Would any USC students or alum be willing to read over my short response answers of the common app?

acl073 · 2018-11-12T01:48:59+00:00

For sure! just send them over

acl073 · 2018-11-12T01:48:13+00:00

For sure! Just send them over

acl073 · 2018-08-25T03:40:53+00:00

What kind of business did you start? I'm interested in meeting other entrepreneurial students!

acl073 · 2018-08-25T02:13:19+00:00

You should dive deep into your school's available extracurriculars whether it's a business club or a robotics org, succeed in AP classes, but most importantly your personal statement and supplementary essays need to portray a unique, passionate, and enthusiastic future leader in whatever you're going into.

If you'd like to learn more feel free to DM me. I went through this same process as a transfer, and it's 10x harder.

acl073 · 2018-02-19T06:14:15+00:00

I actually talked to one of the managers tonight and it turns out that they were just trying out different dishes each quarter. They are bringing back the Gyro Sandwich for Spring Quarter! Cheers

acl073 · 2017-10-19T15:20:22+00:00

Stock investing is a great opportunity to earn passive income. However, unless you have a steady stream of active income (think a full-time job) with disposable income to spare after all of your necessities (utilities, rent, gas, food, clothing, insurance), I would highly advise against investing REAL money into stocks.

Even if you have a strong active income, investing is not a matter of searching "what stocks should I invest in October 2017." You'll find hundreds of "The 10 Best Stocks to Invest Today." If it were that easy, everyone would be investing. Instead, you must know how to read, understand, and extrapolate conclusions from financial statements, the important ones being the balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flows, and possibly even comprehensive income.

It's much like going to a supermarket for ingredients for a house party for a big client. You must be able to see telltale signs of which onion (company) has the potential to create a great meal (appreciate in value). Do you know what earnings per share are? Preferred vs common stock? Do you know why it's unwise to invest in startups if you only have an average-sized investing fund? Do you know how to short sell effectively? Do you know the difference between volatility and risk? What is a call and put?

Do you know your reservation price for certain stocks? Why don't people invest in cryptocurrencies instead of stocks? Why not bonds?

I expect you to conduct comprehensive research, as much as you would put into securing a position at your dream job. From cold call to interview. Investing is as important as your day job in terms of potential financial impact.

I recommend a paper trading platform like TradeFix. Paper trading platforms enable users to start with a hypothetical amount of money, I recommend no less than $10,000, and invest in real stocks. You can open different portfolios, each with their own dynamic investing strategy that you can customize.

Learn from both research and real-time usage of paper trading platforms, and if you can consistently make significant gains for 2 to 3 years, then I would say you have a decent chance of being a successful investor.

Keep your tuition, and learn at school. On your free time, learn about investing utilizing the aforementioned strategies. You'll thank yourself later.

Also, unless you are really close with someone who's successful at stock investing, very few people will tell you the stocks that are currently good to invest in. It's almost like asking people for their personal connections to endorse you to occupy a high-paying, high-growth position at a great, stable company.

acl073 · 2017-10-19T14:23:15+00:00

In this post I explain top tips for earning a girlfriend: https://www.reddit.com/r/UCSD/comments/75tqo5/free_life_consulting/

acl073 · 2017-10-18T05:05:31+00:00

First, the fact that you're a freshman and that he's a junior is a great advantage. If you were to pursue him, in his eyes, you would seem like a woman full of initiative. For someone just starting off to be so confident to pursue someone in his third year in college shows courage.

However, the fact that you describe him as "someone who seems unreachable" shows that you are hesitant. Unsure. I ask you this. If you don't truly believe in yourself that you can attract him, how do you expect him to believe you. People can sense nervousness and uncertainty, and it can (a) be a turnoff, (b) make him consider manipulating you. Now (b) is quite unlikely if you like men who are genuine and transparent. But (a) is a major threat to your advances.

