Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Somebody teach me some Statistics
My apartment building is densely filled up with beautiful girls. But, alas! The only way to impress them seems to be able to help them with their statistics assignments. If only I had paid more attention to it during B.Math days.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
keeping up - lots of arbit
I've been kept rather busy over the last month or so. Havent looked at this blog in ages and haven't had the chance to look at the Bohemians either. I finally managed to get some free time today which explains the sudden post.
Oddly enough, I haven't been kept busy by studies the last couple of weeks. Last weekend IIM-K turned up and the weekend before that IIM-A, both for sports meets. I, being the IIM-B swimming champion and acting captain ( :-) ) had to stay with the other team ( and stay sober ) both weekends. Needless to say, I thrashed both teams and now both shoulders hurt like crazy.
During the meet with IIM-K, things got really hairy during the basketball game (i was scorekeeper not player) and I ended up in a fight with a guy from IIM-K. It was during this time that I first realized the impact ISI had on me. Not only could I understand the Hindi curses he was yelling, but I could give back several times worse than I got. What fun that was. Luckily when he raised his fists to punch me some of my friends got in the way. I learnt to curse but never quite got the hang of whacking people.
In other news, I'm almost set for my internship....I'm just getting a few details with work permit and stuff sorted out. The only parts that are certain is that the first week, starting April 6th and the last week, ending June 10th will both be in London. The in-between two months could be in either London or New York.
In addition to this, I get the option to go on foreign exchange during my 5th term. This is totally dependant on your rank in class and as mine is near the bottom I wont get any of the American or British Business schools. However, the entire plan is for me to get to France during the 5th term (Sep, Oct, Nov) as apparently I dont need to study at all there. I'm looking forward to meeting all our French ISI junta there. If all goes well, I should be able to meet everyone in our batch (minus Mota) over the next year. (chitru better spend some money and come visit me in New York)
The only other thing left are TH concerns...after working on it for three years, its very pissing off to have it go totally crazy with the disaster duo of ISI Bangalore at the helm. Lets see how it goes...
Other batch junta should also write in this....if i get any email id's then i'll add them also to the blog. Have fun...
Oddly enough, I haven't been kept busy by studies the last couple of weeks. Last weekend IIM-K turned up and the weekend before that IIM-A, both for sports meets. I, being the IIM-B swimming champion and acting captain ( :-) ) had to stay with the other team ( and stay sober ) both weekends. Needless to say, I thrashed both teams and now both shoulders hurt like crazy.
During the meet with IIM-K, things got really hairy during the basketball game (i was scorekeeper not player) and I ended up in a fight with a guy from IIM-K. It was during this time that I first realized the impact ISI had on me. Not only could I understand the Hindi curses he was yelling, but I could give back several times worse than I got. What fun that was. Luckily when he raised his fists to punch me some of my friends got in the way. I learnt to curse but never quite got the hang of whacking people.
In other news, I'm almost set for my internship....I'm just getting a few details with work permit and stuff sorted out. The only parts that are certain is that the first week, starting April 6th and the last week, ending June 10th will both be in London. The in-between two months could be in either London or New York.
In addition to this, I get the option to go on foreign exchange during my 5th term. This is totally dependant on your rank in class and as mine is near the bottom I wont get any of the American or British Business schools. However, the entire plan is for me to get to France during the 5th term (Sep, Oct, Nov) as apparently I dont need to study at all there. I'm looking forward to meeting all our French ISI junta there. If all goes well, I should be able to meet everyone in our batch (minus Mota) over the next year. (chitru better spend some money and come visit me in New York)
The only other thing left are TH concerns...after working on it for three years, its very pissing off to have it go totally crazy with the disaster duo of ISI Bangalore at the helm. Lets see how it goes...
Other batch junta should also write in this....if i get any email id's then i'll add them also to the blog. Have fun...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Bitter Cold
Temperature is plunging through the night and tomorrow it's going to be -17 deg C in Chicago with 35mph wind. I am planning to stay in bed the whole day.
Here are some pics of snow.
I a m glad that I don't own a car.
This is a lake to be precise
Here are some pics of snow.
I a m glad that I don't own a car.
This is a lake to be precise
Friday, January 18, 2008
A must see movie
Inspired by Lithium I am posting my first blog (achievement eh!) .
I saw this shocking movie called "Zeitgeist". It's rather a documentary which discusses religion, the American government and central bank. Apparently unrelated topics(or uncorrelated, as you like it) . I highly recommend it to all of you.
Here's a link, do spare some time to watch. It'll be worth.
I saw this shocking movie called "Zeitgeist". It's rather a documentary which discusses religion, the American government and central bank. Apparently unrelated topics(or uncorrelated, as you like it) . I highly recommend it to all of you.
Here's a link, do spare some time to watch. It'll be worth.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Pic!
