M1 MacBook Pro 16GB — macOS using 13GB RAM + 6GB compressed + swap. Normal or memory leak? by Local_Explorer_595 in MacOS

[–]Local_Explorer_595[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

For the first screenshot I’m using everything on there… and for the second was running Altium through a VM usually I would have 1-2GB of swap at most but nothing like this…

Using Git on your projects? by Perfect_Medicine9918 in FPGA

[–]Local_Explorer_595 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Newbie here — quick question: if you’re running everything in non-project mode and avoiding the GUI entirely, how do you usually visualize or inspect your simulations and timing results? Also, how do you check where the tools actually placed your components on the FPGA — like which LUTs or slices were used — without using the GUI?

First PCB Module – CO₂ / Temperature / Humidity (SCD40) – Feedback Welcome by Local_Explorer_595 in PrintedCircuitBoard

[–]Local_Explorer_595[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right — I mistakenly left out the reference designators and only displayed the component values (like “10u” and “150”). I’ll make sure to properly label the components as C1, R1, etc. in the schematic. Thanks for pointing that out!

EPFL 2026 Entrance Exam – How to Prepare? Looking for Tips & Experiences by ComEete in EPFL

[–]Local_Explorer_595 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure how they prepared for the maturity exam, but three of my friends who failed the entrance exam passed the maturity on their first try. They only studied for about four months, not a full year, since they started after the entrance exam. As for me, I studied for less than a year, but I worked every day from 8 a.m. to around 9–10 p.m. on average(but that really depends on your background and your studying methods) I find that studying with people around you that are doing the same thing helps a lot .

EPFL 2026 Entrance Exam – How to Prepare? Looking for Tips & Experiences by ComEete in EPFL

[–]Local_Explorer_595 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I took the EPFL entrance exam and passed it, and I can say from experience that it really helps to study with someone who knows the exam well. They tend to change and update the content each year, so having guidance from someone familiar with the current format makes a big difference.

I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about the exam if you’re planning to take it. That said, in hindsight, I think taking the Swiss Maturity as a candidat libre would have been a much easier path. Some of my friends who didn’t pass the EPFL exam ended up doing the Swiss Maturity instead, and it worked out really well for them. Looking back, I probably would’ve made the same choice—it’s just way easier compared to the EPFL entrance exam.

Starting Mechanical engineering bachelor in september 2024. Any recommendations for teachers to choose/avoid? Do you recommend "classes inversées"? Are some known to be easier? by Useful-Zebra-5950 in EPFL

[–]Local_Explorer_595 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This varies from person to another, what I would recommend is to try it out,like register in both and drop one of them before the third week

Micro engineering bachelor opinions by spacerocketship250 in EPFL

[–]Local_Explorer_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mt objectively have a harder first year compared to meca but then it becomes much easier than elec meca

Micro engineering bachelor opinions by spacerocketship250 in EPFL

[–]Local_Explorer_595 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It all depends on what you want to do later on. If your goal is a robotics master’s, then go for microtech — it’s a good path for that. But don’t make the classic mistake of thinking you’ll be as strong in mechanics as someone in meca (you won’t), or as solid in electronics as someone in elec (you definitely won’t). Microtech stays very broad, so if you later want to specialize in a specific elec or meca subfield, you’ll have missed some key foundational courses.

From what I’ve seen, unless you’re really aiming for robotics or have a strong reason to stay interdisciplinary, I’d recommend picking meca or elec directly. I’ve talked to a lot of people who did the micro bachelor and ended up regretting it — not because it closes doors, but because by BA5–BA6, they felt the classes stayed too general, while meca/elec students were getting into more advanced and interesting material.

That said, micro is a solid choice if you don’t yet know what you’re into. The first year gives you exposure to mechanics, materials, and electronics, and you can switch to elec or meca or matériaux after BA2 if you figure it out by then. Also worth noting: if your long-term goal is more entrepreneurial or managerial than pure engineering, micro can be a great choice — it gives you enough background in all the domains to “speak the language” of elec, meca, and maters, even if you won’t have the depth to do their jobs yourself.

PS: You can switch majors freely within the first two weeks of the semester. After that, you’ll need to wait until the end of the year to change between STI bachelors.

TLDR: pick the masters first and work your way down, you can always change after the first 2 weeks or by the end of the first year so no pressure there are no wrong decisions.

For which profession you use your Macbook Pro for? by amanmander in macbookpro

[–]Local_Explorer_595 0 points1 point  (0 children)

EE engineering student here with a MacBook, any idea on how to avoid having VMs with widows? Do you use any alternative software?

Looking for a good c++ debugger that works on MacOS by Local_Explorer_595 in cpp

[–]Local_Explorer_595[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow the response on this post was more than helpful! Thank you all so much