An Introduction to Some Nerd
The first thing post people say after I tell them my major is some variant of "Why?". "Why would you do that to yourself?" is a common one I get. My major being Mathematics. The other most common thing I get is "Ew, I hate math." It's always nice and peachy to be told by someone you just met that they hate your entire field. Despite the multiple all-nighters, mind-meltingly difficult concepts, and multiple nearly failed classes, I still love my degree and math as a whole. The sheer beauty and connectedness of it all is unique and intricate, almost like getting to see the hidden truths of the universe. Of course, some days, it can be like trying to use a brick to turn a screw, but I try not to think too hard about those.
Enough about math, more about me! I'm Gage Robelen, in my last semester of college here at OU, and a tremendous nerd for most things. I'm from Moore, Oklahoma, I'm 20 years old, and I can turn my feet around backwards. My interests include tabletop gaming, creative writing, vaporwave, Magic: The Gathering, and a bunch of study subjects like history, math, physics, mythology, and many more. By day, I'm a Data Analyst for OU IT, and by night (more like weekends), I'm a judge for Magic, travelling across the country to watch people play a card game. I hit eight unique cities last year, across a dozen events, alongside plenty of local events.
After undergrad is complete, I'm off to Japan for a two week vacation (all paid for by myself!) then off to Washington for grad school. I'll be doing my Master in Business Administration, before maybe looking at law school or financial analysis.
Dungeons and Dragons is my other major time kill. I'm generally the Dungeon Master, as creating worlds for players to explore is my love and forte. If you're curious about the game and haven't had a chance to try it, you should dive right in! I'm firmly a believer that there's something for everyone in the game.
Enough about math, more about me! I'm Gage Robelen, in my last semester of college here at OU, and a tremendous nerd for most things. I'm from Moore, Oklahoma, I'm 20 years old, and I can turn my feet around backwards. My interests include tabletop gaming, creative writing, vaporwave, Magic: The Gathering, and a bunch of study subjects like history, math, physics, mythology, and many more. By day, I'm a Data Analyst for OU IT, and by night (more like weekends), I'm a judge for Magic, travelling across the country to watch people play a card game. I hit eight unique cities last year, across a dozen events, alongside plenty of local events.
 |
| The album cover for the vaporwave album Floral Shoppe by Macintosh Plus. Bandcamp Link |
Dungeons and Dragons is my other major time kill. I'm generally the Dungeon Master, as creating worlds for players to explore is my love and forte. If you're curious about the game and haven't had a chance to try it, you should dive right in! I'm firmly a believer that there's something for everyone in the game.
Hey Gage! Let's hear it for the nerds! I'm a Chemistry&Biochemistry, so I understand how it feels when people hate your entire field. It is my last semester here, too! Your plans after graduation are so prestigious, well done! It's incredible how you have time for Magic in your life; I reeeeally like dragons (as evident from my own blog), you might have just convinced me to check your game out! Japan is an AMAZING place, I was just in Tokyo last year but I can't wait to go back! Have the best time and can't wait to see what else you create this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Gage!
ReplyDeleteI get the exact same reactions to my major- "Why?" "Oh... I guess someone's gotta do it." I'm studying social work! I agree that math is beautiful and super satisfying when you understand... but I get really frustrated when things aren't clicking for me. It's so cool that you get to travel for Magic! Good luck in your final semester!
Hi Gage!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you talk about your major and can tell that you are super passionate about what you do. That's all that matters! I think it's so cool that you'll have to opportunity to visit Japan. I have never been but I love to travel and Japan is definitely on the top of my list! Congratulations on your last semester! I hope you have blast and are able to take it all in before you head out. I've never been a huge gaming person but have heard a lot about Dungeons and Dragons and think I might try it out one day.
Can't wait to read more of your posts!
Hi Gage!
