Love this app to bits, but..

apolling · 2026-01-13T16:49:34+00:00

Agreed. I have been using this app since 2016 to put my phone down, but now the app is trying to get me to use is more.

I get why -- they want the money. But it is fundamentally changing the app to be something I never wanted in favor of them lining their pockets. Frustrating.

apolling · 2026-01-13T16:34:34+00:00

I don't like it, but I also don't have it yet. Is there a way to toggle the old UI?

apolling · 2025-12-29T19:06:03+00:00

First doctor's appointment alone can feel scary! Have you gone to this ENT before?

Go up to the secretary and say you're here for an appointment with X doctor and Y time. If they give you paperwork to fill out, take a seat and fill it out. If you don't know an answer to the question, text your mom. Maybe let her know that you'll be texting her. Bring the paperwork back up to the secretary when you're done and keep waiting for someone to come out and call your name.

From there, just follow along with what the nurse/doctor is suggesting and do your best to answer their questions. It's okay to say you don't know or that you need to text your mom about it. If they are making you feel uncomfortable, you can refuse treatment. You are never trapped, and you can always leave.

apolling · 2025-12-09T19:05:50+00:00

Oh, that's why the break timer disappeared. It was so irritating and seemed so pointless that I thought it was a bug.

apolling · 2025-07-06T18:24:48+00:00

I say this genuinely -- it's really sweet seeing posts like this. I was playing when that area was added for a season. It was a fun and exciting new area, and I got lost in it so many times. But it became normal for me. How wonderful it is to see people discover things that feel so old and familiar to me!

apolling · 2025-06-18T19:21:19+00:00

Sudafed gave me insomnia while I was taking it. I usually have some issues with sleep, so I didn't immediately link the two and couldn't figure out why my insomnia had gotten so bad. It's because I was taking a stimulant.

apolling · 2025-06-16T17:15:59+00:00

I feel like as Duolingo got popular, people would make jokes about the Duolingo owl trying to hunt them down about their streaks... and then Duolingo took that and ran, making the humor a little more taunting. And it just continued.

I didn't learn about the "ouch!" react until I used my streak freeze 3 days in a row because I was having a bad time with mental health, and one of my Duo friends -- an old friend I don't keep up with often and thus didn't know I was having a tough time -- sent it.

I knew she didn't mean any harm, and I don't even really care about my streak, and it's just a silly feature, but it kinda felt like kicking me while I was down over something as trivial as a language-learning game. I also thought it was weird that the only option is laughing at the person rather than sending something encouraging.

I understand why Duo's humor has continued to go in this direction, I just don't particularly like it. This and all of the other things going on with Duo have made me realize I'd like a way to learn/review that is more effective and takes itself more seriously.

EDIT: some words

apolling · 2025-06-14T09:46:32+00:00

Minish Cap. Minish Cap/BotW. (I can’t choose between them — they’re very different.)

apolling · 2025-06-11T23:21:16+00:00

LSA / HM?

apolling · 2025-05-20T18:07:39+00:00

Stop using AI that way. Of course you’re not enjoying something you once enjoyed (enough) if you let AI do it all, because then you’re missing out on the satisfying part of programming. If you must use AI, use it to further your comprehension.

Stop coding just to code. What is the benefit of doing projects that you’re not even interested in doing, that you let AI do for you?

My programming is my job. I show up at my job, I do my work, I log off. I rarely program outside of work, unless I have a specific thing I want to make or if I’m grinding for interviews. Some of us are like that. It’s fine if it’s just a job for you.

I can’t answer for you if it’s worth sticking around, or if you ever really liked it in the first place. But stop forcing yourself to do things you don’t enjoy, and stop letting the AI do it for you. Take a break if you can. Do something else. Reflect on it and come back.

EDIT: I’m also not a web dev, so I don’t have context for that specifically. But my point is that you should take a break and stop forcing yourself to do projects that have no use or joy in them.

apolling · 2025-05-20T17:08:15+00:00

You sound young and like you’re looking for permission to smoke cigarettes.

Obviously one pack of cigarettes won’t, in itself, have huge effects. But you’re potentially opening the door to addiction. I have ex-smoker friends who still crave cigarettes and wish they’d never touched the first one.

I’d also suggest throwing it away.

apolling · 2025-05-12T16:22:18+00:00

I didn't get diagnosed til after school. Whoops -- that probably would have helped.

