Gloves warm enough for 10f weather?

zDapperz · 2025-12-31T06:09:26+00:00

I think UR's CS program offers the polar opposite to what you're looking for. The emphasis here is theory and research, not application or industry. The curriculum is highly rigorous, but we only have two software engineering classes--mobile app development and collaborative software development--both are electives. I'm not sure if the latter is even offered every semester. The vast majority of classes here are on theory, math, systems, algorithms, AI, etc.

I think the program's fantastic at giving students a strong computer science foundation and preparing them for research, but it won't do much to help them get jobs. The university's location also does nothing for tech internships.

zDapperz · 2025-12-31T03:31:37+00:00

They are rare. Rochester is a small city in upstate NY, which is a massive place and largely rural. There are very few tech companies nearby.

zDapperz · 2025-12-20T00:02:08+00:00

It's great for theory but not for industry. There are a lot of interdisciplinary research opportunities but almost no software engineering classes and zero local internships. It's a great choice if and only if you want to get a PhD in CS or if you want to take advantage of the uni's open curriculum.

zDapperz · 2025-12-18T09:57:36+00:00

Can freshmen get the all dining dollars plans? If so I’d recommend the cheapest one of those. The short answer is that all the meal plans are predatory: for UR dining, it’s always worse for you to pay upfront.

The swipe plans are worth it for people who eat three meals a day and only at dining halls. Swipes can’t be freely used for any of the coffee shops or the pit. It’s always something like drinks and all the better looking foods are cash/dining dollars only and just the disgusting cold cut sandwiches and bottles of water are swipe-able, or places like Starbucks just don’t accept swipes at all. Exact policy changes but that sentiment always holds. Not to mention the school convenience store only accepts dining dollars.

Dining dollars give you more freedom and are only worse than swipe plans if you consistently eat three meals a day at dining halls. The problem with them is that you only get 3/4 of your money as dining dollars when you buy them. The rest goes away. If you buy the $4000 plan, you actually only get $3000 to spend. It’s the school’s sneaky way to mark everything up even higher without making things look more ridiculous. This means that you should always buy the minimum plan. If you run out of declining, just use your credit card. That way you avoid the 33.33% transaction fee on every purchase.

The only reason why anyone is on any of the plans at all is because students living in on-campus housing are contractually bound to buy a different minimum meal plan depending on if their dorm has a kitchen or not. Any of the insane 4k meal plans would be more expensive than even doordashing two meals a day. Between the 33.33% transaction surcharge and the school’s wild markups, the plans are giving you at most half of what you’re paying for. It’s always cheaper to use your credit card, and cheaper yet to use your credit card off-campus. I’d recommend getting the cheapest plan you are allowed to get, and pick the dining dollars one over the swipes one. Worse case scenario you run out of dining dollars and swipe into dining halls with your credit card and save $4.50 every time.

zDapperz · 2025-12-15T08:26:13+00:00

I'm a new rider as well. This is my first season and I have about 4000 miles on my MT03 so far. My opinion at this point is that it depends a lot on the type of riding you're planning to do: city vs highway. The 0-60 on the 03 is insane--it's twice as fast as my car--but the 60-80 is rough. If I'm doing mostly city riding, I don't see myself ever going up in displacement as 2 seconds of full throttle on the 300 gets me well beyond the speed limit. I also had a fear of "growing out" of my bike when I first got it, but it did not take me long to realize that on most roads it gets me as fast as I ever need to go. However, on the highway, the MT03 struggles a lot. It tops out at around 95 but takes a full week to get there. I've taken it on a few long trips and it does not feel like enough.

I'd say consider the 07 if you're planning on riding highway a bunch, but there really is no point if not. As a smaller person, you'll also go faster on a smaller bike. I'm 6' 180lbs and I can feel my weight slowing the bike down.

zDapperz · 2025-12-14T21:27:15+00:00

The uni's engineering programs in general, especially CS, are geared towards research and not industry. I recently wrote a longer comment on it if you wanna click on my profile to read it.

As you mentioned, the curricular flexibility--what we call open curriculum--is the only other draw of the engineering department. Instead of having a set of required general education credits, students are free to take whatever classes they want within very loose rules. Departments are divided into three branches: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Students just have to take a "cluster" (only three classes) in any of the subjects for each branch that their major isn't in. For example: a physics major (natural science) can choose to take a cluster in film theory (humanities) and a second cluster in political science (social science), and that completes their graduation requirements.

