Just finished a 38 page derivation. AMA.

"I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker" (qaaaaa) 05/31/2019 at 17:51 • Filed to: None

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I recently (two weeks ago) started grad school in earnest. I’m doing my MS in Electrical Engineering, focusing on electromagnetics stuff.

As a first exercise with the intention of developing a greater understanding of EM (a greater understanding than I would have garnered from two undergraduate-level course and one graduate-level course at least) I was given Maxwell’s Equations and told to derive equations for TE and TM mode equations in a rectangular waveguide. Fun! It’s a real good thing I love math.

Time for the weekend.

facw > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 18:01

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Fields, Matter, and Waves was by far the most difficult class I took as an undergrad. I think some of that was because it was poorly taught (if the average on the first mid-term is in the 30s, that’s a pretty clear sign the professor did a poor job preparing the students), but it was also a lot of complex math. I can only imagine how much rougher a graduate level class could be. As it was, I got rolled pretty hard. It was fun to do derivations for some of the basic EE equations though.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > facw 05/31/2019 at 18:04

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Yeah, as an undergrad I got the high score in every emag exam in my class. Still pretty proud of that, it was a lot of pure math. My average was low 80s, average for the class was low 50s. I think emag is just hard. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 18:08

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This is why I’m a Civil Engineer, I can just kick something or hit it with a hammer and know what is going on. With electricity I just get repeatedly electrocuted and don’t lean anything.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 18:10

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So many people make me feel dumb on here.

I repeated math 9 3 times....

PS9 > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 18:11

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“I love math.”

Alien confirmed. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 05/31/2019 at 18:30

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It's really not that important a skill for most people. I have a lot of gaps in my skillset too. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > PS9 05/31/2019 at 18:30

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I've been accused of worse tbh

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 18:49

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I had to sit through this in class. FML

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 18:52

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Former engie student here. It’s ok to like math.

It’s also ok to hate how some profs teach it. 

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 18:59

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* waves hands in front of class*

“Calculus and bunch of Algebra happens, and then you get this....”

*writes general solution on white board*

“If you want want to know the minutia look it up or do it yourself ”

And this is why my students coined the term “ black gypsy magic” to replace “calculus happens. ” To be fair I have been known to say “just power rule everything and if that doesn’t work, chain rule it too. ”

ttyymmnn > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 19:03

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One of my trumpet professors was fond of saying, “If you can count to three, you can play music.” That’s about all I can muster.

Just Jeepin' > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/31/2019 at 19:13

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Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 19:28

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On a related note you would probably like this guy’s YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnFmWQbVW_YbqPQZGNuq8sA

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > ttyymmnn 05/31/2019 at 19:48

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I cannot count and play music at the same time. I tap out after 3, so I just play everything in 2 or 3. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Phyrxes once again has a wagon! 05/31/2019 at 19:50

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Yeah, lots of hand waving, which is why I had to do the whole thing by hand.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely 05/31/2019 at 19:50

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It's still fuck calc 2 tho

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 20:09

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Yeah I generally hate doing that, thankfully teaching the high school version of university physics there are not many moments where the full derivation is appropriate.

“it is intuitively obvious to a casual observer” is also about the worst phrase that can come out of your instructors mouth in my opinion.

ttyymmnn > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/31/2019 at 20:10

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I sat next to him for years wondering to myself , “What about four?” Then one day he said, “O f course, four is nothing more than two plus two.”