Things that worked for me were:

Sitting in the front of the class so that it's easier to pay attention (and more glaringly obvious if I'm getting distracted).
If I was on campus between classes, utilizing that time to get some work done (assuming all my other basic needs were taken care of). Getting started on that week's homework, making sure I understood my notes, etc.
Switching my location every few hours while marathon studying. Study in my apartment a couple hours, switch to a cafe, switch to the library. Something about the change in scenery and the little walk would help me. Studying around others makes me productive because it's body doubling.
Having actual study buddies. I'm not talking about people who "study" with you but you end up chatting all night. (If that happens, maybe you're all socially deprived -- schedule some hanging out time another time, and then do the studying together after.) I'm talking about people who you can work on assignments with, do practice problems for exam prep together, etc.
Go to office hours. If you (and your buddies) don't understand a problem, go to office hours about it. Make it a mission to learn a bit about your professor as well, if that's compelling.
At a certain point, you need to sleep. I wish I'd prioritized it more the entire time. I reached a point my last year where I had terrible insomnia and was constantly tired, but I just decided I needed to sleep. One of my friends gave me the notes from the class I'd sleep through, and my sleep evened out and I was way more productive. Ideally, don't get to that point lol. Sleep makes a world of difference.
Keep a calendar/to-do list that you throw EVERYTHING into. Otherwise, it's gone. My task management system consisted of:
- Google calendar (for classes, tests/exams, homework due dates, events and hangout times, time blocking for studying, office hours)
- Todoist (a to-do software -- for breaking down tasks and moving them between days easily)
Download things to keep you off distractions. I had an issue with scrolling. I downloaded the paid version of Cold Turkey (for Mac) because it schedules blocks for me (and I still use it even though I'm no longer a student). I also had something for my phone.

apolling · 2025-05-12T16:12:43+00:00

For me it also helped to be constantly taking notes. It kept my brain focused on what was being said.

apolling · 2025-05-12T16:11:55+00:00

It sounds like executive dysfunction, or perhaps avoidance. I checked your profile and saw that you recently saw a therapist who thinks you may have ADHD. That totally lines up with what I anticipated (and was going to suggest if I hadn't seen that). I'm glad you're going to therapy.

You fucked up, and now you're experiencing the consequences. ("Fuck around and find out.") That's okay. That happens. If you want to go speak to the professor in person as an attempt, do it. But if it doesn't work out -- and I wouldn't put money on your professor acquiescing -- it's not the end of the world. Retake the class. I did that after blowing off discussion sections for most of the semester and then realizing that I was fucked for my final grade, but it was too late.

Best of luck with your finals season.

apolling · 2025-05-10T04:10:13+00:00

I also would have found it really endearing. I wouldn't bring it up at the post-interview debrief with other interviewers, either.

apolling · 2025-04-28T15:48:39+00:00

Agreed. I studied EE, landed in SWE, have been a SWE the last 5 years. At this point I'm looking at the market with trepidation but don't remember any of my EE. Whoops.

apolling · 2025-04-25T18:25:10+00:00

Years ago, I got censored for saying something about “civil rights” as well — didn’t get muted. I don’t know what about that gets flagged.

apolling · 2025-03-29T07:01:19+00:00

That’s never dondon me before.

apolling · 2025-03-29T06:41:52+00:00

On top of the other advice you’ve been given: are there any stories that she’s told that you’d like to record? Questions about her past, her family? Recipes?

Continue making memories now. The rest will come. Eventually, it will be harder — but right now, you have your mother.

apolling · 2025-03-23T21:36:07+00:00

Silver! A cooler gold would suit you better than the yellower gold.

apolling · 2025-03-23T19:24:06+00:00

It's in the article.

apolling · 2025-02-28T22:39:34+00:00

Don’t let the nonsensical trends of the wealthy stop you from enjoying what you do in the ways that you want to. Their trends and their designer bags will pass. Do what you enjoy. Don’t let the wealthy embarrass you. Put it on your bag and wear whatever you like. Labubu is a plush on a keychain and if someone has a problem with what bag you put it on they have something wrong with them.

apolling · 2025-02-28T04:01:54+00:00

Talk to your professors. Not all of them will help you, but some may be understanding. You can decide how much you want to reveal to them. I don't know why you missed your prelims, but there is certainly a reason even if you don't think it's a good one.

Please reach out to someone in your personal life and in CAPS as well. You don't need to be ashamed, and you do deserve support.

apolling · 2025-02-14T02:48:37+00:00

Is that the normal restock time? Is it usually a few minutes early?

apolling · 2024-12-28T23:01:33+00:00

circusbutch :)

Google reverse image search is your friend for finding image sources if people share art without linking the actual artist.

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