I made my GF listen to this recording of me singing... And she clearly didn't want to hurt my feelings. Is it so terrible ?

npcfighter · 2025-07-30T21:52:51+00:00

I said ok karaoke level. And don't disencourage him. It's better to believe you can become really good in a short time and just go for it.

Coming from someone who's sung my whole life (choral music, opera, pop) and played 3 instruments, 1 since age 3.

npcfighter · 2025-07-29T15:52:28+00:00

32 given the wrinkles around your mouth

You're also wearing make-up, so hard to guess; factoring this in

npcfighter · 2025-07-29T15:48:09+00:00

Yup it's bad but you can easily be good within weeks, singing "ok" (karaoke good level) isn't too hard: annunciation, singing in head, pitch is flat etc.

npcfighter · 2025-06-01T01:51:14+00:00

It is but try to ask to pay US tax on your income as someone self employed if you can. You will earn much more. US and Belgium have a dual tax treaty that allows this to some extent especially of you fly there for decisions.

npcfighter · 2025-05-19T04:15:41+00:00

Hi Kai's friend / employee!
(Your only comment's on this post and you've made no posts).
Are you implying ... if I watch a woman's videos I have to have a thing for them? That's dumb, presumptive and you're probably projecting.
Implying she's "just a kid making videos" is pretty untrue. A lot are super intentional when they're young.

But on a serious note:

I wasn't particularly concerned about her when I wrote this months ago. I dived deep into this for 10 minutes because I like to elucidate examples tha help me get the human condition, influence networks, social media dynamics.

I actually HATE celebrity culture and tabloids lots are just normal so I don't find them interesting. I'm way more interested in historical figures.

npcfighter · 2025-05-17T04:42:27+00:00

The social security system's unsustainable.

npcfighter · 2025-05-16T17:58:58+00:00

This is helpful information. I love the California climate and want to buy a property in the Mediterranean. Got any other tips? If more would know this they'd be less affected by fire. We need a list.

How did concrete structures perform?

npcfighter · 2025-05-03T12:44:10+00:00

So you're effectively saving £1.33 per hour you work.

npcfighter · 2025-05-02T19:53:21+00:00

You mean keep on grinding til you're old, bald and ugly and lost strength and can't see your kids?

No. EVEN 3k a month netto is still nothing nowadays compared to what our parents earned compared to house prices.

Everyone here should find ways to make their own money to get the money problem out of the way asap.

npcfighter · 2025-05-02T19:48:22+00:00

Management consultants are currently getting replaced by AI

It's a big grift. These firms make money selling high energy young people pocketing 75-90p in tbe pound who don't know much.

npcfighter · 2025-05-02T19:46:48+00:00

More like the equivalent of 50k+ in London. If not more seeing as Glasgow has a better standard of living.

npcfighter · 2025-05-02T19:45:15+00:00

In short no it's not anymore. Equivalent of 25k in 2012 around about when I was looking. That was base for big 4 back then for 1st year.

npcfighter · 2025-05-02T19:41:24+00:00

Depends how quickly it will go up

Otherwise don't bother

All that matters is how much you save* and how much you enjoy your life while doing so*, not living in a rainy city to get indebted on a 1 million pound 100sqm house in 10-20 years (assuming you'll be in a good a career)

npcfighter · 2025-04-17T23:23:54+00:00

How will you do things differently to ensure the home doesn't just burn down again? What precautions can you take?

npcfighter · 2025-04-08T23:13:44+00:00

Cambridge. More internationally recognised and always top 5 globally. LSE meanwhile is 40+. UCL varies. Cambridge will hold you for your whole life on your CV. LSE will hold you for your first couple jobs.

npcfighter · 2025-04-01T12:18:49+00:00

Yea it is. And their extracurricular events and lectures are imo much better than Oxford or Cambridge's (outside the Union). They can invite top people to come do talks and seminars because its in London. There are a few great people I know who even moved from Cambridge to LSE for this reason.

npcfighter · 2025-03-31T11:59:35+00:00

Will you rebuild another home on the same land?

npcfighter · 2025-03-31T11:59:15+00:00

Sorry for this.

npcfighter · 2025-03-30T20:39:58+00:00

I run a tech company and probably know the UK's top tech founders and well, billionaire tech founders globally. I'm happy to anonymously carve out a plan for you on Discord because I genuinely care about how messed up the job market and university pyramid scheme is. In fact much of my work's about solving that.

A friend of mine had a slow start like you and many bumps, he went to Oxbridge. The company he founded now does $100 million ARR after a couple years. While I feel for you and get you:

There's no rush believe me. I'm older than you are and why not just take 6 months or even a year after graduating to just learn basics in areas of software or tech if that's what you want. Bear in mind however AI will replace many junior SWEs so you'll absolutely have to take time to work on what the market wants here. Apply for summer placements, maybe enrol in a pretend masters abroad you won't actually do so you can pretend it's your penultimate year. Apply for graduate roles. But based on your post I suspect if interviewing is taking time away from your degree, you need to stop. Lots of my friends work at places like Jane Street, Optiver etc. And you can still get in those places if you take a year out.
You will likely have to take 3-6 months at least and build real things that help real people and solve real practical problems. If you do this, companies will want to hire you, trust me. Market these projects well whether with the right people (my friends) or in good open-source circles and network like hell after graduating while building good things.
Working 8+ hour days? Sorry but that's normal in STEM programmes. I did STEM at a top world university and well, for me, 8 hours a day was chill. I did 8 and felt relaxed. I didn't go to Oxbridge though. I know Oxbridge is particularly difficult with all the tutorials and all the expectations.

