collegeboss

[collegeboss]

Website Up-Date!

The website I’ve been working on has been progressing smoothly! There are three pages and twelve posts as of now (with three times as many incomplete drafts to finish writing up or edit) along with another two pages for free prints and step-by-step STEM projects in the works, however, down the road. 

I’m currently more concerned with figuring out how to program a discussion forum on the site and working on some more design details for the site itself, since those are the two main things that I want complete and cemented before making the website more accessible to the general public.

All in all, this is shaping up to be a fun little side project that I hope other people will also enjoy! If you have any suggestions for features to integrate into an academics/STEM centered website, or programming tips, I’m all ears!

#studyblr #university studyblr #university #college #website #website building #website programming #stem #stemblr #stemblog #programming #coding #update

[collegeboss]

Good luck with back to school everyone!

#studyblr #undergrads #stemblr

[collegeboss]

Filling electron energy states be like...

I laughed too hard at this…

#chemistry #chemmajors #chemistrymajorsunderstand #chem students #stemblr

[collegeboss]

11.13.19

One last look over my organic chemistry notes before the exam tonight!

#organic chemistry notes #organic chemistry #O.chem #chemistry #LDA #LDA chemistry #Aldol #Aldol Chemistry

[collegeboss]

My Thoughts on Van Life for Students:

I’ve been quite fascinated with the “Van Life” trend that’s been circulating through social media platforms for some time now, and have considered joining in myself. However, despite my small steps forward in making the change such as packing a few days worth of clothes to keep in my car, daily essentials in a non-conspicuous shower bag for when I need to get a shower, have a gym membership I can use to get free showers near my place of operation, and easy to prepare foods in my car, I still have a few hurdles before I can go full into the world of “Van Life.”

Sleeping in the car overnight: My campus does not allow overnight parking for non-dorm residents, even if you have an on campus parking pass, are a current full time student, and have your vehicle registered with parking services. The campus would have been my first option, considering how the lots are comparatively safer with multiple emergency lines to access and park next to, on campus police station, a library I can study at till two in the morning, and not to mention right on the location where I spend most of my waking time at. Due to the “no parking over night” rule, I have to look off campus to spend the night in my car in shopping center lots, which usually prohibit overnight parking, and those that don’t are to far out from my college campus and don’t have emergency help lines.

                                Photo by Sean Benesh on Unsplash

Healthy Meals: I have easy to prepare meals I can make such as chicken salad snack packs, cereal bars, Body Armor Drinks for vitamin nutrition, and apples that hold up fairly well when it’s not summer, but it’s hard to have a variety of foods, space for them, or find things that are non-perishable and can withstand a hot car. I could get a cooler and constantly fill with ice or hook up to a solar panel to power it, but I currently don’t have the money for that.

Space: I don’t have a large or tall van to do this in. My goal is to go incognito with an SUV. I have a way to cover-up the back to sleep without being seen, but my stuff gets pushed to the middle row which defeats the whole purpose of incognito. I’m currently working on whether to get short plastic bins or to make a drawer/ sleeping platform for the back. I have the nails, bedding, hammer, and measuring tape to do this, but what’s missing is the wood, saw, drawer sliders, and drawer catches to keep them from sliding while I’m driving. I’m thinking about keeping ONE box in the middle row seats to keep my backpack and school books in, and the side doors for snacks. I have a free gym membership on campus, but not a locker. If I go into van life while I’m still in college, I plan on renting a locker out to keep my shower and morning routine supplies, to hopefully free up some space.

                            Photo by Balkan Campers on Unsplash 

Mail and address requirements: For FAFSA, having a job, and school records, you need to have a place of residence. That’s why it’s important to have good connections and people who you can trust and help you out, because you will need a “home base address” where you can state as your home and collect your mail. Your “base address” would preferably be with a family member who you trust, they may be able to file you as a dependent which works out for them for taxes. But you should never claim yourself as “homeless” or risk just having a P.O. box as an address, since it would also be difficult to set up a bank account or apply for a job if you have no proof of residence.

So, what are my end thoughts?

It’s a lot of prep-work and requires customization based on your daily habits and situation, so if you are thinking about van life as a student, take it slow. Read the parking regulations for your school, find out if you have a free membership to the campus gym with your student ID for free showers, figure out where a safe place to park legally and be able to get help is at, and test out some plans to get a balanced diet you can actually live off of, that fits with your set-up.

#vanlife #students #college #university #uni #living arrangments #vanlife for students #vanlife4students #vanlife on campus #suvlife #why #mythoughts #my thoughts

[collegeboss]

Didn’t realized that we’ve already hit the 50 posts threshold! Here’s to another 50!

#50 posts #tumblr milestone #JustCheckedMyMail 50posts

[collegeboss]

The Magnus Effect - When a small amount of spin is added to a dropped object, the object moves forward

[collegeboss]

Update Announcement: Blog

Hello everyone! 

I am currently working on a more formal blog using blogger. I will still be using tumbler for posting, but my content will be accessible on another platform in the near future. I am hoping to expand the form of my current content into videos and free downloadable prints. More information on the blog coming in November! 

