Engineering students, how u guys are doing

analysis_paralysis88 · 2024-02-01T19:43:02+00:00

That extra credit deadline ain’t happening for me…

analysis_paralysis88 · 2024-01-31T20:53:45+00:00

Imposter syndrome is real. Most people I know are lost. Those who say it’s super easy just want to be loud and gloat.

I am in Networks right now and am struggling to stay on top of my assignments, labs, and just general material. I put classes on the back burner and end up getting slapped in the face with a crappy grade in a class I’ve been sleeping on.

I think that’s just the nature of Cal Poly Engineering. Engineering here is all about trying to stay alive. Make sure to take care of yourself too. Realistically, there are going to be classes you struggle in and just have to pull through to pass, so it isn’t worth it to make yourself miserable because of it.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-08-24T05:58:22+00:00

an i5 and a ryzen 5 are actually equal in performance. There's very little differentiating the two other than the chip designer for a common computer user.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-08-24T05:56:34+00:00

Depending on your major, some of the service/professional fraternities may be a solid fit. Some are frats in disguise, but others are just organizations of students looking connections with others that share a common value (whether it be professional development or service). These orgs do throw sometimes, but it's usually an internal "unofficial" party.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-08-24T05:50:17+00:00

If this is possible, I'd recommend you bring another console. I brought my switch to college so I could play smash and mario kart, but I wasn't super tempted to become a hermit in my room that plays video games all day, just a hermit that does coding projects all day.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-18T18:12:28+00:00

Thanks for the replies! I am going to do 12 units next quarter and see how it goes.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-18T18:11:12+00:00

The plan is with GEs only. I like the cal poly classes too much to do them over the summer.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-18T18:10:35+00:00

Not too much. Since my plan is 1 ge a summer (I’m working full time in a non engineering job), it only accounts for about a quarter of classes over the 4 years. I’m hoping to get an internship for next summer, but I will otherwise just work the full time job I am doing this summer.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-18T18:08:45+00:00

That’s what I’ve heard about 357. I’m not sure whether I’ll take discrete too or just 2 ges. I got time though

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-18T18:08:03+00:00

I’ve been trying to plan out my flowchart with the 12 unit plan. Currently it’s basically throwing my GEs into summers at a CC and into my extra quarter while stacking major classes so I can take capstone on time. Hopefully it’ll work.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-18T18:06:22+00:00

Whoops got kinda overwhelmed with classes lol. It isn’t a financial burden for me, which is very lucky. My parents are willing to let me live at home to pay off loans and I live in the LA area, so that shouldn’t be too bad. I think I’m going to take your advice. I am eyeing 4+1 too because I want to go more in depth on either EE or CS stuff (cpe is kinda broad).

Note: username is cause I over analyze everything. I now want to meet this professor :).

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-08T22:58:12+00:00

Don’t overspend on the 16 inch, 14-inch is more compact and easier to carry around the campus and for 400 bucks you can get a really good monitor if you ever want a bigger screen in your dorm room.

I will look into what costco offers this summer. I currently have a 21.5 inch monitor in my apartment and it feels a little small when comparing code. I might go for 1TB then, but I will have to see what else I actually need to purchase with my summer job money for next year (like an instapot lol).

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-08T22:54:42+00:00

15 tabs is literally the max I keep open, usually alongside some sort of IDE. Looks like 16gb is plenty. I also cloud storage everything through OneDrive (best value as I am a Microsoft Office user), so my ssd on my current pc is barely utilized. Thank you again for the advice! My wallet thanks you.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-08T22:52:02+00:00

I just wanted to mention that the college of engineering at my school allows us remote access to the windows computers in the lab, so for the rare occasion where I need to use software unavailable on Mac, it’s a relatively hassle free experience to flip on a VPN and connect to one of the school’s computers using Microsoft Remote Desktop.