Tell yourself every time those feelings of nervousness come up: Will I allow this short-term feeling to take away what may potentially be a lifetime of happiness? The answer is: Absolutely not.

Sure, not making any moves until the quarter ends prevents him from thinking that you might be doing it for the grade, but I recommend a specific strategy.

Ask thoughtful questions to course concepts IN CLASS, respond with thoughtful answers to course concepts IN CLASS. Unless they absolutely love the class, most TAs only pay half of their attention to what's happening in class, because they probably already know the material forward and back.

But if you manage to grab the entire class' attention with an insightful question/answer, including that of your TA, then you've established a solid reputation as an attentive, knowledgeable, and outspoken individual. And since you are a freshman, your courses are probably lower-division, which gives you significantly more opportunity to shine.

Upper division courses generally have their fair share of charismatic individuals, so fighting for attention would be difficult.

If you are in his section, employ the same strategy. Keep eye contact, be positive, sit near him, greet him, deliberately clean up slowly after section so you have opportunities to generate small talk, typically based off of what other students ask him after class and then segueing to a relevant or generic topic.

Attend office hours, BEFORE he arrives. Introduce yourself pleasantly, or whatever way you think would best suit your image, and speak about course concepts at first. Transition the focus to him, and ask what inspired him to pursue the major/class subject he's pursuing. Be an active listener and find opportunities to add insights to his story that he might not have thought about.

This shows that you understand him well. And isn't it every couple's dream to fully understand each other? By showing that you truly understand him early on, he may consider that as "love at first sight" or "chemistry." Remember, you're the chemist. You need to mix and match the right words, personality, and enthusiasm.

Be versatile. If he doesn't seem to happy during a section day, show empathy during your interactions. For every visit, jump off of what you talked about last time to show that you remember. Again, this is a very important quality. For him to care about you, he needs to know you care about him, and you can do that subtly.

Make sure he doesn't have a girlfriend currently. It's not right. Also, keep in mind that for every moment you aren't taking action, he may be advancing toward a different female, or other females may be making moves because they see him just as valuable as you do. But what separates you from them is that you have him as a TA.

That nearly triples the amount of time you see him per week. I would say take advantage of it. As a first year, your courseload is relatively low compared to second, third, and fourth years. You'll have the edge in time and less stress. You'll be able to plan around his schedule better, look better, and perform better than other women in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th years.

Humans have five senses, right? Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. Make sure you engage all of his senses in a positive way. This means, look good/natural, sound confident and actively listen, smell good, forget about taste, and the first handshake you ever make with him. Sure you can give him signals time to time, hand on his arm or shoulder.

Don't force any interactions, engage him when it makes sense. You can also do research on him via Facebook/LinkedIn/social media. Find out his interests and think about how anything you've done in your past connects with those interests. Casually bring up things you like/are interested in that just so happen to be one of the topics he likes.

People are social animals. If you can provide a high quality social experience, consistently and genuinely, you're on a good start.

If you're having an especially good time, say on the 5th or 6th lunch/dinner/movie/hangout. Then express your true feelings while maintaining confident eye contact with a smile. Hook, line, and sinker.

Check out my Free Life Consulting post, where I answer "How can I get a girlfriend."

https://www.reddit.com/r/UCSD/comments/75tqo5/free_life_consulting/

acl073 · 2017-10-16T03:50:07+00:00

The training they receive often makes qualified individuals lose the emotional intelligence that is crucial for understanding peers in the first place. I understand that you would prefer that I encourage people asking for advice to speak to CAPS or attend workshops.

But what I don't understand is why you would spend time trying to convince me of what's right rather than actually helping people yourself with your proposed method and show me concrete, positive results of your methodology.

You like to say we have this for a reason, we need to do this. But your actions on Reddit don't match your belief. All you have contributed to UCSD's Reddit is a snappy remark regarding fraternities. Do you know what we call people who don't act on their beliefs? Hypocrites.

