 335 (Intermediate Analysis) irrelevant

4.) Sub or waiver for MATH 460 (Real Analysis) irrelevant

5.) Complete 8.04 credit hours in one strand. completed

6.) Successfully complete Spring semester. in progress

I quickly began to realise that something was awry. I double checked my course catalogue to be sure I was reading this correctly. The first apparent problem with this is Math 498 (Senior Research 3) which has been split between SR1 and SR2, an obvious error of semster conversion (we were on quarters originally). Next, I noted the required Math 411 (Modern Algebra 2), sure enough I need this course, but I have a waiver on it. The next obvious flaws are Math 335 and Math 460. This is because there are two decidedly different subject areas in which you can go. The first is a Modern Algebra sequence, finished off with Operations Research (which I’m currently taking). The alternative is the Math Analysis sequence, which concludes with Real Analysis. See the dilemma?

Moving forward, the audit claims I need at least 8 hours in a specific strand. I’m taking the physics strand, for which I have more than doubled my requirement by taking Calculus-Based Physics, Physics Research 1, Particle Physics, and Astronomy. As it would seem, the transition from quarters to semesters wasn’t as smooth as the university had hoped for. At the end of the day, its up to the provost to fix everything. He noted that my math advisor / the math department chairwoman was irritated by the waiver request, but it’s university policy that a class cannot be cancelled if it will force a graduating senior to miss graduation. Hopefully, everything goes well. As it stands now, I would like to pull my hair out. We’ll see what happens. Either way, I’m walking in Spring.

You heard it right, I’m being “Nichol” and dimed to death. I know you’re probably wondering what I’m talking about, so here goes. Dr. Nichols, my beloved Muti-Variable Calculus & Differential Equations professor is a real piece of work. While I enjoy his lectures, realistically I think we’re going off on non-related tangents that end up turning around and biting all of us in the ass when test day comes around. I’m learning a lot, but I feel the course has been filled with a lot of incoherent nonsense, and yet we’re tested on the “meat of the course” which, realistically speaking, we barely see. I’m not sure Dr. Nichols is intentionally over complicating the course, I think he’s blissfully unaware of it due to his love of Mathematica and its ability to rival damn near any student.

Hello there! I’m Steven, and I have Dyscalculia. For most people, numerical dyslexia would not be an issue. However, I’m very stubborn, so I’m following my dreams of becoming a Civil Engineer. This blog will serve as a place for me to share my story, post my resume, raise awareness about Dyscalculia, and maybe earn a few dollars for books and tuition.