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LAN_403

Dr. Who

Tue Mar 20 2012, 08:00PM

Registered Member #326 Joined: Sat Mar 18 2006, 01:12PM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 66

gren wrote ...

I essentially fucked up high school; rather than focusing on coursework I went off to learn my own things. While this has left me with the inventive, critical and entrepreneurial mind I cherish (and will probably end as a lonely wealthy 68 year old man because of), I also managed to fuck up the college admissions process, largely because I was forced to figure it all out myself a few months too late.

Every fuckup is a learning experience. Unfortunately schools and parents tend to see mistakes as bad. They're not necessarily bad if you learn valuable lessons from them, in this case the need to work hard and aim for high standards in your academic studies if you want to succeed.

gren wrote ...

So now I'm likely going to be stuck at RIT. While it's one of the best regional schools around and has near-mit level coursework, there's nothing new going on there. No grad programs, no innovation; nothing where I can really show what I'm capable of. It's just a school, nothing more. From what I've been hearing it's also a pretty depressing one.

Are you going to be "stuck at" RIT, or are you going to keep your eyes open for resources/opportunities/people you can gain from and make the most of them? MIT is certainly a better university, but don't look down on another college beacause it isn't in the elite. Humility is another lesson to learn from this episode.

gren wrote ...
Unfortunately, all the schools that have this cutting edge science are very, very hard to transfer into. Caltech (6%), MIT(2%), Stanford(2%). Some are a bit better like UPenn(14%) and Chicago(14%). I know if I study hard at RIT I can get the grades needed, but what can I can do to stand out from the crowd?

I'm not all that interested in these schools for the coursework, more for contacts I'd make by attending. I'd like to find influential people doing innovating stuff; something which I've been searching for for damn near my whole life. Something I probably won't find at RIT.

Hands-on skills are good, but a good theoretical background in maths, physics, electronics and computing is essential if you want to achieve your goals.

If you want to make contacts/network, you need to have a lot of contact with a wide range of different people, in a wide range of different situations, which could be your university/college, sports/hobby club, pub, nightclub, church, conversation with shopkeeper or whatever. You never know who you're talking to, so take time to treat everyone nicely.

wrote ...

Sure, the whole point of college is to prepare you for a job, and I suppose RIT is great for that. But hell, I already have a summer job lined up at moog. Sure some people would be satisfied with that, but, engineering just isn't my thing. I'm not that guy in a suit who has to be at a board meeting in 30 minutes or he's fired. That high-stress high-reward environment is what I enjoy, and if I were to join an engineering firm I'd go to the business side of things. Be that guy who would either become a CEO or die trying.

I enjoy the challenge, and the stock options that'd come along with success.

I don't wear a suit to work - I do electronics research at a Scottish university. The whole informal work environment where, as long as I do my job properly I have considerable autonomy and my boss largely leaves me alone to get things done suits me perfectly.

It might be worth putting off college for a year or 2 and instead work for a couple of years so you can gain more maturity, social skills and experience of life. This will give you time to figure out who you really are and what route you want to take in life.

Two books which may be helpful are:

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

The Survivor Personality by Al Siebert

teravolt

Wed Mar 21 2012, 03:07AM

Registered Member #195 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 08:27PM
Location: Berkeley, ca.
Posts: 1111

You don't seem to be the high pressure CEO type to me. you should do something that is rewording instead. I like the

course instead of RIT or along with. I got a ASET and now I am a tech 4 in a company that dose Pulse power making over 60K. I think that you have done well with your web sight and software is a definite plus these days that's where the money is. You are young so don't despair. The problem me and other engineers my age is becoming outdated and less useful. Staying challenged all your life is the way to go and it don't stop till you are dead. Knowing what you want to do in life is just as important as accomplishing it. unfortunately I'm not always challenged by my job so I work on power electronics at home. Thats what I like to do for a hobby and want to know more about.

Adam Munich

Wed Mar 21 2012, 11:10AM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

The real reason I started this thread was to ask for advice on how I can impress MIT; enough for them to allow me in as a transfer. Yes, I know grades are going to have to be a top priority. Of the 300 or so people that apply for transfer tough, only about 18 make it in. I'd like to go to MIT not because it's an elite school, but to witness and be a part of the awesome groundbreaking science that goes on there.

I have one thing going for me, and that is my ability to solve problems [even under extreme stress]. I'm very good at visualizing solutions, something I attribute to my time spent building things as a hobby. I've essentially lost interest in pursuing engineering as a career though; it's just not fun anymore. Lately I've been getting that same happiness I used to enjoy by studying the financial and business world, so I might as well see if I can 'make it' there.