ReplyDeleteI admire your passion for your major and can definitely relate to being passionate about what you want to do in your future. Being a writer I know it can be difficult to have people ask you why you want to do with your major. I am not very good with math but that doesnt mean that others shouldnt pursue their passion if math is what they enjoy. I like that you enjoy creative writing as that is something I enjoy as well. For me creating a new world in writing is a fun and exciting process. I think that you would enjoy worldbuilding within this class in particular. This class is very creative and I am finding myself enjoying this class a lot. I am a professional writing major and am always looking for ways to expand my understanding of other people as it creates new characters in my head every day. I look forward to class with you and hope that you have a great semester.
Sincerely,
Shaun
Hey howdy Gage. There are so many of us nerds in this class! Great sign, I will be excited to see how we all do with some of these writing assignments. Anyone who has been acting as a dungeon master should produce some pretty stimulating stories here in Mythology and Folklore. It is pretty interesting/funny how math can fit into such "different" interests such as history and mythology, which seem so non-linear.
ReplyDeleteHey Gage,
ReplyDeleteI think you and I would get a long well. I'm a big fan of tabletop games. My brother and I love to play Magic, and I am also a fan of Terraforming Mars, Betrayal at the House on the Hill, and others.
While I can't say we share a passion for math, I admire your passion for it. Somebody needs to study math for us! Congratulations on making it to your final semester of school. I too am graduating in May, and I can't wait!
Good luck,
Brady J
You don't have to persuade me about the joys of math, Gage! I was a math major in college... until I took Russian! And that was that; I loved math, but I loved foreign languages even more. And it's still true: if all of a sudden I had months of time on my hand, I would start learning a language... the hard thing would be deciding which one (although Urdu is currently at the top of my language wish-list ha ha). And how cool about Magic! I have never played that game, although there is someone I know who has a game company, and one of the games they released recently was a card game inspired by a fairy tale: I really like it! The company is Foxtrot Games, and here is the card game: The Fox in the Forest. It is so great to think about D&D still going strong. I used to play in junior high... and that is back in the mid-1970s, early days of D&D, and on and on it goes. Did you see the Twine Storybook from last year that is D&D inspired...? I bet you would like it: Dungeons and Decisions. And I'm so curious to see how your creative energy will take shape in a project for this class!
ReplyDeleteHi Gage,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear that you are a math major, but hey, you made it! I can't believe that you are on you last semester and you are only 20 years old. You must be really smart! I also work for OU IT, but my job is not as cool as being a Data Analyst. Maybe I'll see you around one of these days.
I think is really cool that you get to travel around for Magic events, I would like to travel but I don't have any cool hobbies. Good luck on your last semester, good luck when you go to Japan, and good luck when you grad school. I look forward to reading more of your posts in class.
Best,
Kevin Monreal
Hello there Gage,
ReplyDeleteNice to see you on here. (Maybe I'll catch you at GC tonight as well!) I did recall you being a math major, actually, with your equation tattoo and all. I'm delighted to see that you're in here as well. I wish you the best of luck this semester and look forward to reading your stories!
Stay nerdy,
Lance
Hi Gage!
ReplyDeleteWow how cool that you're going to Japan for two weeks after graduation! It's a super coincidence that I'm also planning to take pretty much the exact same trip after graduation as well. My boyfriend has always wanted to visit Japan, so we're planning on going for two or three weeks the summer after we finish our undergrad degrees. I think the thing I'm most excited about is visiting Nara Park. It's a beautiful park and big tourist destination since there's just hundreds of deer walking around that are pretty used to people and will let you feed them. I'd also love to visit a cat cafe.
Good luck with your MBA program after graduation!
Hey Gage,
ReplyDeleteIt was great to read through your introduction. I actually think it is awesome that you are a math major. Math is crucial to understanding the world, and I wish it was a skill that I was much better at. I am a biology major, and I love how interconnected it all is so I can relate to that feeling. Best of luck this semester.
-Andy
Hey, Gage!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I am super impressed that you are a math major and are graduating early! I, too, am graduating this semester but it took me the full four years! I also love history, which is good because it is my major, and play Dungeons and Dragons (though I am not the Dungeon Master--too much creativity/responsibility required!). I have heard of Magic: The Gathering (I think the youtuber Odd1sOut likes it) but have not yet seen anyone play! Congrats on graduating and on your upcoming trip to Japan and good luck on your last semester!
