Archive for May, 2010

LSAT Cacophony: iPhone App

Ryan
May 25 |09:11

I know I have been absentee as of recent but that is because I am going a little insane from all that I am doing. As a “mea culpa,” here is a sneak preview into the iPhone App that I have been working on.

Notice the “LSAT Proctor” App on the home screen!

The Loading Screen!

A Clean and Simple Interface: Click Play to Start Studying.

Section 1 is currently playing; it will proceed through the sections/break until completion.

Noises driving you crazy? Turn them off. Love the noises? Hear them forever.

Share you study success with friends. Note: The Share Screen is only accessible after you have finished studying; we do not endorse further distractions.

That’s about it as of right now. I’m just working on cleaning up a few bugs and playing run around with Apple. I have no estimation as to when it will be in the App Store, but I can tell you that it will not be available before the June 2010 LSAT (sorry). The price will be: free. So if you are looking to steal the idea… it’s probably not worth the investment.

 

Defcon: 1

Ryan
May 18 |08:12

Well, yesterday was pretty much miserable. My professors for the semester are fantastic; I think I’ll really like them as people but the workload for the courses is going to be overbearing. While I was concerned before, I am now actually wondering whether I can study for the LSAT and complete these courses during the same period. It is the first time where I am considering postponing my LSAT. I can’t fully accept the idea of doing it, though. I had my Early Shakespeare course yesterday and American Literature from 1912 – 1950 in the evening. During a regular semester I wouldn’t really be too concerned but on top of the aforementioned 12-odd plays for Shakespeare, I will have three to four 2-page (single-spaced) assignments due each class in American Literature. I will have to see what British Literature is like this evening to have a full grasp of what I have gotten myself into for the semester. It just seems that 10 pages a day, plus work and LSAT preparations is going to leave me neglecting something (besides my health and girlfriend).

I also ran out of time on a Logic Game section yesterday so that defeated my spirit a little bit. I have a haircut appointment this morning (it’s much-needed) and then I am heading to the library all day for LSAT preparations and then class. I’m going to neglect reading Oedipus Rex and second time for the moment and finish the papers sometime either tonight or tomorrow before class while I focus on LSAT for the remainder of the day. British Literature from 1912-1950 will most likely be no-less intensive. I know that it could be worse and my major could be something in the engineering or physics disciplines, but regardless of any inherent difficulties, I need to do well in the courses. An A or C in engineering is weighted the same as an A or C in english.

I’m going to stop by my professor’s office hours on Wednesday to introduce myself and just let him know a little more about what I am trying to do. It is a rare occurence for me, but I think it will help me greatly if he knows that any lethargy is not due to apathy but rather a full course load. Professors are people too and no one likes to see someone half asleep while they are talking, especially if it is a subject in which they are passionate about.

Time to pickup my books that Amazon delivered to the studio, yesterday and get this afro trimmed down to the level of “respectable human being,” I like my haircut to portray a facade.

 

CPR 460: No Exit

Ryan
May 17 |09:04

After reviewing my classrooms for the summer, a common theme was quickly discovered. I have three classes during the Summer A period spread through various days and time slots; they all share one thing in common, though. They all take place in the same room: Cooper Hall Room 460.

I have been at the University of South Florida for the better part of seven years and I have taken a few dozen courses in Cooper Hall, but I have never been to the fourth floor. I actually looked up the room online to make sure that it wasn’t some type of scheduling error. Now, it isn’t too weird to have all of your classes in the same room during Summer session as the number of classes offered is severely reduced and the school wants to keep expenses to a minimum. As it is my last semester and this session is looking to be hellacious, the ominous one-room schedule is starting to remind me of Satre’s play, No Exit. If you are familiar with the play, you’ll understand what I mean.

Summer sessions are a bane and a boon. They are a boon in the sense that parking will be easier and the semester will finish far quicker, but they are a boon in the sense that while the session will indeed be shorter, it will be far more laborious throughout the duration. I write this entry as I lay in bed trying to convince myself to get ready and walk out the door. The sooner it begins, the sooner it ends.

Wish me luck.

 

Spring Cleaning

Ryan
May 16 |09:36

Well it’s a beautiful 98 degrees here in Tampa, Florida (read: absurdly hot) and I’m preparing for a week filled with LSAT preparations and Summer classes; I guess that the shear existence of “summer classes” would imply that it is currently Summer and not Spring, but I’ll leave that up to semantics.

The daily number of visitors to the site has really picked up, so I’m going to assume there are a lot of June LSATers out there who have really buckled down. I share your pains and I hope your studying is going well.

I have taken the next week off work to focus on classes and studying. An entire week off of work is a rather rare occurrence for me and it is a shame that I am wasting it on academics. Perhaps wasting is not the correct word, but I would much rather spend it at the beach or on vacation. The weeks directly following this next one will be quite hectic at work as an important client will begin their residency at the studio. If I am going to take off time in the upcoming months, then this is probably the best week to do it.

I am taking today to get things organized and do a little cleaning. My apartment is currently a massive wreck of papers, books, dishes, empty boxes and clothes, which I plan to attempt to organize into some type of cohesive mass. I could do a little studying today and a little cleaning, but I think it’s important to start out the next week with an organized, clean living space instead of furthering the clutter as I bring home new materials.

I was working on the new version of the LSAT Cacophony and picked up a new microphone to use… I have to say that for the price, I love it. I’m really only using it for minor spoken word vocals and podcasting, so I think it is perfect for it. The microphone is a Audio-Technica AT2020 USB microphone and I purchased it on Amazon.com for $85 plus shipping. I also purchased a pair of Ultrasone 450′s, but they have not arrived yet, so you will have to wait a little for my feeling on those. The AT2020, though, is a great condenser microphone if you aren’t trying to do anything too laborious with it. If you are a fledgling podcaster, it’ll do well for you. The USB connection means you don’t have to haul around an audio interface to record something quickly when you are traveling. I plan to pick up a shock mount and a extension arm for the microphone and clamp the two to my desk. I currently have the AT2020 housed in the foam insert that came with the microphone that has been fashioned inside of a cigar box for a clandestine and chic storage case.

I am not sure if this week off of work will mean more posting or less posting; we will see. Either way, I hope to  get a self-unprescedented amount of studying done during the course of next week.

 

One Semester Down, One to Go

Ryan
May 13 |19:36

Grades are finally in for my last Spring Semester at USF: 3 A’s and a B… wish I could have done better, but I’m not upset considering how thin I have spread myself.

Next Monday brings the beginning of the Summer session and my attempt to take 3 condensed classes and studying for the LSAT at the same time.

I am a little concerned as I just ordered my books for one of my six-week long classes and they consisted of the following:

Hamlet
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 2
The Merchant of Venice
As You Like It
Titus Andronicus
Oedipus Rex
Richard II
and more…

Not that these are particularly hard pieces but that is some extreme reading for six weeks when coupled in with two other classes and practice tests; it should be quite the experience.

The cat is out of the bag about the upcoming changes to the LSAT Cacophony, so I’m going to go ahead and say it:

I’m working on an iPhone app version of the LSAT Cacophony. It should be available in July or August. For more information, send me an email (especially if you are looking to beta test).

 
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