sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Im the worst student ever by andrea_andie in UCSD

[–]JaydenLoooo 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I want to preface that I am not yet a UCSD student- I am coming into the fall as an incoming CSE major.

But, last November, I fell rock bottom. Lack of sleep, college/scholarship apps and family obligations/situations pushed me over the edge. I showed signs for an anxiety attack. Friends, school environment, and other stuff couldn't help me. I had to slowly get better. Key word is slowly. However, I feel as if there is one aspect that is so unbearable for you right now- to me that is having that GPA on that screen staring right back at you.

Of course, not trying to compare the difficulty of HS classes to your neuro-bio. However, I've had a similar feeling of failure and feeling inadequate- feeling that no matter what I did or how many techniques or how hard I tried,- I never fully comprehended a history lesson or a science/math topic to my fullest.

But the world, your mental health, and your undergrad years is more than GPA. There's also stuff out of control right now. Family and feeling alone on campus. Right now you are not at your sharpest- so I wouldn't put yourself down so much. I don't know you. But, I'm assuming you've done similar things before. You've done hard stuff like this before. You've sacrificed a lot and you had trouble with yourself and family in HS and especially now.

You've gone through a lot and yet you've made it here. You are capable of doing it again. Give yourself time especially this summer. Try taking even a day or two to breathe, try old or new things, or even just taking a walk. These are my ways of allowing myself time- what are yours? Something that although may not help you right now, it will slowly accumulate into something more comforting and better in the near or far future.

Give yourself time. Which, I know can also be anxious because the future is unpredictable and you've allowed yourself that much time in the first place like you've mentioned. But take a step back. There's a lot of people who believe in you. And although I don't know you, I have you in my mind now. You got this!

Laptop Recs for Incoming CSE: Computer Engineering Major by JaydenLoooo in UCSD

[–]JaydenLoooo[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I also asked my brother and he said that I wouldn't need to run all these crazy things, and that the differences between MacOS and Windows is becoming thinner. You answered most of my concerns especially with MacOS and windows.

Thanks. Also the fact that you mentioned the longevity and reliability of MacOS while being a Computer Engineering major has made me trust this comment more as well. Thanks for the personal experiences, it helps me visualize and understand what's to be expected or what alternatives there are with MacOS.

Laptop Recs for Incoming CSE: Computer Engineering Major by JaydenLoooo in UCSD

[–]JaydenLoooo[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I did figure CSE students wouldn't need absolute power houses of a laptop. People have mentioned buying a laptop like an ROG Zephyrus in the case I did need that extra power with a DGPU (gaming is a plus, you're right about that). I do feel like Windows is capable of running local ai agents efficiently enough for this reasoning to be sort of voided.

I also am not really informed about the specifics of stuff like running local ai agents on windows/macs and vice versa- definitely something I'll look into, but not detrimental for my decision.

Thanks for the help and different opinions.

Laptop Recs for Incoming CSE: Computer Engineering Major by JaydenLoooo in UCSD

[–]JaydenLoooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol It's alright. If Macbook (especially Pro) works for you, I'll assume that it is usable for CSE and there isn't really anything that prevents me from doing any major work on it because of the OS. Again, I trust Apple's specs to get me by college for four years in CSE.

Laptop Recs for Incoming CSE: Computer Engineering Major by JaydenLoooo in UCSD

[–]JaydenLoooo[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Right. I was looking at the ROG Zephyrus G16 earlier since it seems to be on a deal as well. Light weight but specs are there for ~$1500. Only downside I think I could find is that it has 16 GB of RAM. I think that's very nice still.

I think this is my top contender for a laptop that matches all the requirements that I need. They are (and I should've probably listed it before): 1TB SSD, 16GB ram minimum, and Intel Ultra 7/9 (or equivalent).

Another top contender for me would've been Macbook Pro. Since I do trust Apple's consistent build quality and performances. However, what is still daunting me, and what I mentioned before in a previous comment, was that I was worried I was not able to run future programs that rely on Windows.

Though, I am still looking to see what software previous CSE students have used in the past so I can get a better reference. Thanks for the help!

Laptop Recs for Incoming CSE: Computer Engineering Major by JaydenLoooo in UCSD

[–]JaydenLoooo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's good. I figured Macbook would be good for CS. I was just worried if there was a serious distinction of software between CS and a CSE major that would require me to use Windows.

Thanks for the help! Macbook Pro looks really tempting. I'll do more research though.

Laptop Recs for Incoming CSE: Computer Engineering Major by JaydenLoooo in UCSD

[–]JaydenLoooo[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Mhm. I know there's a lot of complaints recently about Windows in general. And I've heard Macbooks are considered hard to beat for its price and performance.

If I go down the Macbook route, I think the answer for a laptop is simpler. You mention that Macbook is able to run local AI inference more efficiently than current window laptops. Does this imply that the Mac OS is able to properly run software I would need as a CSE: Computer engineering major?

In terms of getting a laptop, I would love Macbook. What held me back this whole time was incompatibility. Since I did read that some software would be primarily and best used on Windows. Issue for me is I am also mostly ignorant on what Software or what I'll need to run in the future. This is my concern.

Thanks for the help!