Monthly Archives: March 2016

Graduate School: Where Grades Don’t Matter

 Guest post by Tai-Danae Bradley Yesterday I received a disheartening 44/50 on a homework assignment. Okay okay, I know. 88% isn’t bad, but I had turned in my solutions with so much confidence that admittedly, my heart dropped a little (okay, a lot!) when … Continue reading

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Pixar in a Box: My New Answer to “What’s this good for?”

Questions like “Why do we need to know this?” or “When am I ever going to use this in real life?” seem to show up every time I put the definition of the derivative on the board in a calculus … Continue reading

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Computing π with Billiards (Mathematical Puzzles/Riddles, Part IV)

In honor of this past Monday being Pi day, I thought I would post a special mathematical oddity/riddle related to calculating π. Many of you may be familiar with the famous Buffon’s needle problem, in which π is estimated by … Continue reading

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A Fresh Slice of π

Almost anyone in the math world will know that today is π Day. Every year on March  14, the date reads 3/14, the first 3 digits of our favorite constant.  It may be an irrational holiday, but it is about … Continue reading

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Preparing for Job Applications

Whether you are looking for a research job, teaching job, or position outside of academia, my advice for graduate students is to begin the job search process as early as possible. These days, candidates face several types of interviews—by video conference, phone, … Continue reading

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