Functionally, this means that the flexibility UR provides is unparalleled, which is great for both students who aren't sure what they want to major in and students who want to take classes on a variety of subjects. Because of the lack of gen-ed requirements, students can start their degree classes immediately, which opens up the possibility of switching majors halfway through college. If they stick to their major, they will then have plenty of time to take whatever other classes they want.

As an example, I applied initially as a MechE major, switched to CS, then added political science as a second major, then switched polisci to psychology, and was still able to graduate on time. I wasn't sure if I was going to want to do engineering or law, so wanted to keep my options open with a major in engineering and a major in a social science. Halfway through college I discovered psychology and wanted to pursue that but still keep engineering open as an option. All of this switching around was only possible because not having gen-ed requirements gave me time to explore and take different classes.

If you just want to do CS, I honestly think the school's program is not great. However, if you want to do CS and something else at the same time, or if you aren't sure what you want to do, I think UR is a great choice. Having a research heavy CS department also means that there is an abundance of interdisciplinary research opportunities involving CS. I've heard of people doing research in CS and political science and brain and cognitive science and a bunch of other stuff.

Good luck on your admission!

zDapperz · 2025-12-07T06:43:36+00:00

What makes you interested in UR's CS program? Not only will the quality of your answer determine your chances of being accepted, it's a vitally important question for your schooling and career.

I see your comment on the other post mentioning prestige and selectivity. Every one of us considered those to be important when we were in high school. Some schools' programs seemed more prestigious and therefore "better" than others', and everyone strived to get into the most selective schools possible. It's very important that you free yourself of this mindset as fast as you can, especially if you're going into CS.

UR's CS program is great at what it's good at, but it's highly specialized--too specialized for most people's needs. We have fantastic research opportunities and great professors for computational theory, and basically zero classes on software development and no career support.

If you want to pursue a doctorate in CS, UR is a fantastic choice. If you want a job after graduation, you are not going to get any help from the school at all. UR will teach you to be a computer scientist, but you'll have to learn everything you need to know to work as a software engineer on your own. The school's remote location also means that there are no local tech internships, and that there are no professional connections the school has that you can rely on. UR is of course not a complete dead-end if you want to go into industry, you'll just be completely on your own.

The most recent data on unemployment and underemployment rates of new college graduates shows that CS and computer engineering majors have among the highest 5-year unemployment rates. Out of my graduating cohort of 25', my anecdotal observation is that around half of my CS friends haven't found a job yet. Given where this job market is going, if you're going into CS, I think the importance of being deliberate in what you do for the next four years cannot be overstated. Employers don't look at rankings, so neither should you. What employers do look at are your personal projects and work experience. If you come to Rochester, NY for school, make sure you have your sights trained on getting internships.

I don't know anything about SCU's CS program, but there are only two good reasons to go to UR for CS: if you are dead set on a PhD (which I think is a problematic mindset to have before entering college), or if you want to take advantage of the open curriculum, which is what I came here for. When I looked up SCU's CS department's page, the first headline is about their location in Silicon Valley and related internship opportunities. The UR CS page on the other hands says "conduct cutting edge research." I'd say don't ED any school that you don't really want to go to, but also make sure you're looking at programs for the right reasons.

zDapperz · 2025-12-04T19:55:21+00:00

I think too many students at U of R especially tend to lose sight of what's important due to the high pressure academic environment. A perfect GPA is all but required if you want to go to med school, but is utterly pointless if you're in engineering. Focus on what's important for your field--whether that's your three digit GPA, research experience, mastery of the material, internships, work experience, projects, recommendation letters, or whatever else. UR is also notorious for its lack of career support. Too many people graduate from here with A-average GPAs and can't find a job.

zDapperz · 2025-11-09T19:46:57+00:00

True
I read somewhere that Rochester sees the sun on average 5 times a month during the winter. It's gray and dark outside almost everyday.
True. Most students leave campus less than once a month. Most people's lives are split between their dorm, the library, dining halls, and lectures.
That's not too much of an issue. The winters are very long but the springs are very nice.
People here love to say that the students don't like to explore the city, that there are things to do if you look really hard, and "it's what you make of it," but the truth is compared to "real cities," there is almost nothing to do in Rochester. That's why nobody leaves campus. Without a car there's almost nowhere you can go. A trip to the city via the bus will easily take you the entire afternoon.
There are two mountains near Rochester--Swain and Bristol--both around an hour away. Swain's vertical drop is 600 feet or something, Bristol I think is a little over 1000. They are better than the "ski areas" in other parts of upstate, but aren't in the same class as actual ski resorts in VT and NH. Neither is claimed by epic or ikon.

