Ajai Karthikeyan is Invictus

Randomly decided to take a look at what classes I will be taking in the Fall and while I was at it, I decided to put pen to paper to figure out what classes I will need to take over the next 3 semesters till I graduate. I have 38 – 43 credits left to go [The reason for the variable range is because I am hoping to get transfer credit for a 4 credit lab science and 1 of my classes is a state of confusion as to whether it will be 2 or 3 credits].

This comes to a maximum of 13 classes to go (my lucky number by the way). I am planning to take 4 in the Fall, 5 in the Spring and 4 more the following Fall. This led me to do some interesting “What-If” planning. The main question was, what if I get a full time job offer? Wouldn’t I want to get out [a term often used by Tech students instead of the word graduate] of Tech sooner. At the same time, what if I land an amazing internship for the Summer of 2011 (like the one I landed this summer )?

So, the idea I came up with was that I need to take a light load my last semester here (12-13 credits) and make sure that the classes will be offered in both the Summer and Fall of 2011. This means that I will not need to decide on my date of graduation till Early May of 2011 by which time, I need to decide whether I will be taking class over the summer or working. The solution was actually pretty simple. I actually found 6 classes (Probability and Statistics, Algorithms, Digital Design Lab, Social Psychology, Senior Design and my remaining Lab Science) that are being offered in both the Summer and the Fall. Of these, due to Pre-requisite/load balancing reasons, I will definitely be taking Prob/Stat, Algorithms and the Lab Science during my graduating term. Which leaves me with 3 classes [Senior Design, Digital Design Lab and Social Psychology] of which I will need to pick 2 for the Spring 0f 2011 and 1 for that last semester, which is great cause anyone who know about registering for classes at Tech will know plans rarely go according to plan due to time conflicts. The ability to pick and choose from those 3 will give me that flexibility.

Our Assistant Dean, Tom Pilsch always tells us that we students need to have a plan towards graduation. Well, I can say I’ve one upped that and have 2 plans for graduation .

What can throw a spanner in this wonderful plan? 2 things! Firstly, OSCAR scheduling. Even with all the flex room I’ve put into this plan, the odds are that there will be some weird time conflict. I am not too concerned about this as usually it is possible to work with the administration on this specially at the time of graduation. The second spanner thrower is me flunking out of one of these classes. It has been known to happen before… Multiple Times… [Calculus 3, I'm looking at you just so you know] and my luck, I still have to take Calc 3. GRR. O well, the pressure should motivate me to pass THAT class this time around.

Funny things that are going to happen? 2 things once again! Firstly, OSCAR might get confused in the Spring when I start registering for the exact same classes for both the Summer and Fall [do keep in mind that I will be dropping all those classes for one of those semesters before the term starts]. That will just be amusing. Secondly, career fairs in the fall will be interesting cause I will be carrying with be 3 different resumes; 1 for Summer internship, 1 for Summer graduation/Full time and 1 for Fall graduation/Full time + I have been planning on taking copies of the updated [soon to be] Visual Resume.

Should be an interesting year or two ahead of me. But for now, I have only one focus ladies and gentlemen: Being the uber awesome summer intern at Turner. One thing at a time people