Valera Notes

Great argument by Prof. Gio that "solving a problem is not necessarily the same as advancing science." Would advise watching everyone interested in AI's recent advances in mathematics. https://youtu.be/KqiDqJMxg6o?si=hQhm2qFzbXM7OaJ4

President John Sexton is one of the founding fathers of NYU Abu Dhabi and mastermind behind NYU’s global expansion. He kindly agreed to speak with Imkon Scholars students. So we decided to open the discussion to everyone interested.

NYU’s John Sexton on the Future of Global Education John Sexton, former President of New York University (NYU) and Dean of NYU Law School, will share his insights on the future of global education in an exclusive online discussion organized by the Imkon Scholars Program. During his 14-year presidency, Sexton oversaw the establishment of NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. He also led a historic fundraising campaign that raised more than $3 billion, advancing the university's global ambitions. Join us for conversation on globalization, liberal arts, and the future of higher education with one of the architects of modern global education.

Aura. Akram aka, Head of the Representative Office at Henley & Partners, gave a seminar on wealth management at Freshman.

Farewell, my home to friends and family I so do love where everything is familiar and known. Farewell, to green streets love so overbearing that warmth turns to suffocating heat Farewell, oh how indeed unfair it all feels to have pieces of your heart scattered around this earth Farewell, to dreams too big for this small island, tis a big world out there, my friends and it beckons me once more Fare thee well

End of 2025, beginning of 2026. Last months in Singapore. Somehow feels like years ago.

I will repeat it again. If you publish your paper in a predatory journal, it will hurt your university application.

Another relevant post from 2024: https://t.me/valeranotes/723

SAT exam is tomorrow. As someone who took the SAT five times back in 2017, I know this can be stressful. Make sure you take a break from preparation tonight. The marginal improvement from these extra 2–3 hours is much lower than the risk of burning out before the exam. Complete a few practice questions before the exam to switch on your brain. And you good to go!

Call mid toast Bukhara, March 2026

My father’s birthday is today, September 10. My best friends’ fathers’ birthdays are on September 11, 14, and 15. This is a wild coincidence. The chance of four fathers having birthdays within a six-day window, all on different days, is roughly 1 in 200,000 or 0.0005%.

Thriving in college > getting into college

All the sleepless nights and effort are worth it when you receive such messages from all over the world. Our guys are stepping into highly competitive spaces. And I am glad they are genuinely thriving there and take the most out of that experience

i got these 14 schools, believe me, I was just struggling to find universities. Ur project is useful for me

I want to commit to answering every message by the end of each day. Measured how many chats people start with me. On average, it is 15–20 chats per hour! Literally, I can have a 3-hour meeting and, by the end of it, have around 40 new chats with questions ranging from high-profile meetings to basic admissions questions. It is good to be in demand, I guess. But it is now a question of sustainability, and sanity tbh. Will analyze how to systematize the replies. Develop an AI bot. Or hire another Vice. But gotta resolve this issue asap.

A German philosophy lecturer and media professional came to Freshman's office today. We spoke about everything from Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation to Cyberpunk 2077. It really made me think about how much I miss my college days, when we would sit on the 22nd floor of our dorm, overlooking Singapore, and talk about whatever came to mind. College days are such a romantic and idealistic period, maybe the only time when you can dedicate yourself so fully to exploration.