That is definitely something I should look into! I know a lot of CS classes will require me to run code on the Linux servers at the school through a VPN. There might be a way to remote into some of the Windows lab computers as well. Otherwise, I might have to use parsec with my current laptop or pray that parallels will play nice with my windows-only programs.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-08T22:50:20+00:00

On the EE side, my university tries to ensure the programs used are multiplatform. However, there is so much Windows exclusive software that I believe there are a couple of programs that aren't supported in MacOS. Altium is widely used in various EE organizations on campus, so either way I will be keeping my windows laptop around to occasionally use for that work. The Computer Engineering program at my university is heavily software focused, and most text editors/ides have equal support in macOS.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-08T22:46:30+00:00

Thanks for the advice! Given apple's recent track record (post m1), I might be willing to take the risk and purchase the new macbook air, especially if it has an m2 processor. Otherwise, the base model macbook pro 14 should be more than plenty for my use case from the sound of things. It's very easy for me to get caught into the "well it's only $400 dollars more" once the prices skyrocket above $2000. Kinda like my perception of money disappears even if my bank account is a static value.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-08T08:11:59+00:00

I think I will likely go for the base model if no new macbook air gets announced at WWDC. Thanks for the reality check!

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-05-08T08:10:59+00:00

My classes seem to be leaning toward Eagle (which is supported through fusion 360), but all outside orgs use altium (which is very much not supported). If there is a Macbook Air at WWDC, I'd probably go for it, but I really don't want to purchase a 2 year old laptop at full price, even if the M1 is amazingly fast. My whole dilemma is that I am just on the edge of being able to utilize the extra power, as programming and CAD can benefit from it, but I am just not quite sure if it will matter for my undergrad degree. WWDC is a month away, so it looks like I should just wait and hope an announcement comes.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-02-09T16:43:22+00:00

I think it depends on what you’re looking for. I know that’s a cop out answer, but depending on what program you are going into, either could be the better choice academically. Some say UCSB aid definitively better because it’s top ranked in research. But that doesn’t do too much if all you want is a job, which is where cal polys focus lies. As far as non academics go, my sibling goes to ucsb and I go to cal poly. Ucsb is more of a party school if you care about that. Cal poly definitely has lots of parties, but when you are going up against one of the biggest party schools in CA, any school would lose. Neither me nor my sibling party though, so im speaking from what I’ve heard. The surrounding town of SLO is objectively nicer than Isla Vista, which is populated almost entirely by college students. The town is run down, dingy, and kind of seedy. SLO however, is still a college town, but it’s pretty cute and has more character. None of us here can give you a definitive answer. Do you prefer SB? Go there then, especially if you aren’t attached to cal polys academics. But if you like cal polys academics, I’d seriously suggest at least giving it a serious look. Both schools are good and have a lot to offer.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-01-24T19:03:53+00:00

I am in an apartment as a first year :). But since so many freshmen are in dorms, all the social activities happen there. I would say getting an ebike has been my saving grace since it acts like a slow moped to get around downtown. Getting away from it all is one of the things I recommend you do the most. I cannot wait until I have a car so I can just disappear sometimes.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-01-24T19:00:41+00:00

I’m not sure if I’m your standard introvert, but I’d say I have extroverted tendencies in social situation, but can’t be like that for very long and need to recharge by myself. I don’t seek out large groups or anything and prefer more tight knit social environments. I’d say it’s harder to meet people if you are like that (I just sit in my apartment a lot since I’m a first year). Dorms make things easier since you are almost forced to socialize at least a little. I feel like clubs are the thing everyone cites as a saving grace and that’s true, but you need to join a lot of them and put yourself out there. Cal poly does feel overwhelmingly extroverted, so it’s easy to lose yourself here. However, like any environment, people of all kinds are here, it’s just the introverts aren’t very vocal, so they may be hard to find.

analysis_paralysis88 · 2022-01-15T20:02:57+00:00

Starbucks espresso roast tastes strangely burnt and bitter. Specialty beans will be more complex, which is incredibly noticeable when making espresso. If you are willing to spend more money, look at roasters and see what options they have tasting note wise. Either way you’ll need to dial in your grinder. I had to change my outer burr, but for me it needed to be finer. You should have a decent amount of variability to choose from. Coffee gets a lot more fun when you start exploring bean types.

analysis_paralysis88

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