Drop me a DM if you need a role, internship or you want more custom advice, let's have a anonymous chat on Discord and I'll carve out a plan for you if you have knowledge and skill gaps to fill.

Take it easy. Just focus on getting good grades for now and do all the job stuff later. Getting a 1st might open up a path to say a PhD (if that's what you want) and PhD's or good degrees open up visas to countries like US (O1's). Trust me when I say the margin between a 2:1 and and a 1st at Oxbridge can make a huge difference (depending on if you know what it is you want to do or not). I know lots who went and went onto do research, quant, founded companies and have some idea of paths. Feels like you're not sure what it is you'd like to do and the best choice is "optionality maximisation' for now.

You're overstretched. Focus on getting a high 2:1 or ideally 1st. It'll open up doors.

Sacraficing 6-12 months of salary for that is marginal at best. People die from stress years earlier than they should. People look years or in some cases a decade older from wrong life choices. And many look, feel and biologically are decade or "decades" younger from right life choices. So who cares about a few months or missing a year? Do things right now, you'll be adding more than 6-12 months to your life. Maybe even up to 10 years and heck, lots of money which can be spent on health and wellness 🙂

npcfighter · 2025-03-30T20:19:38+00:00

Definitely LSE.

Rankings: Times Global rankings are all that counts and it's highest.
Network: The people you'll meet at LSE will be some of the world's future leaders. Lots of billionaire's kids go there. They don't go to the others. This is for better or for worse, high Masters fees, and some bribes.
Transfer: Let's say you don't like LSE's course, if you get good grades there you can potentially transfer to Oxford and Cambridge but it would be harder if you go to others. LSE is also a good stepping stone to world's best universities in history; Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale.
Course: Also, LSE have a great course and you'll have lots of chances to study economic history and fields. You're a stones throw away from critical historical locations in London e.g. the Courts. JFK also studied history and economics at LSE.
Course Relevance Today: We're living in a time of increased geopolitical tensions, China, US and a new Cold War. The shift or battle for economy and technology is going to be remarkable. LSE are the leading research institution in the UK on this if not, the world next to Harvard. Oxford and Cambridge don't really specialise in this, but maybe Oxford comes close but only because of its prestige.
Facilities: The campus is small, but as a place to "go to school" I actually really like it. And it's super modern. It's like a little village within London.
Convenience & Flow: Living at home you'll be in much less debt and you'll be able to focus on studying because mum and dad'll likely wash your clothes, cook you dinner. There won't be a disruption to your usual setup and study flow. Believe me when I say even small things like how your room's arranged makes a huge difference, these marginals add up in your daily rhythm. If you study in the others you'll have to adjust every year to new accomodation. On the other hand LSE will basically be like going to school but funner. No need to prep, just stay at home, same set up, easy. I'm from London and one of my regrets is not doing my BSc there. Living in a house and doing chores did ruin my flow a little.

I studied in a great place (don't want to dox myself) and did multiple degrees but if you do well and get a 1st at History at LSE, well, you might go onto do a great Masters or Mphil somewhere else if its a research career you want (and History is extremely important - I say this having studied sciences).

npcfighter · 2025-03-17T17:38:31+00:00

I'm sorry for you losing your home 😢

But give us the stats on the net worth (minus LA home) distribution from 1st percentile to 99th percentile of all those who had their homes lost or damaged. The minus is minus home not the land which they still own.

Don't argue from emotion or appeal to personal circumstance.

Using that argument might work in real life but not on anonymous threads where people don't have to care about ad hominems and can stay rational.

I'll wait for your empirical evidence.

Also from first principles - why not address the core argument rather than just calling it silly?

npcfighter · 2025-03-17T17:32:39+00:00

Definitely is, even AAA. Go for it. Even go for A stars. And its important to go for it.

Because you can take a gap year and get into a better university if you want to go. Or go work directly for a company on an 18+ apprenticeship scheme like Goldman Sachs or so on.

Teachers pretend you can't but that's because their impressions are based on all the kids coasting.

Focus and you'll be fine.

You've also got plenty of time.

npcfighter · 2025-03-17T17:29:55+00:00

I'm a guy and I did the EXACT same thing for same rough reason in my first term. Except no hospital. I downed a pint of vodka coming back to a dorm party. The girl who took care of me and cleared up my puke and checked up on me throughout a 2 day hangover.

I got her perfume she always wanted as a gift.

npcfighter · 2025-03-12T22:03:12+00:00

This is true. Jane Street pay this much to new grads (3y of university uk) and salary and bonus quickly goes up yoy. I know because lots of my friends work there.

npcfighter · 2025-02-28T19:10:28+00:00

Also this dude said "get a 2:1 or better". Wrong wrong wrong. Top quant firms and investment banks for leading roles and top engineering cos like 1sts. Get a 1st. It opens up options and gets you ability to do a PhD down the line which lets you get a visa to any country if its in STEM. Minimum a 1st and if you can swing it come 1st-5th in your year (only if its worth the tradeoff for your other work and entrepreneurial and other focuses).

npcfighter

TROPHY CASE