I was bored and was browsing. Found this and thought, maybe I should put it up :)
Picture courtsey, www.xkcd.com
On PhD
Not much to say! We have a reputation when it comes to manufacturing mathematicians. For starters, I would suggest this link from Vipul Naik's homepage. Vipul has a very descriptive style of writing and he provides useful links as well. So, shouldn't be a problem. This page here talks about the basic stuff grad schools look for and basic details about GRE, TOEFL etc.
For a list of Unis offering PhD programs in Mathematics, click here!
For an insight into grad life, click here!
Cheers!
Shivam
For a list of Unis offering PhD programs in Mathematics, click here!
For an insight into grad life, click here!
Cheers!
Shivam
Sunday, January 13, 2008
On jobs in London city
Certain major differences from Indian job market are:-
1) Campus presentations and NOT campus placements-
The companies come to campus only for presentations and not to recruit. All applications are made online and off-campus. Applications are judged on their merit and then applicants are invited for further rounds of selection.
2) Open market-
...that is, anyone with ANY degree can aply for ANY job. So, do not be surprised if company website mentions a profile of a geography or English literature graduate as an investment banker. As long as the applicant can convince that he/she has the required skill-set, he/she stands a good chance
As a result, the pool is immense and so competition is pretty stiff.
3) Selection process-
A standard procedure is,
Online application---> Numerical and verbal/logical test--->Telephone interview (competency based)/First round of interview---> Assessment Centre---> On rare ocassions, a final round of interview.
Do read up on assessment centres!
4) Work experience prefered
Preferably relevant! Voluntary work also respected but the applicant should be clear about what he/she has learnt from it and how is it useful for the job applied for.
5) Strict guidelines for CV and cover letter
Refer to the college's career services. Basic pointer is, i-banks--> one page CV, consultancies--> two page CV,industry-->refer to the website.
6) Extra-curriculars, team skills and leadership skills a must!
Nobody wants a geek.
7) Excellent communication skills required.
8) Apply early!
Deadlines are sharp and applications are considered on a rolling basis. So, apply early.
9) Huge salaries :)
Banks and consultancies, on an average, offer 35K Pounds basic for analyst positions. Gross might come up to 50-60K depending on the division and firm. Industries offer 25K basic.
10) Where to start?
For i-banks, here!
For a list of all companies, click here!
Refer to this for Europe's top employess.
Cheers!
Shivam
1) Campus presentations and NOT campus placements-
The companies come to campus only for presentations and not to recruit. All applications are made online and off-campus. Applications are judged on their merit and then applicants are invited for further rounds of selection.
2) Open market-
...that is, anyone with ANY degree can aply for ANY job. So, do not be surprised if company website mentions a profile of a geography or English literature graduate as an investment banker. As long as the applicant can convince that he/she has the required skill-set, he/she stands a good chance
As a result, the pool is immense and so competition is pretty stiff.
3) Selection process-
A standard procedure is,
Online application---> Numerical and verbal/logical test--->Telephone interview (competency based)/First round of interview---> Assessment Centre---> On rare ocassions, a final round of interview.
Do read up on assessment centres!
4) Work experience prefered
Preferably relevant! Voluntary work also respected but the applicant should be clear about what he/she has learnt from it and how is it useful for the job applied for.
5) Strict guidelines for CV and cover letter
Refer to the college's career services. Basic pointer is, i-banks--> one page CV, consultancies--> two page CV,industry-->refer to the website.
6) Extra-curriculars, team skills and leadership skills a must!
Nobody wants a geek.
7) Excellent communication skills required.
8) Apply early!
Deadlines are sharp and applications are considered on a rolling basis. So, apply early.
9) Huge salaries :)
Banks and consultancies, on an average, offer 35K Pounds basic for analyst positions. Gross might come up to 50-60K depending on the division and firm. Industries offer 25K basic.
10) Where to start?
For i-banks, here!
For a list of all companies, click here!
Refer to this for Europe's top employess.
Cheers!
Shivam
New Year Celebrations in London!
Click here!
I was there with 40,000 other people. Simply breath-taking :)
I was there with 40,000 other people. Simply breath-taking :)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
On ISI and ₤$€
This post is a compare-and-contrast between Indian Statistical Institute - Bangalore and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE ≡ ₤$€).
[The writer of this post has a B-Math (Hons) degree from the former institution and hopes to have an MSc in Applicable Mathematics degree from the latter by this year end.]
The possible destinations for a B-Math student would be Masters in - Applicable Mathematics, Statistics, Risk and Stochastics, Operations Research, Operations Research (Decision Sciences). Nothing is stopping one from applying for a degree in Economics/Finance but, I think, B-Math does enough to ensure that one will not think about these options when one is applying.
I, being a Dept of Math student @ The LSE, will talk about the MSc - App. Maths course only. The details about other courses can be provided on request.
So, here goes...