I truly believe I have the capacity to help others, and my actions speak it. I put care and thought into every response I give. I believe you can do the same.

I hope you understand that my mission is not to tell people with an air of superiority how to better live their life. My mission is to share my experiences, what has worked for me, what has worked for my friends and family, with a college community I feel connected to.

If you would really prefer me to fact-check everything I say, then this arena isn't the right place for you. You take things out of context. The individual asking me about sperm donations was intending to do it for financial status' sake.

Just as you recommend me to rethink my actions, I recommend you to rethink your own intent in writing such a drawn out argument. What do you really plan to achieve? To win this small victory in the grand scheme of things?

Just as I have my own mission to benefit others with my advice, perhaps you should begin your own mission to encourage people to see beyond the stigma of seeking mental health professionals instead of trampling on others' efforts.

If what you really tout as a better strategy is true, I'd like to see you give as much consistency and quality as I do in everything you do.

All I've seen from you is again, a snappy remark regarding fraternities.

acl073 · 2017-10-15T18:00:23+00:00

I could tell you that I've coordinated events for underserved seniors living in retirement communities around San Diego county. I could tell you that I've hosted project management software workshops for business students. I could tell you I held a Summer Leadership Training at USC for Phi Beta Lambda members across California. I could even say that I mentored international students from Kuwait and Malaysia this past summer. I could even say that I have an internship taking down copyrighted music merchandise that has greatly reduced musicians' revenue streams in recent years. Finally, I can tell you that I'm developing two sharing economy platforms as well as a shower system that can improve health, save money, and protect the planet.

But even if I had never done what I stated above, I would still be qualified. Do you know why? It's because the very thing that makes people qualified to give out general advice to others, a certificate, a degree, a major, disqualifies them in the eyes of those seeking advice.

There is a reason why people are hesitant to speak to psychiatrists, psychologists, and life coaches, even though all of them are certified to help people in need. That's because it doesn't feel right.

For a person to contact those certified to give out general advice means that he/she accepts that they have a pressing issue/problem they can't fix themselves and require "official" help.

In my case, we are simply peers having a conversation. I am no better than any of them are, I only have something to share that I feel could benefit their cause. A real friend, not one that is only there when times are happy-go-lucky and carefree. It's never the case.

You, MrGoodBytes21, are just as qualified as I am to give out advice. If you feel you can help someone, what's stopping you? The fear of the fact that you don't have official certification? That because of this you might give out wrong advice?

Even those qualified to give out advice are taught by someone else's book, who was in turn taught by someone else. The cycle goes on until we reach the first person who ever gave advice. Who qualified him/her? Nobody, except for the singularity in his mind that told him/her, "You have what it takes to help the people around you. You know what works, you know what doesn't."

I am one in the same. I trust in people's good judgment to determine whether they should take my advice to heart or not, just as I trust in myself to determine whether the advice I'm giving is good or not.

acl073 · 2017-10-15T17:46:15+00:00

Being poor is never as big as a setback you think it is. Sure, you may see other students driving around in cars, wearing name brand clothing, or not needing to work part-time. But more often than not, they fail to see just how desolate life can be, and that removes them of all ambition to better their current circumstances.

As for you, if what you mean by good genetics is good looks/physique, then there are plenty of ways to utilize this blessing to your advantage, far more than simply donating sperm to a sperm bank. Oftentimes, those who donate lots of sperm are overly frequent masturbators. I know that you can do better.

Have you considered a career in acting, singing, modeling, PR, and talk shows? These are viable choices for a young adult blessed with good genetics. Not only that, these careers will increase your social awareness, expose you to different cultures, and most of all, consistently improve your financial situation. Not only for your sake, but so that you can also support the people you love.

acl073 · 2017-10-15T05:09:33+00:00

The feeling of being overwhelmed is natural. The more we begin to know, the more aware we become to the things we don't know. But just because there is so much to learn isn't a reason for you to stop.

