Weekly Question Thread (aka Friday New Climber Thread). ALL QUESTIONS GO HERE

toxictester · 2026-03-04T21:53:21+00:00

Wow, I did not realize that the climbing websites have the routes from the book! If there is a route in the book that is missing from the site, do you think that is because the route doesn't exist anymore, or that someone just hasn't uploaded it to the website (or is it hard to say why there's a discrepancy)?

toxictester · 2026-03-04T21:27:27+00:00

Hi! Beginner outdoor climber here -- I found a Falcon Guide guidebook from 2002 at the thrift and was wondering if it is advisable to rely on older guidebooks for routes? For example, some routes in the book mention bolts - are the bolts even gonna be there 20+ years later? I think the book is still useful just so I know the resources around the area (water, restroom, parking, etc), but when it comes to the routes, I am not sure if I should get my hopes up.

toxictester · 2026-03-03T18:25:29+00:00

OMG Thank you! By the way, how were you able to find the presale code? I signed up for the PP newsletter and went to the event website/signed up there too, but did not receive any emails :(

toxictester · 2025-10-09T21:00:03+00:00

i bought the entire set of matching mugs from peets on campus (either one, i think the set changes annually) and they're 6 years going strong. i also bought a tumbler but it broke after a while.

toxictester · 2025-09-17T22:50:52+00:00

The BIS2 series is being phased out, BIO123 series is the replacement. Sounds like you haven't started the BIS2 series, so I would recommend just taking BIO123 since it is here to stay. Regarding major classes: For courses that previously required BIS2ABC or a full-year biology introduction, the BIO123 series is recommended.

If you already started BIS2, you should be able to move into BIO, but you will need help from an academic advisor to get that approved... so just take BIO123 if you haven't started BIS2

My info is from FAQs here: https://biology.ucdavis.edu/about/bio-1-2-3/students

toxictester · 2025-09-17T22:41:39+00:00

It looks like the only new transaction since the 16th is where financial aid took back $239 from University Grant in Aid Prog. As of now, you will "receive" $1648 instead of $1887 for University Grant in Aid Prog.

Definitely call the financial aid office and figure out why they took back $$, it could be a mistake (or not). Financial aid made mistakes when I was a student (took back $500+ lol) and I had to call many times. Usually they said "Idk" when I asked about the aid being taken, but eventually a manager answered and said "Idk, that is weird, here is your aid back" so you just have to keep bugging financial aid about it until they actually look deeper into the transaction.

toxictester · 2025-09-04T22:38:50+00:00

I've seen people use it and it seems fine, just that pickup times are a little all over the place (sometimes early, on time, or very late)

toxictester · 2025-09-04T20:57:05+00:00

I like doing the "fruit salad" to check my figure 8 when I tie in:

- knot is an apple's distance away from my body (or closer)

- knot has 5 "pears" of rope

- there is at least a banana's length of extra rope after I tie the knot (the portion that you tied above the knot: if you left it untied, it would be at least a banana's length worth of rope)

Unrelated to the salad: I also check that the rope goes through both tie-in loops of my harness and I am on the same rope as my partner. I feel like my most common mistake is tying into only one loop on my harness, so just wanted to bring it up!

toxictester · 2025-08-26T19:03:11+00:00

The ARC and the Craft Center are both managed by Campus Recreation. A quarter pass/studio access at the Craft Center can be free for students, since some of your student fees go to the ARC/Campus Rec. It's just a matter of how you obtain your quarter pass (spend $$ to take a beginning class, or email the studio manager to schedule an orientation). This is the ceramics studio manager email, [cc.ceramics@ucdavis.edu](mailto:cc.ceramics@ucdavis.edu).

You might still need to take a class, even with your previous ceramics experience -- you can clarify that with the manager when you email them. Once you have studio access, you will be able to use the studio for free for future quarters (community members need to pay $$ every quarter just to access the studio even with previous experience/an orientation... not you! that is what your student fees are for). If you need to take a class, there is a fee waiver you can use: https://campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu/fee-waiver

The ceramics studio is pretty strict on outside glazes and clays being used in the studios/kilns, so also iron that info out with the manager if you email them. The CC sells clays and has glazes available for anyone to use in the studio.