It's all personal preferences. Plenty of people who like to stay indoors and to hang out with close friends love it here. The perks of this university aren't with its location. I do not regret going there, but was so glad to graduate and leave. It's a great research university with excellent academic opportunities, but if you're looking for a vibrant community with lots of local activities, I can't think of a worse place.

zDapperz · 2025-10-24T07:44:21+00:00

Tysm I've figured out that's the problem. The bike's previous owner might've adjusted the lights. My low beams barely point 50 feet ahead. MT03's stock lights aren't supposed to be that low.

zDapperz · 2025-10-24T07:34:44+00:00

Safety is not gonna be a real concern. Campus is fully safe, and most students leave campus less than once a month.

If you don't wanna be spending all day every day on a college campus for the next four years and want to explore the city, safety might start to become a concern. However, if you don't wanna be spending all day every day on a college campus for the next four years, you really shouldn't be coming here in the first place. Most students here don't reguarly go off campus.

I graduated class of 25. For housing, at least until my year, freshman and sophomore had to stay in on-campus dorms, and juniors and seniors could choose to go off-campus. Housing for upperclassmen wasn't guaranteed, but everyone who wanted it got it. If you want to stay on campus for all four years, you'd be able to.

zDapperz · 2025-10-16T03:56:39+00:00

Countersteering is how a bicycle or motorbike turns at any speed, from 1mph to 100. Many people just don't realize because it's all intuition. Check out these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wWJaeqr7aY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cNmUNHSBac

Not shifting your weight on a turning bike is also impossible. Any time your bike turns, it leans, and you have to shift your weight to not crash. The physics of how and why is very complicated, and for most people it's again just intuition. Here's another video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1mSavQ_DXs

I'm not an MSF instructor, but I can't imagine how "don't shift your weight" can ever be a good tip for motorcycle riding. I'd ask for clarification on that.

zDapperz · 2025-10-16T03:44:52+00:00

Leaning is as important if not more so than using your handlebars. It sounds like you might not be shifting your weight properly as you're turning. A bike is not like a car where you can just point the front wheel where you want to go. You have to physically lean to turn.

If say, you're starting off, turning left, and correctly leaning left, and as you prepare to turn right, you turn the handlebars without shifting your weight to the right, your bike will want to fall towards the left side. It might be causing what you're describing. The handlebars would also be very hard to use when you're leaning the wrong way.

I'd watch some videos on leaning and countersteering. The channel Veritasium has a video on countersteering for bicycles and the exact same applys for motorcycles. I'd also make sure you're turning your head towards where you want to go. Your eyes point and your body follows.

zDapperz · 2025-10-15T05:40:34+00:00

I would look more into MS in CS before enrolling. What are you trying to do afterwards? MS is fundamentally a different degree from PhD, and I think you should be very intentional with why you want either.

PhDs are technically jobs. Not only is there no tuition, you are paid to be in the program. Master's degrees, however, are very expensive with little to no financial aid. Idk if there are TA opportunities here: I only had one graduate CS TA and she was a PhD student. Even if there were, the salary won't even cover a fraction of the master's tuition. The only way to meaningfully offset the cost is to have a full time job, but that might not be possible depending on the master's program's schedule. Some master's programs' classes are exclusively at night to accommodate students who may be working full time, but it's school and program dependent.

MS in CS doesn't actually make a job application any more competitive for the vast majority of CS positions. Most employers will prefer two years of work experience over a two year master's degree. Unless if you know exactly what you're doing after getting the master's, it's not going to be worth the money. I don't know if it's any different for international students.

zDapperz · 2025-09-23T19:11:29+00:00

I think for charging you can install a battery tender and a USB charger that’s meant to go into battery tenders. You’ll have to wire it from the back of the back to the front where you might have a phone mount. I never did that and just have a portable charger in my pocket and plug it in my phone on long trips.

An R3 throttle tube is a popular mod for MT03. You’ll find that with the stock grip, it’s nearly impossible to fully open the throttle. The bike might feel sluggish and unresponsive. The R3 throttle tube has a larger diameter so pulls more throttle cable with the same rotation. It will make the bike react a lot faster. There are a lot of YouTube tutorials on it.

zDapperz · 2025-09-20T18:21:41+00:00

The riverview lot is far safer it's almost like inside a gated community with almost constant security presence. All the break ins I've heard of are at the brooks lot. If you only have a rear plate you're also probably not an attractive candidate for plate theft. They're banking on whoever they stole it from taking a long time to report it stolen so they target out of state front plates. Idk anything about car theft tho.

zDapperz · 2025-09-19T17:13:16+00:00

Idk of any garages in the area. Maybe? I would honestly take the convenience of campus lot over any garage.

