Random Talk | Say whatever's on your mind
OneEightZero
#1890
chapel
#1891
I have the Precision variant, it’s effectively the same thing.
I run Arch on it and it is pretty good. It isn’t perfect, as battery life can be hit or miss how much time you put into it. I personally didn’t care as much because I keep it plugged in most of the time. Sleep was also harder to get working properly, I think it might be more due to my setup than Linux in general.
More info here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dell_XPS_15
chapel
#1893
It was a work laptop that I had to turn in when we moved over to Fitbit. Instead of getting a new MacBook I went Dell so I could go Linux at work and at home.
Leo
#1894
The keyboard looks a little small. Is that just the camera angle that makes it seem that way, or is it actually small?
OneEightZero
#1895
It’s full size, but the same profile of their 13 inch. That’s why it looks smaller.
archnemesis
#1896
I bought a leather case for my iPhone. This thing is slippery as hell. My old silicone case had a much better grip.
Leo
#1897
Hey guys. I could use some advice. My current plan is for my major to be in electrical engineering. Currently, I’m working on completing my associate in engineering science degree. Counting the two classes I’m taking this semester (trigonometry and prep chemistry), I have the following to take: calculus w/ analytics geometry I, calculus w/ analytics geometry II, calculus w/ analytics geometry III, engineering physics, computer science engineer, and intro to differential equations. When I’m done with those classes, I’d transfer to a university for the remaining two years. I’m not the best at math, but I try very hard, and I understand the material. I struggle with tests because of time mismanagement and forgetfulness of concepts. Should I continue braving through the storm or look into a career with less math involved, like perhaps programming?
archnemesis
#1898
Having a solid foundation in math makes programming easier. Sure, you could switch to something else but ultimately you should aim for a career that you find enjoyable.
The best way to survive math courses is to practice until it sticks. Repetition is key.
If you want to have a career in programming then I suggest that you start programming as soon as possible. You won’t become a good programmer by simple taking courses at a university. You need many hours of experience outside of school.
Leo
#1899
My trig professor was saying something similar, that the key to success in the class is to practice the problems repeatedly until it’s burned into my memory. Doing the homework problems once isn’t enough. They must be done over and over. I haven’t necessarily been doing that.
chapel
#1900
As a self taught programmer, it takes a lot of time and work but once you get to a certain point it just makes sense and you continue to build on what you’ve been learning.
I am not good at math, well I never took the time to really learn math, and in my line of programming math is not really necessary. Not to say math isn’t useful, just that unless you’re creating complex algorithms or something in data science you’d most likely only be doing basic math operations.
I would personally choose something that you can enjoy, because when things get shitty if you don’t enjoy the work you do then it will feel even worse. Try to avoid doing it just for the money, that can only last you so long.
archnemesis
#1901
So when I hire people, I just try to answer the three questions. To find out if they can get stuff done, I just ask what they’ve done. If someone can actually get stuff done they should have done so by now. It’s hard to be a good programmer without some previous experience and these days anyone can get some experience by starting or contributing to a free software project. So I just request a code sample and a demo and see whether it looks good. You learn an enormous amount really quickly, because you’re not watching them answer a contrived interview question, you’re seeing their actual production code. Is it concise? clear? elegant? usable? Is it something you’d want in your product?
How I Hire Programmers by Aaron Swartz.
The bolded above is the most important part when hiring a programmer. It doesn’t matter much if you make websites, games, robot friends, or stock market recommender systems. Build something, anything, to teach yourself how to code.
The last guy that I interviewed for a developer position built an Android app for starting up the heater in his car. Last weekend I met a friend that modified his vacuum cleaner to start up when he plugged it in. This week I’m making my first Unreal Engine game in C++.
️:heart:️:heart:️
archnemesis
#1907
65 for me. I’ve seen most of those movies, but only once. I rarely rewatch, reread or replay anything.
OneEightZero
#1909