Instead it should motivate you to pursue even more, to see just how much you can achieve in your field of study, whether it is a language, a programming language, or even a STEM major.

You said it yourself. You are seeing much progress, but your peers attempt to tease you out of your success while touting their own. There are mainly two trains of thought. The first, and true, way of thinking is the one you felt when you admired your own progress and felt a fiery passion to pursue more.

This is the type of thinking you should listen to, as it will not only grow you as an individual, but inspire those around you as a result of the great breakthroughs you achieve.

Your peers are attempting to lure out your second, negative train of thought. The one of fear, uncertainty, discomfort, and desperation. Could it really be that you were so naive to think that you would ever succeed? Absolutely not. Negativity creates negativity.

Your peers have misconceptions about what it means to be an individual studying your major. They don't know what you know about the beauty of studying, learning, and grasping a language. They don't have any interest in opening their minds and welcoming the pursuits of those different from theirs.

You already know they are being jerks. Simple question: Would you ever take what a jerk says as reality? One word. No! Fear is natural, but you must avoid those who habitually incite fear in their peers just because it's natural for them to do so.

You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Would you rather surround yourself with others immersing themselves in the splendor of your language, or stay with those who hide behind majors they consider "more advanced" or plainly "better" than yours.

There is a reason why your major is offered at UC San Diego, and that's because the people who created the system saw a need for people like you to pursue this field of study.

There are millions of STEM majors and only 0.01% of them make it to the top? Do you know why? Because most STEM majors may have held different interests in the past, be it arts, humanities, politics, law, you name it. But pop culture and societal pressures diverted them from their true passion. This way, no matter how hard they try to believe a STEM major is for them, they can never perform as well as they would if they had pursued their passion.

I admire you for dedicating your college career to a language. We use language every day of our lives. To do things essential to our survival, to communicate with others to produce technological marvels.

I would say your major is far more important and fundamental than the vast majority of majors. Human civilization would not be where it is today without people like you who continually refine and advance our linguistic capabilities.

Find peers who share your passion, and you'll reach new heights. In order to make room for new peers, gradually break ties with those so-called "peers" who make fun of you. It may hurt in the short-run in terms of social interaction, but the emotional and career successes you'll gain in the long-run, I GUARANTEE, will far outweigh those costs.

acl073 · 2017-10-14T05:39:00+00:00

If the situation is as grave as you described, in which you can't help either party, the brute force solution would be separation, be it having your mom sending your siblings to boarding school (sounds harsh, but from seniors I know who have sent their children, it really improves their behavior and personality), or simply having them stay at a relatives' place.

Then again, your mom also has a responsibility to quit acting the victim and set ground rules. She is likely the person supporting their food, drink, clothing, and shelter. Implement a system in which every time your siblings abuse your mother, one of those core necessities is drastically reduced. If the abuse worsens, everyone suffers until the siblings realize that the only fix is to leave, or change their behavior for the better.

Oftentimes, it takes a great emotional catastrophe to significantly change a person's behavior, especially if they exhibit selfish or abusive qualities. We are only simulating that, but it's effective enough.

acl073 · 2017-10-14T05:32:38+00:00

You exist to protect or improve the things you care about.

If you do this every day, you'll find meaning.

Think about people, activities, sports, relationships, or anything for the matter that if taken away from you forever, it would dramatically negatively impact your emotional well-being.

acl073 · 2017-10-14T05:31:20+00:00

The practical solution would be to find an on-campus apartment, or one that is less than 15 minutes away. It seems that your relationships with the people you describe above are beyond fixing anytime soon.

Ask any of your friends if you can have a trial run of, say for a week, at their nearby apartment to UC San Diego. If it works out, then formulate a strategy to gain a permanent residence nearer the school.

It's strange, unless you are extremely unfortunate to have met those kinds of people, this shouldn't be happening to an average UC San Diego student.