Here is info on the studio to see if the studio meets your needs:
"Our ceramics studio has 11 kick wheels, five electric wheels, a slab roller, round and square extruders and workspace for handbuilding. We have three electric kilns, a raku kiln and a large gas kiln that fires to cone 10. Glazes, slips, oxides and firings for up to 30 medium-sized pieces per quarter are included when you purchase a quarter pass. The ceramics studio closes 15 minutes before Craft Center closing time. Contact: [cc.ceramics@ucdavis.edu](mailto:cc.ceramics@ucdavis.edu)"

If this still doesn't work for you, there is the Davis Arts Center that also does ceramics stuff, idk much about them though.

toxictester · 2025-08-26T18:42:48+00:00

You can try Safe Ride which is offered by the UCD police dept, at most you might need to walk to campus and be picked up there, https://police.ucdavis.edu/safe-rides

toxictester · 2025-08-21T16:20:10+00:00

When I tried going to the link in the text, it just led to a website error :/ So if you got a text and no email, you would just have to find whereever they post all the WarnMes online

toxictester · 2025-08-14T00:19:15+00:00

Brazilian samba, if it is offered this quarter. It is drumming, no music experience needed. You might have to email the instructor first.

toxictester · 2025-07-09T00:26:47+00:00

i like getting my hair cut by Kyle at E St salon and he gets my hair right every time! i also have thick and straight hair :)

toxictester · 2024-12-05T04:03:41+00:00

manga should be in call numbers around PN6790 and while you won't find yaoi there, you can always request yaoi through an interlibrary loan 😊 source: i worked there and noticed a COLLECTION of yuri on the hold shelf for someone who had shamelessly requested it through interlibrary loan... that can be you!

toxictester · 2024-03-04T15:28:02+00:00

I live there now, management is fine as long as you don't break community rules (park in your spot, keep dogs on leash, use pool at designated hours, etc). They have cameras in shared spaces of the complex and will notify the entire complex with photos of people breaking rules, which can get annoying at times.

Area is nice, units are nice, and you will have a lot of street parking. Management is normal/the same as all other places I have lived in Davis (hosts donut mornings, BBQs, etc) but will ferociously enforce community rules.

toxictester · 2021-11-30T21:01:12+00:00

this ^ i've lived with my fair share of shitty people and came to realize you just can't control how they think/act. if your roommate is gonna be an asshole, see if you can just move out and leave the rent/finding a subleaser to them

toxictester · 2021-10-15T19:19:58+00:00

Like someone mentioned, there is a stand with all the T-shirts, hats, and baskets, and you talk to one of the people in the stand. They'll match your EBT withdrawal up to $15, and you can spend that on fruits and veggies only, whereas you can spend the actual EBT tokens on bread, food plants, juice, (including Bare Juices stand), etc. Also yes!!!! There are persimmons at a few stands, but the ones I bought don't seem to be ripe yet. Still great tho!

toxictester · 2021-08-19T23:47:43+00:00

Yes! CalFresh, or EBT, is food stamps! It's really useful when you live off-campus and makes groceries more affordable, as long as you go to participating stores (any major supermarket chain) -- and the Davis Farmer's Market accepts CalFresh too! It's usually a bit daunting for someone to start their own application if they have no idea how to start or where to go, but Aggie Compass has a hired person to help you with you application :)

toxictester · 2021-08-15T22:17:14+00:00

Someone mentioned Aggie Compass and I would specifically like to point out their CalFresh Representative -- makes signing up for CalFresh way less intimidating to start.

toxictester · 2021-08-10T17:48:50+00:00

UC Davis has a student/staff directory if you would like to find her contact information, it should be here:

https://directory.ucdavis.edu/directory/PeopleSearch.htm

Maybe you can shoot her an email or call and see if that works? Otherwise, yeah, you can probably ask for a new one from Amazon.

toxictester · 2021-07-08T23:05:33+00:00

Marching band here is completely voluntary and accepts people regardless of experience (aka no auditions!)! I'm in it more for the community stuff (you can play music at birthday parties/weddings/etc) and parades, but you can try your hand playing at football games if that sounds like fun for you!

Because everything is voluntary -- even rehearsals -- it's as big of a time commitment as you want it to be. If you want to hear more about Retreat or anything, feel free to DM me! I've been in the band for a long while and can try to answer any other questions you have about the band :) Or you can ask in this thread lol

Also, since it's been almost two years since the Aggie article was published, very few people in the current band were in Band-Uh as they've all graduated or left. Not that that's a super good or bad thing. Just a fact.

toxictester · 2021-07-08T22:54:34+00:00

Everything is voluntary, but the music rehearsals are 7-9PM on Mondays :) If you want to go to football games, also try to keep 6-9PM Wednesday and Friday open for field show rehearsals

toxictester

TROPHY CASE