On Wednesday, January 14, I said:

"Something very wonderful happened today...

"I'll let you know what happened soon."

First of all, I'm going to Grad School. It's not written in stone, but I've been considering it strongly for some time now, and I think it's going to happen.

Second of all--and strongly connected with the first--I'm going to be involved in an Undergraduate research project with another student and a professor that will begin very shortly and last for probably about a year. This is exciting, because it is directly related to my area of interest, which is Operations Research (with Stats thrown in for good measure).

It's interesting, because this summer won't be a monetary landfall by any stretch, with the pay for this job being low. Particularly compared to an industrial internship, it's very low. This process has led me to evaluate how much money motivates me, and it motivates me more than I'd like.

The thought of being paid $17/hour in an internship is very appealing, and the fact that I won't make half that working this summer took some of the excitement out of me.

But the fact is I'm going to be home this summer (a good thing, although it would have been fun to strike out on my own for a few months), I'm going to be working flexible, reasonable hours, and I'm going to be doing something that will be stimulating, challenging, and (hopefully) very rewarding.

One of the goals of the project is to be published in a related technical journal.

This project, by the way, will go a long way in confirming or dismissing my interest in Grad school. If I can't stand research I probably shouldn't pursue a Master's degree.