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advice_column [2019/04/23 14:04] – [What courses to take] editadvice_column [2019/04/30 10:41] – [Homework Assignments] edit
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 The most important advice about advice I already gave in the disclaimer above. ("I believe every word I said, but that doesn’t mean you should too.")   The most important advice about advice I already gave in the disclaimer above. ("I believe every word I said, but that doesn’t mean you should too.")  
  
-When finding yourself in a new situation, getting good advice can be most helpful toward avoiding the very bad decisions and the avoidable mistakes.  They are not so useful in making the "right decision" for you.+When finding yourself in a new situation, getting good advice can be most helpful toward avoiding the very bad decisions and the avoidable mistakes.  They are not so useful in making the "right decision" for you.  (Don't confuse getting advice and letting other decide for you.)
  
-When you ask for advice, it is important to understand what you are receiving. Most advice you will get is in the form of a retelling of personal experiences (possibly with embellishment and omissions). A more thoughtful teller may offer personal interpretation and insights. In any case, an advice is highly personal and subjective to the teller.  It behooves you to ask the same question to many experienced people. Find which answers are most relevant to you and your situation.  At the end, you have to add your own interpretation and distillation to extract the "common knowledge"  and "common sense" (that you lack because you are inexperienced) to help you avoid the known pitfalls.  **You still have to make the "best decision" for you yourself.**+When you ask for advice, it is important to understand what you are receiving. Most advice you will get is in the form of a retelling of personal experiences (possibly with embellishment and omissions). A more thoughtful teller may offer personal interpretation and insights on top of the narrative. In any case, an advice is highly personal and subjective to the teller.  It behooves you to ask the same question to many experienced people. Find which answers are most relevant to you and your situation.  At the end, you have to add your own interpretation and distillation to extract the "common knowledge"  and "common sense" (that you lack because you are inexperienced) to help you avoid the known pitfalls.  **You still have to make the "best decision" for you yourself.**
  
 I do not recommend cloning someone else's success story; great successes are not repeatable exactly.  The secret to success is luck; the non-secret is hard work, understanding what works for you, and avoiding avoidable mistakes.  I do not recommend cloning someone else's success story; great successes are not repeatable exactly.  The secret to success is luck; the non-secret is hard work, understanding what works for you, and avoiding avoidable mistakes. 
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 Lastly, the best advice comes from first-hand experience. Beware of second-hand experts and their advice. Lastly, the best advice comes from first-hand experience. Beware of second-hand experts and their advice.
  
 +======Theme======
 +
 +There is a very simple theme in my advising.  The purpose of coming to study at CMU is to learn (about yourself and about an area of study);  the purpose of learning is to know and to do what you want to do after CMU.
 ======Course Planning====== ======Course Planning======
  
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 I would also include a senior project.  If I were interested in going to graduate school, I would start my senior project the summer before the senior year.  I would not try to do undergraduate “research” during the semester with a full course load.  Lastly, I would do a technical internship in the industry the summer before my junior year. I would also include a senior project.  If I were interested in going to graduate school, I would start my senior project the summer before the senior year.  I would not try to do undergraduate “research” during the semester with a full course load.  Lastly, I would do a technical internship in the industry the summer before my junior year.
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-I do not recommend undergrads (especially if heading to PhD) to hurry into or take a lot of graduate courses.  You do want to take THE one in your specialization (18-740 in my example) before you apply. May be just one more (18-643).  As IMB, I trust you are mature enough to pick what you need and what is good for you for whatever you have planned for your own future. 
  
 I do not recommend undergrads (especially if heading to PhD) to hurry into or take a lot of graduate courses.  You do want to take THE one in your specialization (18-740 in my example) before you apply for PhD. (Okay, may be just one more, 18-643.)  As IMB, I trust you are mature enough to pick what you need and what is good for you for whatever you have planned for your own career future. I do not recommend undergrads (especially if heading to PhD) to hurry into or take a lot of graduate courses.  You do want to take THE one in your specialization (18-740 in my example) before you apply for PhD. (Okay, may be just one more, 18-643.)  As IMB, I trust you are mature enough to pick what you need and what is good for you for whatever you have planned for your own career future.
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 Even in an ideal world with ideal students, I would not do away with homework because it is an effective teaching/learning tool.   In the ideal world, I would give out homework (and provide solutions) with no consequences on grade. (Then again, in the ideal world, I wouldn't have to assess grades to begin with.  You learned what you learned; you make do with what you learned.)   Even in an ideal world with ideal students, I would not do away with homework because it is an effective teaching/learning tool.   In the ideal world, I would give out homework (and provide solutions) with no consequences on grade. (Then again, in the ideal world, I wouldn't have to assess grades to begin with.  You learned what you learned; you make do with what you learned.)  
  
-If you ever find yourself rushing through homework the night before it is due (even though it covers multiple weeks of past materials and you had weeks to do it), stop and rethink your strategy and mindset.  You could do it anytime---before or even after the due date---for the same learning effect. Why did it suddenly become important the night before it is due?  BTW, if you have skipped reading assignments because you are not **directly** assessed on it, see above.+If you ever find yourself rushing through homework the night before it is due (even though it covers multiple weeks of past materials and you had weeks to do it), stop and rethink your strategy and mindset.  You could do it anytime---before or even after the due date---for the same learning effect. Why did it suddenly become important the night before it is due?  (BTW, if you have skipped reading assignments because you are not **directly** assessed on it, see above.)  Still worse, if you ever resorted to "cheating" to finish a homework, you really need to ask yourself why and what for.
  
-Still worse, if you ever resorted to "cheating" to finish a homework, you really need to ask yourself why and what for.+Do homework to learn from it not to finish it.