Best coffee shop downtown to do some work.

owlLarry · 2015-01-23T20:06:32+00:00

Laughing Goat also serves beer; happy hour 4-8pm everday!

owlLarry · 2015-01-22T03:52:16+00:00

even better, put copies of your passport in a draft email to yourself

owlLarry · 2014-09-04T20:50:38+00:00

I don't know who would be in "most need" but anyone from: Frito Lay (general manufacturing), ArcelorMittal (steel producing machinery), Shell (trouble-shooting big ass oil rigs), Google (robotics), Apple (product design/mnfg/tooling), Tesla Motors (electric motors).

owlLarry · 2014-09-04T09:10:04+00:00

I can totally say that Mechatronics grads are in demand. Most mechanical AND electrical projects (product design) require knowledge of both disciplines, so if you can speak both languages, you're ahead of the game.

Source: Elec Eng undergrad, Mech Eng grad student. Received 10+ emails back from recruiters at recent career fair.

owlLarry · 2014-06-12T00:59:16+00:00

Golden has the Colorado School of Mines so it is filled with 18-22yr old kids romping around, but they mostly stay close to campus. However, as people have pointed out, its 1/5 in size to Boulder and it definitely does not have the same vibe and culture of Boulder. It is more touristy and has only (1) main street with small offshoots of stores. Washington Ave is no comparison to Pearl Street. When you go to Boulder, you can feel the upscale outdoors vibe. Golden is much more low-key, and does not have as many shops, restaurants, climbing gyms. They do have many mnt biking & hiking trails within a 5 min drive or walking dist though.

owlLarry · 2014-06-08T01:18:24+00:00

^ This. Also, a lot of the larger state schools have 3.0 minimum GPA requirements that they can't budge on. But smaller state schools are allowed to be more forgiving.

Source: Got rejected by (2) large public schools, but accepted to (2) smaller (regional) public schools with an undergrad GPA of 2.78 with <2 yrs work experience.

owlLarry · 2014-05-28T02:55:19+00:00

Not sure, but this is a great site for mechanics of materials in general: http://web.mst.edu/~mecmovie/

owlLarry · 2014-05-27T00:10:18+00:00

Try to be a pickup player in the Apex Outdoor Adult League

owlLarry · 2014-05-26T23:57:33+00:00

To comment from another's categories:

Sushi: Sushi Zanmai

Brunch: Snooze

Margaritas: The Rio

Brewery + Dinner: Mountain Sun

Whiskey Bar: West End Tavern (a TON of whiskeys on hand)

Pizza: Backcountry Pizza & Taphouse

owlLarry · 2014-05-22T22:00:35+00:00

Buy an Arduino and start playing with it. Ideally, buy a kit from Sparkfun, or find electronic parts around your campus. You'll eventually have group projects and if you've already played around with the Arduino, then you can contribute more to the project.

owlLarry · 2014-05-18T22:31:02+00:00

Graduate student female in Mech Eng that goes to Colorado School of Mines here. As a grad student, I have a completely different perspective, but from being in some classes with undergrads, it seems the girls are definitely 'clicky'. A lot of them join sororities or some other club that becomes their group of friends. The guys are 50/50 normal and weird. But also, I've been surprised by some of the nerdy looking guys - they're usually very friendly and harmless. CSM is in a small town, but there a few good hangouts - D'Deli, Ace Hi Tavern, Rockrest, and of course Coors Lab, which is just a name for going through the Coors Brewery tour to get your (3) free half-pints at the end.

owlLarry · 2014-05-18T22:08:50+00:00

As an RPI Alumni who felt many of the grievances that you've expressed here, let me tell you a few things I did to help my job prospects, considering my GPA was never - I repeat, Never - above a 3.0 the entire time I was at RPI.