To begin with, there is a lot of differences between living in Central London and living in Muthurai Nagar and, beleive-it-or-not, these factors do have an immense effect on your academic performance! So, its a bit difficult to point out all the causes, their interdependence and the overall effect. I shall point out two concrete ones:-
Standard of teaching:- Click here! The standard of teaching varies immensely over departments and within the departments. One advantage that ISI has is one can walk into a prof's room anytime and ask doubts. Here, you get one hour per week. The coursework is presented in the form of lcetures and classes. "Lecture" means the professor coming and well...lecturing! Hand-outs and assignment sheets are distributed. Be prepared to meet a guy whose accent you cant make sense of or who is too lost to pay attention to what the students are talking about. The "classes" where assignment sheets are discussed, are a platform to discuss ideas and so on. But, not very helpful. But, of course, some of the teachers are simply brilliant. So, the deal is how will one know who is good and who is not? Well... Here, you have almost a month to decide on your course. During that period, you can go and attend lectures by various professors and make up your mind, which I would say is not too bad. The only thing is, level might go down gradually as the term progresses. In fact, do not be surprised if you end up wasting one hour of your class-time learning differentiation-by-first-principle (That after you have just covered Ito-integrals in the previous lecture) The level of studets varies immensely depending on the country and background they are from.
In short, its all about what you make out of the opportunities. Make an aware decision, decide what you want from the course and degree and after that, things aren't difficult at all. (DO NOT join LSE if you wish to take up research in pure mathematics. Go to Imperial Maths Department!)
Extra-Curricular Activities:- There are a lot more opportunities to gain experience. Various student socities organize a variety of programs (from cultural shows to business games to enterprenual challenges) and its upto students to participate in them. This is one of the major deciding factors in job-selection procedure. The companies have no place for plain nerds. One has to excel in different walks and demonstrate diversity and excellence. The international student body and the diversity of opportunities that one offers are an excellent platform to learn a few improtant things like team-skills, communication-skills etc which go a long way in helping one survive in a global business scenario.
Most probably, an ISI student will have trouble adjusting for first couple of months, but, if one chooses to, one can have the time of one's life and take away certain things one is bound to miss out on having spent one's undergraduate years in an elite-yet-isolated institute like ISI. Such a role-change is definitely challenging, but, after spending one - term at this college, I would say, its worth it! And, definitely interesting as well :)
Cheers!
Shivam
[The writer of this post has a B-Math (Hons) degree from the former institution and hopes to have an MSc in Applicable Mathematics degree from the latter by this year end.]
The possible destinations for a B-Math student would be Masters in - Applicable Mathematics, Statistics, Risk and Stochastics, Operations Research, Operations Research (Decision Sciences). Nothing is stopping one from applying for a degree in Economics/Finance but, I think, B-Math does enough to ensure that one will not think about these options when one is applying.
I, being a Dept of Math student @ The LSE, will talk about the MSc - App. Maths course only. The details about other courses can be provided on request.
So, here goes...
To begin with, there is a lot of differences between living in Central London and living in Muthurai Nagar and, beleive-it-or-not, these factors do have an immense effect on your academic performance! So, its a bit difficult to point out all the causes, their interdependence and the overall effect. I shall point out two concrete ones:-
Standard of teaching:- Click here! The standard of teaching varies immensely over departments and within the departments. One advantage that ISI has is one can walk into a prof's room anytime and ask doubts. Here, you get one hour per week. The coursework is presented in the form of lcetures and classes. "Lecture" means the professor coming and well...lecturing! Hand-outs and assignment sheets are distributed. Be prepared to meet a guy whose accent you cant make sense of or who is too lost to pay attention to what the students are talking about. The "classes" where assignment sheets are discussed, are a platform to discuss ideas and so on. But, not very helpful. But, of course, some of the teachers are simply brilliant. So, the deal is how will one know who is good and who is not? Well... Here, you have almost a month to decide on your course. During that period, you can go and attend lectures by various professors and make up your mind, which I would say is not too bad. The only thing is, level might go down gradually as the term progresses. In fact, do not be surprised if you end up wasting one hour of your class-time learning differentiation-by-first-principle (That after you have just covered Ito-integrals in the previous lecture) The level of studets varies immensely depending on the country and background they are from.
In short, its all about what you make out of the opportunities. Make an aware decision, decide what you want from the course and degree and after that, things aren't difficult at all. (DO NOT join LSE if you wish to take up research in pure mathematics. Go to Imperial Maths Department!)
Extra-Curricular Activities:- There are a lot more opportunities to gain experience. Various student socities organize a variety of programs (from cultural shows to business games to enterprenual challenges) and its upto students to participate in them. This is one of the major deciding factors in job-selection procedure. The companies have no place for plain nerds. One has to excel in different walks and demonstrate diversity and excellence. The international student body and the diversity of opportunities that one offers are an excellent platform to learn a few improtant things like team-skills, communication-skills etc which go a long way in helping one survive in a global business scenario.
Most probably, an ISI student will have trouble adjusting for first couple of months, but, if one chooses to, one can have the time of one's life and take away certain things one is bound to miss out on having spent one's undergraduate years in an elite-yet-isolated institute like ISI. Such a role-change is definitely challenging, but, after spending one - term at this college, I would say, its worth it! And, definitely interesting as well :)
Cheers!
Shivam
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