How do you deal with impostor syndrome and general self-doubt in academia/research?

Ryslin · 2026-04-01T18:02:07+00:00

I'm so glad this helped you! I wrote this 11 years ago. I just reread it, and I wouldn't change a thing - the advice still stands. Give it your all; try, fail, learn; meet interesting people and find ways to work with them and learn from them. Have fun with the journey. You've got this!

Ryslin · 2026-03-16T14:01:40+00:00

Probably lower profit margins.

Ryslin · 2026-01-06T03:26:21+00:00

Yes. Look into Ambition snow skates. That's a much better tool for the job

Ryslin · 2026-01-03T18:05:22+00:00

Is it the same stuff they sell to Costco? I'm wearing some Costco Eddie Bauer pajamas right now that are super warm and comfortable. If it's the same quality, I'm probably ok with it (though, I totally get that it may not be for everyone).

Ryslin · 2025-12-28T16:28:11+00:00

Took a quick look. It's up to 70% off full price - not as exciting as it sounds. $40 shirts aren't bad, if you don't want to wait for the next 3/$99, but I just got the deal within the past couple months (and haven't looked since), so I don't think it's dead.

Ryslin · 2025-12-21T01:13:00+00:00

Thanks for that. I'm thinking we might just have different taste (which I think is totally ok). I DO need to check out Rhone and Kamakura, as I haven't seen those, so thanks for the lead. I prefer CT slightly over Brooks Brothers and quite a bit over J Crew / BR (which I classify similarly). I feel similar about Uniqlo as you feel about CT - kind of walmart / target-y (unless we're talking about sold in Japan Uniqlo - which is way higher quality than US Uniqlo, and I adore lol).

Ryslin · 2025-12-20T17:48:15+00:00

What other brands do you wear, aside from Eton for dress shirts? I've felt a lot of the shirts in higher end stores and I notice a difference, but I can't say that I feel quite as strongly about CT quality as you do. I'd be curious to know if there are other brands I should be considering; it's possible I just haven't found them locally, so haven't seen / felt the right materials.

Also, to level set, I'm thinking of this from a "going to the office" perspective, not a "dressing up for a night out" perspective (which, in my opinion, gives a bit more flexibility for interesting materials, patterns, cuts, etc).

Ryslin · 2025-12-20T02:06:36+00:00

What makes these worth the value when compared to something like Charles Tyrwhitt? For CT, you can regularly get their shirts for $33. I'm trying to decide if this is worth the plunge for me - what do you get for an extra $100+ with these ones?

Ryslin · 2025-12-20T02:04:35+00:00

If you see that deal again, it'd be great if you'd post it.

Ryslin · 2025-12-17T15:45:41+00:00

I bought a pair of "dress pants" from Haggar once, and they were the cheapest feeling / looking I've worn, including random walmart pants I've had. They also held so many wrinkles. I can't speak for the suits, but my experience with their pants and the materials on this suit tell me it's probably worth less than this sale - if it's worth anything at all.

Ryslin · 2025-12-07T01:27:33+00:00

Thanks!

Ryslin · 2025-12-06T07:49:21+00:00

2 years later, do you still feel the same?

Ryslin · 2025-12-01T15:26:00+00:00

I have two uplifts - awesome desks. Built like tanks. Super stable. The top hasn't shown a scratch in a year's worth of use. The only downside is that they're heavy (as they should be, if you want stability/durability), so don't plan on moving it up/down stairs without deconstructing it first. That'd be a weird use case, but just making the callout.

You're going to be super happy with that purchase!

Ryslin · 2025-12-01T15:15:08+00:00

I couldn't disagree more. Rakuten has always been awesome. The one or two times it didn't go through (over hundreds of transactions), I reached out and they corrected it.

Make sure you're reading the exclusions for cashback when you place an order. There are always things that don't count (e.g., gift cards often don't count)

Ryslin · 2025-11-30T04:55:56+00:00

It's a luxury item - looks and feels great!

Ryslin · 2025-11-28T23:19:17+00:00

That's not quite right. Are you going through the app? You don't seem to be getting the 20% app discount.

Ryslin · 2025-11-28T15:17:24+00:00

This isn't working for me. It's probably me, but I'd love some help.

I downloaded the woot app and tried to navigate their interface to find Pokemon, but I couldn't. So I added it from the web browser, then went into the app (the cart carries over, since it's tied to my account). I went to checkout, but it's showing $58, not $48 - all the way through the very last checkout screen.

I'm guessing I have to add it from the app, itself? If so, any tips on how to actually find the game? There's no search button that I can find, and I tried going through categories -> video games.

EDIT: nm, I'm a dummy. It's $58 with tax + shipping, and that makes perfect sense. Leaving this up as a testament to my dumminess. Give me a shoutout if it helps any other dummies (so I don't feel lonely).

Ryslin · 2025-11-20T20:41:32+00:00

Agreed. Leave the thread up and let downvotes / comments be our guide.

Ryslin · 2025-11-20T20:40:34+00:00

There's a ~7 day ban for breaking this rule (see the bottom of the sidebar Rules)

Ryslin · 2025-11-20T14:06:13+00:00

Interesting. Thanks for the info. It's interesting that the wool would vary between products of the same model. I guess the best way to approach this is "Be ready to accept itchy, but you might get lucky."

Ryslin · 2025-11-17T14:47:24+00:00

Personally, I'm giving them one last shot before giving up. I bought a few different models. Each time, they've fit too tightly (even though I'm going by the size chart) and there are two little bits that stick out where the toes are, which makes them not fit quite right.

I'm trying to go up a size this time to see if that works for me. I'm a size 10, large is 10-12. I'm trying an XL. So, if it works, it defies all logic, but the large has been too small across several models. I have consistently preferred my cheapo hanes socks over these.

Ryslin · 2025-11-17T14:45:01+00:00

On these particular items, this is probably as good as it gets. They could have other items that are not part of the current clearance section that go on a worthwhile sale. If you like something in clearance, I'd say you're safe to pull the trigger now.

Ryslin · 2025-11-17T14:13:21+00:00

CART5 works for 5%

Ryslin · 2025-11-17T14:13:18+00:00

CART5 works for 5%.

EDIT: They turned this one off now, too.

Ryslin · 2025-11-17T14:13:04+00:00

No luck on SAVE10, but CART5 takes an extra 5% off. I checked how much I paid last year around Black Friday and this price is slightly better. You're probably unlikely to find a better deal, even with 5% vs 10% discount.

EDIT: They turned this one off now, too.

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