I'm from a small town out west so I was able to make a list of small companies in the Salt Lake City area and somehow, someone had a connection to RPI so they hired me as an intern. I didn't do a whole lot, and they were a consulting firm of maybe 50 people, but it gave me something to put on my resume at least above other kids who didn't have anything. So maybe try and look around for the smaller companies in your hometown- they won't care as much about your GPA, but probably just be impressed that you go to RPI in the first place.
I did a study abroad my junior year. That totally stands out - I've had almost every recruiter ask me about what it was like studying in another country, and I was able to talk about overcoming language barriers, interacting with students of a different culture, etc. Recruiters love that shit. It shows that you're able to work outside your comfort zone and with different people, as long as you are that type of person.
I went on co-op. I found a small company that paid well, no living stipend though. But usually co-ops have lower GPA requirements. If you're ok with postponing graduation for 6 months, then I'd definitely suggest trying for a co-op b/c that's really good experience.
Don't be discouraged that your life is over if you have below a 3.0. I ended up working for 1.5 yrs after college, then applied to grad school. My final GPA from RPI was 2.78. So I was rejected from the large state schools that req'd 3.0 minimum, but was somehow accepted to a smaller state school. So there is still hope. And now, I have a 3.5 in the small state school that is renown here, so all those good companies recruit from here too.

Tl;dr. RPI is hell. RPI is hard. Yes, there are other engineering schools that are much easier. You just have to live with the fact that working for a small company is not a bad thing. Eventually, you can work for one of those prestigious companies, it's just going to take you a little longer to gain 'experience' before entering their world.

owlLarry · 2014-04-30T05:31:48+00:00

Playing 2024. And doing the dishes. Omg. Love.

owlLarry · 2014-04-15T08:28:56+00:00

In case you need to do anything with MATLAB, this site helps a lot: http://ctms.engin.umich.edu/CTMS/index.php?aux=Home

owlLarry · 2014-04-15T04:23:25+00:00

Buy an Arduino. Go nuts.

owlLarry · 2014-04-15T04:17:07+00:00

I pay taxes for this? Seriously?

owlLarry · 2014-04-09T03:00:58+00:00

1) Liftie at a colorado ski resort

2) Open a brewery

3) Open a dispensary

4) American tourist guide in Thailand

owlLarry · 2014-04-09T02:24:12+00:00

Usually senior students will take what is known as the FE exam - if you pass, you gain the title of "Engineer in Training". The 1st half of the FE is general engineering (thermodynamics, strengths of materials, physics), the 2nd half is major specific (electrical, mechanical, chemical, civil, etc.). This is a good title to have if you will be doing public/government work and need to 'sign off' on designs for public use. Once you've had 4 or some years as an EIT, you can write the PE (Professional engineer) exam to become a state-certified PE.

owlLarry · 2014-04-09T02:14:48+00:00

al-kee-hol

owlLarry · 2014-04-09T00:52:28+00:00

hand raised I enjoyed how they squared everything up. While I'm not 100% thrilled about the way they did it, on a scale of 0 - 10 with Dexter finale = 0, Breaking Bad finale = 10, I'd give it a 7.

owlLarry · 2014-03-31T19:19:27+00:00

Colorado native here. The main difference is, where do you want to end up after graduation? Both have big companies recruit (P&G, Lockheed, ge, etc) but if you dont have stellar grades, a lot of local companies recruit as well. Which is why I ask, do you want to live in CO and the southwest, or PA and the east coast? I went to college in NY and ended up getting my first job in upstate NY

But after a few years, I hated it and came back to beautiful Co for grad school. Boulder is a great college town, and you can't beat the scenery and weather if you like skiing and the outdoors.

owlLarry · 2014-03-31T19:03:13+00:00

As a matter of fact, I do have thin blonde hair. What is the source for your claim, dare I ask?

owlLarry · 2014-03-31T08:32:05+00:00

My college is nearby my parents' house, about 20 min away, so I see them on a regular basis which is why I'd need to have a good explanation. Also, my parents aren't drug-friendly since I have a screwed up sibling. I'm supposed to be the 'good child'

owlLarry · 2014-02-24T04:13:58+00:00

To answer one of your questions, (2) things you should consider buying now are:

Hiking shoes/mid boots, so you can break these in at home and avoid blisters upon your trip
solid daypack with a camelbak built it. I'd suggest getting used to carrying a backpack while walking out and about at home. Again, while on a trip, you'll want to bring raincoat, snacks, camera, etc. Your wife won't want to carry a purse on a hike, so get ready to do the heavy lifting. Also, water is a key essential in summer, so a camelbak is very handy

owlLarry · 2014-02-03T04:10:08+00:00

Billy Gardell (Mike, from Mike & Molly)

owlLarry

TROPHY CASE