I fell for the second time this year with my bike. Tore my pants and my knee in both cases, but nothing too bad.
I've been reading up on microeconomic theory this semester - first, MIT video lectures on microeconomics and now a book on Incentives. The main model in the latter is the utility function balancing effort at work with leisure time. Makes one think.
M. put it very well today, when I mentioned in passing that next semester is going to be hell for me: "You have done "Working yourself to death" to death already. You need to come up with something better if you want a reaction." So, instead of complaining how everything is out of balance, I should probably start accepting the fact that I actually want it that way (at least on some level - since it seems to be a stable equilibrium) and stop complaining.
A year ago, when I started as a curriculum manager, I believed that huge change could be brought about in a year by making a few bigger changes. Today, in talking with one of my bosses, I realized that my view has since shifted. I still believe big change to be possible and that I have played a role in bringing it about, but I now also understand that its not about huge changes that make a drastic difference but much more about many smaller things each of which is barely noticeable but which together tend to add up.
I have also come to understand just how much inertia big systems tend to have, so in university, for the effects to be visible, it takes time. Not good in terms of job satisfaction if you're the impatient kind. I am.
Example of a little thing: I have recently been analyzing student graduation data and yesterday, I managed to fit a model that seems to be able to quite accurately predict the percentage of graduating for each student after the first year of their studies. There are about 10 students each year whose scores fall in the 40-60% i.e. who need to pull their act together if they are to graduate. I'm hoping that if we start informing them of this fact, they will be more inclined to do so and instead of just 5 of them graduating, we might get 1-3 extra. As I said - small things, but they do tend to add up.
Somewhat melancholic today, and in a mood to ruminate about it. I get that every now and then, and I suppose that to a degree it is okay, assuming I don't sink completely and hopelessly into it. Thankfully, I have managed to surround myself with people who just don't let me - and I thank you all for that. But for now, I want a few hours in my bubble...
I've been reading up on microeconomic theory this semester - first, MIT video lectures on microeconomics and now a book on Incentives. The main model in the latter is the utility function balancing effort at work with leisure time. Makes one think.
M. put it very well today, when I mentioned in passing that next semester is going to be hell for me: "You have done "Working yourself to death" to death already. You need to come up with something better if you want a reaction." So, instead of complaining how everything is out of balance, I should probably start accepting the fact that I actually want it that way (at least on some level - since it seems to be a stable equilibrium) and stop complaining.
A year ago, when I started as a curriculum manager, I believed that huge change could be brought about in a year by making a few bigger changes. Today, in talking with one of my bosses, I realized that my view has since shifted. I still believe big change to be possible and that I have played a role in bringing it about, but I now also understand that its not about huge changes that make a drastic difference but much more about many smaller things each of which is barely noticeable but which together tend to add up.
I have also come to understand just how much inertia big systems tend to have, so in university, for the effects to be visible, it takes time. Not good in terms of job satisfaction if you're the impatient kind. I am.
Example of a little thing: I have recently been analyzing student graduation data and yesterday, I managed to fit a model that seems to be able to quite accurately predict the percentage of graduating for each student after the first year of their studies. There are about 10 students each year whose scores fall in the 40-60% i.e. who need to pull their act together if they are to graduate. I'm hoping that if we start informing them of this fact, they will be more inclined to do so and instead of just 5 of them graduating, we might get 1-3 extra. As I said - small things, but they do tend to add up.
Somewhat melancholic today, and in a mood to ruminate about it. I get that every now and then, and I suppose that to a degree it is okay, assuming I don't sink completely and hopelessly into it. Thankfully, I have managed to surround myself with people who just don't let me - and I thank you all for that. But for now, I want a few hours in my bubble...
No comments:
Post a Comment