For what it's worth, I was one of those people born without comprehension of anything social; I had to learn everything about human nature as if I were a student. Oddly I feel that the situation is actually beneficial, since everything about my personality is essentially "an act", or something which I need to preform. as a result I can easily tailor it to fit certain situations. If I need to be charismatic I can start doing so at the flick of a switch. If I need to give a public speech or announcement I can do so without any nerve. By being forced to learn human nature as a skill I've essentially gained a 3rd person view on it. To some who were born with social skills this might sound a bit crazy, but to those like me who were forced to learn them, it might just make perfect sense. I firmly believe that this has also been the source of my writing ability, and will help me later on no matter what I choose to do in life. Whether or not this will help me in the business world is yet to be determined, but I'll never know unless I try. If I fail at that then I can always go back to electronics, or become an electrician.

I'll admit though, I still have quite a bit to learn.

RE AndrewM:

Alexsey Vayner is a moron. Chopping bricks to impress a bank? Really? The correct way to interview is to show up in nice attire, greet with a firm handshake and give quick, charismatic and truthful answers to any questions you are asked. Once you have the job prove you can do work, and if there is a problem you come to your manager with a solution. Any asshole can point out problems, but the one that can solve them will be the one that everybody likes.

As for my investment strategy, I'm buying a parcel of land and planting lots of black cherry, where in 25 years I'll be able to log them and make a very tidy profit. It's a relatively unknown way to make money around these parts, but it's essentially a foolproof, capital-gains-tax free process which has averaged a 12.5% return since 1985. I know a few 50-year-olds who are making well over $200,000 per year logging the trees they planted in college. 1 acre planted with 350 trees should yield ~$2.9 million when logged in 25 years, provided the price appreciates at 10%. Assuming 12.5% it becomes ~$4m. Hell I suppose you could fit 1000 on an acre if you really wanted to push your luck.

Worst case scenario, I have a piece of land.

A part of me wishes I never opened this thread, but a larger part really doesn't care about the embarrassment and cherishes the advice. Yes, I fucked up. Yes, I learned many lessons. Yes, I have many more to learn. Yes, I'll do my damnedest to solve this problem.

Steve Conner

Wed Mar 21 2012, 12:53PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

gren wrote ...

For what it's worth, I was one of those people born without comprehension of anything social; I had to learn everything about human nature as if I were a student. Oddly I feel that the situation is actually beneficial, since everything about my personality is essentially "an act"

Golly, what a weird thing to say. Everyone is born lacking even the most fundamental social graces. They don't even know how to use a toilet, let alone ace a job interview at HSBC.

The question is really whether you absorb your socialization without questioning, or whether you overthink the process as introverts tend to do. Or if you have weird parents who failed to socialise you.

Either way I'm sure you'd feel right at home in MIT or Silicon Valley.

Proud Mary

Wed Mar 21 2012, 01:30PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

Steve Conner wrote ...

I think Gren is saying that he has ASD - like quite a few others on this forum.

Conundrum

Wed Mar 21 2012, 08:02PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4062

Yeah, I second that.
Try telling that to employers though, they just see the disability and not the person.
I see that the latest DSM (the criteria used to "diagnose" ASD among other things) has been modified which is bad news for many people who have been previously diagnosed under the old DSM as they may as a result lose support from social services etc.
See

-A

radiotech

Wed Mar 21 2012, 10:02PM

Registered Member #2463 Joined: Wed Nov 11 2009, 03:49AM
Location:
Posts: 1546

Share the timeline of what happened. Perhaps there is a restore point to
return to.

Steve Conner

Wed Mar 21 2012, 11:39PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Well, the argument is that it's not actually a disability because it makes you a better programmer, a valuable skill in today's society. At least, the high-functioning kind does.

Dave Marshall

Thu Mar 22 2012, 12:43AM

Registered Member #16 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 02:22PM
Location: New Wilmington, PA
Posts: 554

I'm not going to wade too far into this conversation, except to say you need to check your math on the timber idea very carefully.

By my figuring *if* you got 1,000 trees per acre, which is frankly absolutely insane (100 would be an *excellent* yield) you'd need to get full retail price per board foot at current market price to get $2.9 million from an acre. Standing timber price could be as little as 10% of retail.

With a little further math, at an incredibly generous 50% of processed market price, with an equivalent yield of 100 perfect, average sized trees (again, pretty insane to hope for), you *might* manage to eek out $250,000 today. Realistically, even 30% of that number would be like hitting the lottery in terms of a business deal on standing timber. 10% annual appreciation is frankly laughable. If you managed 3% for 25 years straight, you'd have to be pooping gold bricks.

Adam Munich

Thu Mar 22 2012, 01:51AM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

The average return since 1963 has been 10.6%. Average return since '73 has been 11.3%. Since 1992, 14%. Timber is a solid investment, and anything above 7% is good enough for me. Fitting 300 trees on a clear acre is easy; each one is 12 feet apart. 1000 on an acre has them spaced at 7 feet apart, but that might be a bit too close.

Black cherry grown around here is some of the best in the world, and as such it commands a high price. 50% of market value isn't unheard of for that wood around here, which is why I know a few people who are making $200k a year logging trees. Now of course some timber will die, but a good portion will survive. Hell, if I were to make today's equivalent of $100k per year when I start logging I'd still be happy.

But enough about trees. Meh it really doesn't matter, this thread has gone to shit anyway.

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