Hey there Gage,
ReplyDeleteI am definitely part of your nerd community, as I am a Mechanical Engineering major. So, I definitely understand how it feels to have some hatred toward your entire field. It is also my last semester here too, and it is kind of bitter sweet. It is so cool that you have been to japan, I have not been there but have been to some other countries. Good luck with the rest of your semester!
Best,
Drew
Hey howdy Gage! Great introduction. I think a big turn has happened away from what pop culture would have you think regarding "nerd culture." I truly think that the people who are ostracized are nowadays more the people calling others nerds. This is pretty apparent by how many NASA swag we see people in. Although I will say: while I do not hate it and I do find it interesting, I do suck at math. Here is to making it all that more impressive!
ReplyDeleteHello, Gage!
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I have not had the pleasure of meeting (if you could call this that) a mathematics major before! I have never had anyone straight up tell me that they do not like my major, but I am sure that I also would not appreciate that comment. I really wish that I saved up for a trip to Japan myself! I am sure you will have a great time there!
Hey Gage!
ReplyDeleteI just recently started playing Dungeons and Dragons every other week with some friends. I could not agree with you more that there is something for everyone. And the beauty about it is, if there isn't, make it so. Always glad to hear from others who appreciate the game.
Hey Gage,
ReplyDeleteFirst off congrats on making it even this far into your degree field. As a liberal arts guy and a psych major, I couldn’t imagine spending that much time working on math. For one, I’m not any good at it. Secondly, I’ve always found it to be way too complex. Anyways best of luck as you move forward with the semester and your career in general!
Best,
- JD
Gage, it was really great getting to know you some through your introduction post. I think it is so cool that we are able to interact even though we are in two separate classes (I'm in Indian Epics). I think it is cool that having an online class like this allows us to do that. Again, it was great getting to know you some and the best of luck to you on your future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHey Gage,
ReplyDeleteHuge congratulations to you for studying mathematics! My friend Thatcher is minoring in mathematics and I can tell that it is no easy feat, but it probably seems especially tough to me because I don't like math as much as you two do! I also just played D&D for the first time recently and I really enjoyed it! Keep up the great work and enjoy your semester!
Hi Gage!
ReplyDeleteAh! You are so smart! Graduating at 20? Amazing! One of my friends who is a math major, too, is graduating this semester. He is 19 and also from Moore! His name is Ryan Oltermann if you know him! What high school did you go to? I went to Southmoore. Anyways, my guy friends love D&D and you have such an important role in that game. You actually get to keep it interesting and fun for everyone by being creative. I bet you are using that creativity well in this class! Good luck, and you are almost to graduation!
Hey again Gage!
ReplyDeleteI visited your intro a few weeks ago, but the randomizer had it on my list for this week too! So, I went in and looked through the layout of your blog, and I have to say you did a really great job of making it your own. Best of luck with the rest of the course and with the end of the semester!!
Hi again Gage!
ReplyDeleteI've visited your intro before but the needed to stop by again to check and see on the progress of your blog. Once again, I think Mathematics is such a great major and you speak about it in such a passionate way! Anything that makes you happy is the way to go. You've done such a great job this semester. I've really enjoyed keeping up with your blog. Wishing you the best with the reminder of your semester!
Hey Gage!
ReplyDeleteIt is so impressive to be able to say you are graduating at 20! Congratulations! My family has a history of mathematics. My dad was a professor of mathematics and my grandfather was a teacher and then a principal. I however must have missed out on that gene lol. Best of luck in the future!
Hey Gage!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to meet you! Mad respect for being a Math major, we definitely need more people like you in our world! Also, I think it's super impressive that you are graduating at the age of 20! And then you're off to Japan, that's so exciting! Good luck and have a great rest of the semester!
Hey Gage,
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a very impressive person, graduating at 20 (the age I currently am as a sophomore) and being a Mathematics major, which I'm sure is not very easy to do at all! Good luck in Japan! I have never been, but it sounds lovely and their culture (especially the food) is really interesting to me! Keep doing great things and good luck on your last finals, my man!