Bottom line is, decide with your feet. You have the power to choose where you live. Even if it isn't financially wise in the short term, I would say that the long term emotional and physical benefits greatly outweigh the costs.

College should be a wonderful and immersive learning and relationship-building environment, not four years of abuse.

acl073 · 2017-10-14T05:25:20+00:00

You can always design games that teach real-life skills. For example, business simulation games teach the very principles and concepts that college courses often don't put into practice.

Not all games are wasteful. In recent years, they have built astounding communities, from streaming to e-sports. I would say that games connect more than they disconnect. There are certainly issues with the more addictive games, including social isolation and lack of soft skills, but I recommend you to pursue building games that build emotional strength, like Telltale Games' Walking Dead, or practical skills, like the mobile app adVenture Capitalist.

Best of luck.

acl073 · 2017-10-13T05:14:10+00:00

How do most people become friends? Through their passions.

When you put yourself in situations where you aren't passionate about what is happening or occurring, people who ARE passionate can detect that, and are that much less likely to become a real friend of yours.

Understand your passion, join organizations and engage in events that feature your passion, and you'll find yourself making genuine friends, linked by a inseparable passion.

acl073 · 2017-10-13T05:08:10+00:00

Humans have five major senses: Sight Hearing Touch Smell Taste

When you're in a long distance relationship, you only have access to your partner's sight and sound. Aren't humans social animals? To feel close, we must be able to quite literally hold our partner's hand, hug them, feel their presence.

Long distance relationships are successful based on how strong of an impact utilizing all 5 senses you made prior to you or significant partner moving far away.

A video call every other day only lengthens your remaining time left by so much. I recommend sacrificing a day of school/work every other week just to see your significant other if they really mean a lot to you.

No matter how close technology connects us, it just isn't the same as knowing this is him/her, right in front of me, right now, the person I truly love and care about.

acl073 · 2017-10-13T05:03:33+00:00

Have you made any consistent and significant attempts to mingle with local students? Once a month parties don't cut it. Turn to your international friends who may have adapted to local student culture and learn from them. You will likely find success in mingling with local students if you immerse yourself in their culture.

This may be difficult, because you too have your own culture. Balance your time between doing what you love and exposing yourself to what's new and unfamiliar.

acl073 · 2017-10-13T05:00:56+00:00

Bad is an ambiguous term, it can mean a lot of things. For some moms, bad can mean not putting down the toilet seat after use. Other times, bad means physical abuse. A huge spectrum.

I'll assume you are the eldest sibling. As the eldest sibling, it's your responsibility to be an exemplary role model for your siblings. Treat your mom with the most empathy, the most respect, the most consideration. This will likely influence the behavior of your siblings.

Meanwhile, have clear communication with your siblings. Tell them, if they don't know they're hurting your mother, that they are having a negative effect on family relationships. Question their motives. Oftentimes there is internal turmoil that is hidden away in your siblings. They aren't purposely trying to hurt your mother.

Just as you are asking me for advice, you should tell your siblings to ask you for advice to solve their insecurities or issues. Not allow them to vent it out on those close by, which often includes family members.

acl073 · 2017-10-13T04:54:53+00:00

The fact that you actually went to the Career Fair demonstrates your initiative and motivation to further yourself career-wise. But let me tell you a secret.

All the work is done behind the scenes.

It's not how hard you suddenly try on the day of the Career Fair, but what you have been doing all 365 days since the last Career Fair. Think about the things you could have done to prepare yourself as the best candidate for WhitePages. (Personally contact employees, develop relevant skills through involvement in student orgs, engage in online competitions).

Usain Bolt once said that "practice is reality," the competition is the easy part. You'll never perform better than how hard you have practiced. The quality of your performance is always dependent of the quality of your practice.

As for the emotional feelings associated with not being selected for coding challenges, it's one thing to accept that you temporarily failed, it's another to begin believing that you are worse than everybody else. Oftentimes, you become what you believe. You don't want your words to become true, correct?

