Entry # 6

Hello Group-Mates!,

Heres a recap of my last lectures of the week!

1) Adolescent Development - EXAM ON MONDAY! AHH!  Well this week we learned a great deal about adolescents and the effects of adolescents working during High School.  Turns out the great outcomes of students working during high school actually are not so great.  There is little evidence to suggest that teens in the work force actually benefit them, however there is evidence that ties teens who work to aggressive behavior, and other not so productive things!  I thought that was really interesting. 
Random picture I found off of google of a teen working:

2) Honors Colloquium - Next week our group presents our project, we ended up doing a 20 slide project that defines the theme of "where we belong" by taking a look at its complimentary idea, To define where we belong, we decided to take a look at where we don't belong.
Example:  We do not belong with a pack of cheetahs! 

On another note, I enjoyed reading all of your blogs and it was fun getting to know a little bit more about each and every one of you :).

Best Regards,
Christopher G

Entry #5

Hello Fellow GroupMates!,

Ok so the last two days were a little hectic for me, I have an exam on Monday, and like a crazy amount of things do next week. GAH!

Here is a Breakdown of my Last Two Days!


List of Classes / Topics
1) Mathematical Reasoning (Proofs) - Ok so today we proved Euclid's Division Algorithm, which wasn't too bad because I accidentally proved it  a couple of homework's ago.  The proof we did in class was really cool to see, I used so many properties that I wasn't thinking too much about at the time but now I see hoe essential they are for the proof.  
It was weird, I looked at the calendar, and I got a little upset, I really don't want this class to end, it is such a fun class, :/.  


Euclidean Algorithm


2) Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms - We went over some divide an conquer algorithm and went through the proof on something (honestly I could not follow, I'm pretty sure no one followed the proof), which is upsetting because I would really like to understand the proof.  However since I will not be graded on it, I guess I should just put it off and actually start to understand the stuff I need to know to get out of the class.

Here is a link to the Divide and Conquer Algorithm
Divide_and_conquer_algorithm

3) Modern High School Mathematics - We started talking about our Unit Plans which are due in a couple of weeks, and some requirements for the 6-9 page paper I have to write by Wednesday.  


Side Note:
I am pretty sure that I would love to be a teacher, but the education major just seems to be getting the best of me.  I guess I shouldn't learn how to be a teacher while I'm still working on being a student.  Maybe I will go into teaching one day, I guess it is just not now.  At the beginning of the semester I was so passionate about being a teacher and how I can make a difference.  And now I find myself questioning if this is really what I should do.  I know that I will love the job, but honestly I absolutely hate how the Educational System is in America, I think it is absolutely wrong and it should be changed (I will not get into this)... Oh well, I guess its just something I need to think about.

Until next time guys, 

Chris G.

Entry # 4

Hello Group Mates!,

I have an exam this Monday and an exam next Monday, plus countless numbers of homework assignments, and readings and papers and projects and. . . It sure seems to be Mid/Late Semester alright.

I hate that my time to sleep, eat, and work out slowly diminishes as the semester progresses (I am SO taking wayyyy less credits next semester).

What did I learn this week?

Well so Far . . .

1) Math Reasoning - We learned a new method of proof, by using the contrapositive of the well ordering principal, we can now prove claims by a combination of contradiction applications of proof by induction.

Interesting . . .

2) Adolescent Development - Learned about the effects of age segregation in Adolescents.

3) Modern High School Mathematics - Still discussing probability and ways to introduce probability to High School students.

4) Algorithms - Learned about divide and conquer method, the proof for the divide and conquer method (wish I could understand it :/ ).

5) Recitation for Algorithms - Talked about what we learned in lecture....


THIS IS ALL I WANT RIGHT NOW!

 But my dog decided to eat the ones I brought home off of the corner of our dining room table :(.


Best Regards,
Christopher Ghanem

Entry # 3

Hello Group Mates!,

This is my 1 personal post -

So living with my parents again is a fun experience, I LOVE NOT HAVING TO BUY FOOD!  Free food, all the time = AMAZING!

Background story: My parents moved to Florida for the past 9-10 months or so while I stayed at our house in Jersey for school.  I am going to be honest, it was a really great experience living on my own, however I am so happy that I have a fully stocked fridge all the time now!

Also, they brought back my dog!  I have a boxer, he is about 3 years old and is the coolest!!

EDIT: For some reason the sound isn't working in this video.  But he does this really cute trick that I taught it, if I say bang he plays dead, but only when you say bang twice!

On a side note it is pretty great to have family around again!

Also, Halloween weekend was a blast!  Hopefully you all had fun too!

Best Regards,
Christopher G.

Entry #2

Hello Group!,

Wow that was an entirely way to long of a week, SO MUCH WORK! SO MUCH LEARNING! GAH! But thats college, and I secretly love it ;).

Here is a breakdown!

List of Classes / Topics
1) Mathematical Reasoning (Proofs) - I LOVE THIS CLASS.  We spent all day on monday proving the Well Ordering Principal, which was a little too abstract for my comfort zone, it pretty much says if a set is non empty then it has a smallest element.  Also, we got our exams back! It was a really hard exam, I am SO glad I slept the night before the exam!  (I have this issue that if I do not sleep, my brain just does not function lol).  

Here is a link to the WOP!

Well-ordering_principle

2) Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms - I just spent the last 5 and 1/2 hours doing my homework . . . After I understood the notation in a class handout, and worked with the algorithms, I think actually have an understanding on the algorithms, one of them being SAPM (Shortest Augmenting Path Method), pretty much an algorithm to find the MAX flow in a graph.  This week we started talking about the Master Method (stay tuned for an update on that!).

Shortest Augmenting Path Algorithm

3) Modern High School Mathematics - Just had an interesting class on how to solve a problem in probability, where the answer relied heavily on Pascal's triangle.

Pascal's Triangle

4) Education & Computers - BEST CLASS EVER!  Still Blogging!!

5) Adolescent Development - Learning about the effects on Adolescents in the school system

6) Honors Colloquium - Had a class reflection on last week's really good presentation on perception.

It was interesting to hear what others thought :).

Off to do more homework, and to a halloween party!  Until next Time All!

Best Regards,

Christopher Ghanem

Entry # 1

Hello Group!,

This is just a quick recap on the classes I am taking and the topics in which I am currently learning about!  Enjoy!! (I'm a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, just in case anyone forgot :P)

List of Classes / Topics
1) Mathematical Reasoning (Proofs) - Just had an exam, the last thing we learned was proving statements by Induction for Natural Numbers.  I was always so scared of proof by induction, but now that it was properly explained, I actually kind of like it :).

Here are Some Examples!

2) Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms - I was so lost in our last 3 lectures, I can honestly say I have no idea what is going on, other than discussing the optimization of linear programming with respect to Max Flows of graphs.

Probably My most difficult Class. . .

3) Modern High School Mathematics - Learning about how to be a teacher, and how to be a better student.

4) Education & Computers - BEST CLASS EVER!  Currently learning how to Blog!

=]

5) Adolescent Development - Learning about peer groups and the effects of peer groups on Adolescents.

6) Honors Colloquium - Just had a really good presentation on perception, and how we as society value members of our society generally for the wrong reasons.

Susan Boyle

Four out of these six classes I have tomorrow. I'll be on campus virtually from the time I wake up until the time just before I sleep.  I feel like I may have taken on a bit too much this semester -_-.

Best Regards!,
Christopher G.