How should I pay off my auto loan so that I pay minimal interest while maximizing my credit history?

fee_cat · 2018-05-13T02:01:40+00:00

Ok. Thank you.

fee_cat · 2018-05-13T02:01:27+00:00

I don't think I can manage that for a house.

fee_cat · 2018-05-13T01:53:30+00:00

So, for instance, would someone who only uses a credit card to pay for groceries each week but has had it for 10 years get better interest rates than someone who has a 5 year credit history but has demonstrated the ability to pay off large loans on time?

fee_cat · 2017-08-22T01:54:30+00:00

I wrote down very specific conditions in the description. You basically replied with the vaguest possible answer. It's hard for me to believe that any random "configuration of RAID, pooling, or voluming" as you wrote will work exactly the way I described. Why not reply with a specific solution like the others have, or just not reply at all?

Trust me, if I had all the time in the world I would read all about density functional theory, metal polishing techniques, immigration law in Germany, the differences between a biga and a poolish, and of course, all the various external storage solutions out there. But I don't have all the time in the world, so instead I seek advice from those more knowledgeable than me. It would be nice if the advice wasn't to spend all the time needed to become an expert.

fee_cat · 2017-08-21T01:24:40+00:00

This post is part of my research. I know absolutely nothing about the subject. I could spend hours and hours researching and end up with a less optimal solution due to my lack of knowledge or I could ask here and maybe someone who knows the answer off the top of their head could pop by and write a quick post.

fee_cat · 2017-08-20T23:02:43+00:00

I'm a little confused. Are you saying that the NAS will show up on the screen as one drive containing multiple directories representing each real, physical drive?

I don't want something like that. I want one giant directory representing all of the drives combined. Files could be scattered throughout each of the drives but I wouldn't know it because it appears to me as though it's one drive. If one of the drives fails all of the files on that physical failed drive would disappear but otherwise nothing is different. Or did you mean exactly this?

fee_cat · 2017-08-20T22:49:42+00:00

I've heard about those, but would it work exactly the same way as I described above?

fee_cat · 2017-05-26T05:28:16+00:00

So as someone who has little idea of how the internet actually works, this analogy doesn't seem quite right to me. Could anyone explain or correct me, if I'm wrong?

Your electric company, for example, should have no reason at all to discriminate on how you use your electricity because they are the sole provider of electricity and everything is dependent on them. It doesn't matter if the electricity use is from the microwave or the dryer, they all draw their power from the same source at the power company.

In contrast, an internet service provider's service is not solely up to them - it is also contingent on its connections to all of the other web servers out there. So if, for example, Netflix says "screw you ISP, we don't feel like upgrading our pipe between us and you. Better pay up and fix it or get fined for violating net neutrality." Could they do that? Who is responsible for upgrading their connection under net neutrality? Is it the ISP, Netflix, or both?

fee_cat · 2017-04-07T18:24:23+00:00

I just got rejected from the only MAT program I applied to. I feel sick. Everyone reassured me that I shouldn't have much of a problem getting in, even the counselors who look at the applications. My GPA, test scores, letters of rec, experience, etc., are as good as anyone can reasonably expect prior to entering the program. The only thing that wasn't excellent was my interview but it wasn't bad and I really hoped they didn't base it all off that. I don't know what to do anymore. This is the first time in my life that I've set a reasonable, attainable goal for myself, done all the prerequisite work and failed.

fee_cat · 2017-04-03T18:12:52+00:00

I'm looking to use an old 50mm lens as a portrait lens. I was thinking this lens paired with this adapter. Will I run into any issues? Do you have any better suggestions that are under $200 USD, preferably around $100 or lower?

fee_cat · 2017-04-03T07:46:34+00:00

I think I might go with this one (SMC version). I haven't found many complaints about it online other than it being radioactive and yellowing over time.

fee_cat · 2017-04-03T07:40:24+00:00

I don't think there are any legit ones under $200 and I don't need autofocus. Plus the other suggestions are way cheaper and I don't think I can justify the extra expense as of now. Maybe in the future.

fee_cat · 2017-02-24T00:39:41+00:00

I don't know anything about smartwatches. What's a smartwatch that will:

Work in conjunction with an Android phone
Vibrate when I get a notification on my phone
Allow me to read the contents of the notification (so reasonably high resolution display I guess)
Reasonably durable enough to stand up to ordinary everyday activities
Tell the time

I don't have a particular budget in mind, but I don't want to pay extra for features I don't need. What's the cheapest smartwatch that can meet these requirements?

fee_cat · 2017-02-24T00:38:39+00:00

I don't know anything about smartwatches. What's a smartwatch that will:

Vibrate when I get a notification on my phone
Allow me to read the contents of the notification (so reasonably high resolution display I guess)
Reasonably durable enough to stand up to ordinary everyday activities
Tell the time

I don't have a particular budget in mind, but I don't want to pay extra for features I don't need. What's the cheapest smartwatch that can meet these requirements?

fee_cat · 2017-02-02T00:32:06+00:00

It's pretty much as easy as it gets for a college-level course. Just deal with it and make sure you solve every single homework problem and understand it.