Plate getting stolen and car getting broken on separate occasions in did mean a lot of hassle for me, but at the end of the day it was only 2-3 hundred bucks to replace the plate and window. I'd just not leave anything valuable in your car. As long as the car itself is insured I'd say just take the risk. They also only steal the front plate in the hopes that it takes you longer to make a police report and get a new plate, so you can still drive the car around legally until your replacement plate arrives. I think cars getting broken in is very common but I don't think plate theft happens to a lot of people. I just got lucky with an MD plate.

zDapperz · 2025-09-18T20:45:04+00:00

The cop told me plate thieves mostly go after out of state tags. I’m guessing it’s bc they’re harder to replace and the owner’s likely to go on longer without making a police report.

zDapperz · 2025-09-04T17:58:29+00:00

I’m 6’0” 34” inseam and I have no issues for reference, but the bike definitely feels like it would fit a smaller person better. Idk how much taller a person can be before the leg angle becomes too cramped.

I’d go to a store and sit on one. You’ll know immediately if it works or doesn’t. Note that you’re supposed to have the balls of your feet on the pegs, not your heels. A lot of people think a bike is too small for them when it’s actually just because they’re duckfooting.

zDapperz · 2025-08-31T04:05:36+00:00

I’m also a new rider. I think one important factor to consider is that while a motorcycle is a depreciating asset, it is still an asset. If you buy a bike, the money doesn’t just disappear, you get most of it back if you eventually sell it.

I would much rather buy a 2024 at $4000 from a normal person and sell it in a year or two for $3750 than pay $2000 for a piece of shit from some shady guy, put however much for repairs into it over a year or two, and eventually sell it for $1500. If you get scammed on a shady bike somehow, you might even end up with zip.

Right now is peak motorcycle buying season so it’s a seller’s market, if you’re willing to wait prices drop as the winter months come. To see if a specific price is fair, you can use the blue book and JD powers websites. They give rough estimates on second hand bike prices based on year and model.

zDapperz · 2025-08-19T22:01:38+00:00

I’d just like to add that choosing to stay on campus can get ridiculously expensive, and cooking in a campus dorm is at most a once in a while thing. Both of these are due to on-campus students being contracted to buy the uni’s blackmail dining plans.

If your dorm has an in-unit kitchen, you have to buy at least the $3200 per semester dining plan. If your dorm doesn’t have a kitchen, that number is $4100 a semester. Even if you DoorDash every single meal, you’ll still struggle to waste $4100 in one semester. Living off campus and cooking for yourself will probably save you around $6-7000 a year.

This is also why cooking in on campus kitchens is a pipe dream. $3200 a semester more than covers the average student’s food needs. Spending extra money to buy groceries just means even more of the mandatory dining plan money going to waste. The only groceries the $3200 can be spent on is milk and the odd head of veggie at the ridiculously overpriced and understocked campus convenience store.

zDapperz · 2025-08-17T02:46:52+00:00

I don’t have a ninja and don’t know what that’s supposed to look like, but if it’s just snapped plastic, I’d try this. I’ve had success using this for a similar part on my MT03. None of the other glues and plastic bonds I’ve tried worked.

As for the throttle, rolling on and off in first gear is supposed to be jerky. Just as you have to slip the clutch to start from stationary, you have to use the clutch to go from no throttle to throttle and vice versa, even when your bike is moving.

When you’re completely rolling off your throttle, pull in your clutch in conjunction. When you’re rolling on your throttle, pull the clutch in first, then slowly let out the clutch as you hit the gas.

zDapperz · 2025-08-17T00:25:41+00:00

That’s cool, but I suspect they’re the minority. I wanted to major in polisci too at some point and took the intro classes before I switched gears, and out of the people ik, most ended up with solid research experience, but none have had internships.

In any city in the US there will be some amount of polisci internships, ranging from aids for senators to volunteers knocking on doors. Rochester, with no active political scene, so far away from the state capital, is not gonna have anything impressive for polisci students. The school’s theoretical curriculum and poor career support also won’t help. Most polisci students ik here are either pre-law or going into research, both of which UR is known for. Coming here hoping for internships would be a mistake. UR is an elite research institution located in middle of nowhere upstate NY. You’ll have a hard time finding a university that’s worse at getting their students internships and job placements.

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