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Endnote

Recently learned how to use this nice piece of software for collecting references. So Al, here's a good way to start getting organized. You can connect to lots of databases and get the info for papers, books, etc. You can also download the pdf and link to the file. A good way to keep track of things. If the database doesn't go back that many years, you can always manually input. Don't buy it, you can probably download the software for free once you get to school, or ask AS people.

I'm sort of still in the passed prelim bliss---last couple days have been very relaxing. I'm planning a trip home to Taiwan over summer, and I look forward to that. Food from home so good!

The comment from most of the committee members though, was that I need to keep a broader outlook. They mentioned that I seemed to know what I'm doing very well, but when asked about more general questions, had a tougher time finding the links. So I'm really going to need to get back to reading papers on a weekly basis, and sometimes maybe delve back into more fundamental reading. I'm happy that I have a committee that wasn't there to embarrass me but to help me. So I will not let them down, because ultimately that would be not living up to myself. I've proven that I can pass that prelim on my own merit, and that's something. Definitely a confidence booster...of course not to get cocky, but I know what I need to do to improve. That's moving in the right direction already. If only all aspects of life were seemingly "easy." But the journey is the challenge, and what is really special is what you encounter on that journey, more so than actually reaching the end. A straight path to your goal is in some sense, not fulfilling, because you haven't really lived! Of course not everything should be bumpy. Anyways, enough phil-osophizing...it's time to count sheep.

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