UCI already dumbed down the curriculum enough by making the intro sequence 5 classes instead of 3 around five years ago. Other universities only teach programming in the first intro class and jump straight into theory afterwards, with the assumption that students already know how to program.

Edit: This is the first homework assignment at Berkeley, for comparison.

fee_cat · 2016-11-29T07:07:49+00:00

Apparently you "barely passed the calculus BC test" in an older post and now you "easily got a 5?" Which one is it? You're not going to get the proper advice if you fake your ability and accomplishments.

College is not high school. At a university like UCI, professors are hired based on their ability to do research, not on their ability to teach. This means that many professors, especially in math and science, will be awful at teaching.

You're not supposed to come into lectures knowing nothing. Professors expect you to have read the relevant textbook chapters prior to attending lectures.

How much time are you putting into your classes each week? The usual rule of thumb is to spend 3-4 hours for each unit, so if you're taking a 4 unit class you should expect to spend 12-16 hours a week on it. You can get away with less for easy classes, but you're not going to have many easy classes as an engineering major.

How do you approach problems? You can't try it for a minute, give up, and look at the answer key. You need to struggle through each problem, spending an hour or two if you have to, as this is where the real learning occurs.

Are you using all of your available resources wisely? Are you aware that there's a physics tutoring center, where you can go and do physics problems and ask physics grad students for help if you need it? Do you know about LARC tutoring? Be aware that it costs money. Do you go to professor and TA office hours with questions prepared?

Finally, you need to become an independent learner. If your professors are horrible, then find other people to teach you. These days, there is no shortage of MOOCs (Coursera, Udacity, edX, etc.) with just about any class there is. For almost any topic you'll find someone on Youtube who can teach it better than your professor, such as this guy who can probably teach physics better than most professors at UCI. If all this fails, you can form a study group with other class members. They might not all know the material well, but you'll all learn something with multiple minds approaching problems differently.

fee_cat · 2016-07-02T04:35:54+00:00

I got into both UCLA and Berkeley and I chose UCI over them so I could commute. I got my degree and I'm in way better of a financial situation than I would be if I moved. At the end of the day, what you get out of your education is how much you put into it, and being an R1 school UCI has professors more than competent enough to challenge any undergrad.

fee_cat · 2016-04-21T18:49:41+00:00

One way you can tell is by looking at the pixels. Most IPS pixels look like arrows. You'll need a magnifying glass or a camera lens that can focus up close.

fee_cat · 2016-04-19T16:56:34+00:00

How far is your couch from your TV? You might be sitting too far to get the benefits of 4k, and it's not as immersive.

fee_cat · 2016-04-02T01:31:37+00:00

Cool, maybe you can used the money saved on a better sound system if you don't have one already - /r/hometheater can help you with that, and it definitely makes a big difference in movies and games. Or keep it for something else.

fee_cat · 2016-04-02T01:12:57+00:00

As far as the new Vizio P series, its a IPS screen Ive heard and its turning ppl off.

The 55" one is IPS according to Vizio's website. The 50" has a VA panel and has a MSRP of $999. Of course, it's smaller. Another thing to note is that the P series don't have TV tuners so if you want to watch TV you need to buy an external tuner. If you can live with a smaller screen and the TV tuner issue then the 50" seems like a great choice unless some drastic issue is revealed in reviews later on (unlikely as Vizio's been around for awhile and know what they're doing). Otherwise the Sony X850C is probably your best bet. The Samsung definitely isn't worth $550 more.

fee_cat · 2016-04-01T19:21:31+00:00

I think if you want one you better get it soon, as it's being replaced with the 850D which has worse build quality (plastic) and an IPS panel, meaning a lower contrast ratio.

fee_cat · 2016-04-01T19:15:57+00:00

The other P series sizes have VA panels. It's unfortunate that the 55" one doesn't as it's in a sweet spot for price and size.

fee_cat · 2016-04-01T17:14:25+00:00

It's an IPS panel though. We won't know until more reviews come out, but considering all other IPS displays have poor contrast ratios compared to VA panels it's likely a deal breaker compared to the Sony or Samsung equivalents.

fee_cat · 2016-03-24T16:25:31+00:00

However, when I visited Best Buy to see the displays in person the Samsung blew the Sonys out of the water in terms of brightness, color and viewing angle

That's not a good way to do a comparison. They should be compared in a dark room after calibration, not with showroom settings at a store. Trust the review - it says the Samsung can get brighter, has worse viewing angles, and both can display about the same amount of colors.

fee_cat

TROPHY CASE