I am no longer dead to the world!

In fact, I am out and about today! Hooray! If by 'out and about' I mean 'at work and studying' then... yes.

I recently got an e-mail about the test that I have to take to prove that I can do some math, so the Chemistry department won't disown me and ostracize me from the elite group of Biochemistry majors into to the masses of Biology majors. That would be scary. There are so many pre-meds there.

I laughed at first, because the concepts on it (n-space, linear dependence, eigenvalues) were all things I remembered learning in high school but have long since vaguely forgotten about. I don't mean to sound snide -- I'm sure the college course here on basic linear algebra is much more demanding than my high school course on basic linear algebra, even if it isn't the course here on abstract algebra which sounds like so much more fun and I'm somewhat disappointed I never really got a chance to take.

However, I understand now why the Chemistry department won't simply take my year of Analysis as proof that I can do this math - because while some of the concepts in Analysis are based on the concepts of linear algebra, and while Analysis is really much much easier if you know a little bit of linear algebra, the topics above, especially eigenvalues, are not covered in Analysis. So it would be entirely possible to pass through Analysis and not know what an eigenvalue is. (Which would be a shame because then you couldn't throw things at Peter Parker when he mistakenly gives one a unit.) Of course, I've almost forgotten what an eigenvalue is, so it's time for me to break out the book and get studying.

I can't believe that it's the weekend before first week and I have 1 test to take and 2 to study for. This year is going to be awesome. If I survive it.