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The 4 Signs of Overworked Mathies

If you are reading this, I think it is safe to assume that high school math was no match for your wits. You breezed through Algebra without any trouble and Calculus was a cinch. There is nothing that will stop you from getting 90s in all math courses, right? Of course not. (Some of you will continue getting 90s throughout your university life. If you think you belong to this group, feel free to ignore the rest of this paragraph.) I was once like you, thinking that getting an average in the 80s would be a walk in the park. Believe me, getting an average of 80% requires some work (and a little luck — my cumulative average is a bit under, but it is over 80 if you don't count my 1B term).

Your workload will very likely be heavier than the workload you experienced in high school. Most of you are probably used to finishing your math homework by the time a class ends. In some cases it still holds true, but it is more likely that you will take hours to do an assignment. Don't worry though. If you manage your time well, you will get everything done on time. However, if you experience any of the following, you probably are overworked (or in Stat 231 — since you haven't passed Calculus 1, this doesn't apply to you yet).

  1. Life that is based on Hong Kong/Bangkok time
    If you work so much that you work until 3 or 4 am, then it is obvious that sleep is not your priority. If you do work this late into the night, your body will compensate by forcing you to take a slumber during the day. Of course, there are some classes that will drive you to sleep no matter how much you slept the previous night (case in point: Math 137 lectures). However, if you experience an urge to take a nap no matter what class you are in, it is likely that you are overworked. (Note: if you fall asleep during a Troy Vasiga/John Irving lecture, look for help IMMEDIATELY.)

  2. The Comfy Lounge has a good smell
    If you think that the Comfy Lounge has a pleasant smell, then you definitely are overworked. Since the smell of Comfy is highly undesirable to upper-year mathies, your sense of smell is obviously distorted. When it is left unused for an extended period, your nose will send out signals to warn you of a brain overload. Similarly, if you see nothing but hot mathie guys/gals in the MC, it is a good time to take some rest.

  3. An urge to raise your voice
    If you are overworked, it is very likely that you are stuck on a particular question/idea. You will become frustrated and angry. You will begin to have doubts. At that time, an urge to blame everyone else will occur. You will begin to yell at everyone within your sight, even if you don't know any of them. While yelling can be an effective way to ventilate your frustration, do it with caution.

  4. Pulling your hair/Breaking everything that is breakable
    If you work into the wee hours of the night, you probably have a question that is "impossible" to solve. It is easy to lose your cool and become frustrated. Often people who experience this become so frustrated that an urge for destruction arises. They will feel that the only way to solving the problem is to pull the their hair (or someone else's) or to pummel some inanimate object. (Interestingly, I think better when I pull my hair. However, don't get into a habit of doing this, as you could be as bald as a cue ball by the time you graduate.)

  5. Speaking in Java or C++ Code
    If you spend a lot of time in a computer lab or in front of a computer, then the amount of time you have for a personal life will be very low. Someone who is overwhelmed by CS assignments can easily lose the ability to have conversations with other human beings. At that time, the only means of communication the person can have is to interact with the computer using Java/C++ code. Eventually the person will begin speaking the code in public. If you begin to speak in languages that only a computer understands, take some time to rest.

  6. There is a protective dome around you
    While we mathies are sometimes notorious for having body odour, most of us do wash ourselves on a regular basis. If someone is really overworked, then everything else, such as bathing, will be unimportant to that person. Over time the body odour of that person worsens. Eventually the odour becomes so horrific that no one is willing to go near him (as the person is more likely to be a man).

  7. Eating anything that is edible
    If someone is overworked it is easy to see that he doesn't have much time to eat. If we leave something unused for an extended period, its function will deteriorate. So if someone is overburdened, it is unlikely that he spend a lot of time eating. Thus he will lose his sense of taste. The tongue will lose its function and everything will taste the same. As the person doesn't eat often and he has to eat to maintain his health, he will evolve into a person will can (and will) eat anything that appears to be edible (read village food).

To protect yourself from being overworked, plan ahead, manage your time, and, most importantly, keep a copy of mathNEWS within a reachable distance.

Jason "the Screamer" Lau