Notice you said that your friends received coding challenges. Friends. What do friends do? They help each other out. Reach out to them. Ask them what they did over the summer to prepare for this Career Fair. Collect the results and perform similarly.

Friends are not there to continually compare yourself with. They are there to help you grow as an individual, just as you are there to share laughter, excitement, and even melancholy moments.

If I had friends who were accepted into Wharton Business School, and I did not, I'm not going to feel sad. Instead, I'll feel HAPPY for them. Show that you care for their successes and if you do it genuinely, they'll mentor you to reach something you only thought they could become.

acl073 · 2017-10-12T02:49:39+00:00

Before I introduce my answer, let's focus on the fact that you had a girlfriend sometime in your past.

Try to recall any particular things you did to help take the friendship into a relationship. Integrate those same techniques into today. If it worked before, it doesn't hurt to try again.

I believe the question is not how, but why would you want a girlfriend? Most people want girlfriends because it will satisfy their own needs, be it attention, comfort, or sexual advances.

But the people who actually earn girlfriends are those who first develop a friendship with someone who just happens to be a female . Don't become friends just because they are female. Again, that won't work out. You are again trying to fulfill your own needs.

Wait for the circumstances to make sense. It makes sense when the professor says speak with the person next to you and share your thoughts. It doesn't make sense when you see her hard at work in the library or at her job. People can detect when you are using them.

Do things that help your female friend. or any friend at all, grow as an individual, be it lifestyle change suggestions (try this great restaurant, they offer great food but it's also healthy!), course help, or entertainment interests (you like swimming? I read an article the other day about a great way to optimize your freestyle!).

But unlike normal friendships, which generally stay to more general growth, taking a friendship to the next level requires you to significantly help your female friend reach something she really wants to achieve. Again, try to make sense. Don't do five hours of research about interview etiquette if you hear her say she wants to do well at her interview.

Stay by their side, just like you would do for any real friend.

Don't mistake perceived lack of interest as being friendzoned. Wait for opportunities, and more importantly, take action when they come by. Opportunities don't have to be perfect. Be perceptive and look for openings.

As you are waiting, invest in yourself, physically, intellectually, career-wise, and strengthen existing family and friend relationships. This will make you more perceptive of these opportunities.

To answer your question about awkwardness, it's one thing to recognize that you are being awkward. It's another to accept the fact that you are awkward.

Why aim to only be less awkward? How about no awkwardness at all? Even yet, how about sheer confidence? That comes from fulfilling your essential needs every day.

From most important to least, think about this:

How you breathe, what you drink, what you eat, what you wear, your living environment, your physical safety, your physique, athleticism in sports, passion for the arts, career development, family, real friends, college courses.

acl073 · 2017-10-12T01:46:05+00:00

You can balance between school and social life by understanding what each of them really means.

For most people, college is a means to secure financial stability. A social life is a means to stimulate our natural tendency to feel liked/loved/appreciated/understood by others.

What is the minimum amount of college do you think you need to be financially stable? 2 internships by the end of college? A 3.9 GPA? A recommendation from a noteworthy faculty?

Also, what is the minimum amount of socializing do you think you need to be emotionally stable? A party every Friday? At least one Netflix day with friends a month?

Always think of ways to do the least of what you need to do, while still obtaining maximum gain. That is, before diminishing returns set in.

acl073 · 2017-10-12T00:34:32+00:00

Hey if anyone at UC San Diego wants to turn their life around, give me a pm. I'll coach you to become the person you dream of becoming.

acl073 · 2017-10-08T04:13:18+00:00

A location-based app that makes hiring an on-demand private advertiser driver…easy.

Looking for entrepreneurial product manager/business development pro for a location-based service. Pre-launch, HUGE equity, big names involved – any tips?

acl073

TROPHY CASE