#collegeboss #NewBlog #Blogger #Blogging

[collegeboss]

List of Seven Different Study Methods to Try Out:

Morning Routine Method:

If you struggle with procrastination, this method is for you. Make studying for thirty minutes apart of your morning routine, something you must do daily before you leave the house. Make it something that has to be done while you are getting prepared in the morning for the upcoming day, and something you can’t leave the house without doing like brushing your teeth.

Flash Cards:

Used to study multiple small bits of information in a short period of time, made in advance to squeeze in study time while waiting between classes or in lines. Recommended for biology, anatomy, equations for physics, learning new words in a different language, memorizing pharmaceuticals, medical roots and terminology, types of organic chemistry reactions, and multiplication tables.

Can be taped or pin around your home for constant recall of specific lines of information such as “the mitochondria is the power house of the cell” along with diagrams, so that bigger chucks of information sticks better from being constantly seen in places such as the front of the refrigerator, the door to your room, the bathroom mirror, and the wall in-front of your toilet.

Pomodoro Technique:

Work in 25 minute intervals separated by 5-10 minute breaks.

Used for long sit down sessions. Recommended for reading chapters of text books to prevent auto-pilot reading (where you look over a paragraph, but don’t really read it).

Also recommended for working on projects and assignments if one has trouble starting on work before the day it’s due, due to feeling like it’s to much work to do at once.

Treating Method:

Place a gummy-bear or other small piece of candy that won’t mess up your text book, at the end of each paragraph to create a bit more motivation to go on to read the next paragraph with the prospect of an immediate reward at the end. 

Works best if you only allow yourself these treats for studying.

Combine with practicing actively recalling the information without looking at it, at the end of each paragraph, and treat yourself if you got the information mostly correct. If not, re-read and try again.

By MnMinSeptember on imgflip

Course/Test Cheat Sheet Page:

Make a page of the most important information you need to pass a test or class full of rules, equations, theorems, or definitions, and keep a copy at your desk, in your car, on your kitchen table, on the couch, and in your bag. 

The key here is figuring out the most important information you need, and making sure that you can pick it up and study during any slow period during your day.

Thwart Method:

To retain information learned in a class, ~80% can be saved if reviewed within 24 hours, review for ten minutes the information a day later, and for five minutes the following two weeks, to be able to recall the information within five minutes while studying for the exam later.

The method is based on this “Curve of Forgetting” graph from California State University based on the study by Thwart- 

Teaching to Someone Else:

Put together a lesson plan to teach the information to someone else, make slides, write out your lecture and practice how you would explain it.

Tutor students a grade below or who are taking a class you already took, to retain the information better.

If you don’t want to teach the material to a friend who may also be in your class, and feel embarrassed to do it in front of somebody else, record yourself teaching the material and re-watch and edit it to make the video better. The video can be used to review the material later if you don’t want to re-read old notes.

#study #studying #study hacks #study methods #study tricks #studyblr #collegeboss #college #college studyblr #college study hacks #college study tips #gummybears #flashcards #course cheat sheet #test cheat sheet #morning routine #thwart #curve of forgetting #curve #curve of forget #curve of forgettin #list #list of seven #list of study #list of study methods #pomodoro

[collegeboss]

It’s sad how much of what is taught in school is useless to over 99% of the population.

There are literally math concepts taught in high school and middle school that are only used in extremely specialized fields or that are even so outdated they aren’t used anymore!

[collegeboss]

Top Stores for College Students and People on A Budget in the US:

Dollar Tree:

Dollar Tree is my go to place for cheap food. Not Dollar General or Dollar Family, the true “everything for one dollar store!” The one by my university has all the basics, like bread, peanut butter, jelly, macaroni and cheese, pounds of sugar and flour, bags of dried beans, tortillas, frozen vegetables, egg noodles, broth, almond milk, and half gallons of Arizona Tea!

However, they do have a broad range of other useful goods such as shampoo, conditioner, notebooks, books, holiday decor, cheap hardware tools, sets of paint rollers and holders for home renovating, first aid supplies, gardening ware during the summer and spring, mugs, cheap kitchen ware, gift wrap supplies, office supplies, perfume, and art supplies.

Target:

Target is one of those stores that you have to know where the deals are at. My Target puts any holiday decor that gets put on clearance in the back corner of the store where they typically sell other seasonal goods. They also tend to put clearance sections on end caps in the home goods section, but I usually go for the end of season clearance since they get discounted to around 60% of the price. The front of the store by the entrance is where they keep the cheap 1-5$ seasonal goods, but the best Targets to go to for this section of the store, are the ones by colleges, since they usually try to keep cheap dorm goods in this section year-round.

I recently got two full sized pillows for $5 (as a pair, so $2.50 each) in home goods on 50% clearance and mini tombstones for my desk that were $1 each in the seasonal section at the front of the store. I’m always hawking over the clearance section for cloths by A New Day and Wild Fable, since they are simple and affordable brands that I love the style of. I managed to get a couple of black crop tops by Wild Fable on clearance for about $1.20-$4 each.

Publix:

Publix is THE PLACE for couponing. They have a list of buy one get ones (BOGOs) every week, and they keep the weekly ad with this information by the entrance. Any BOGO that doesn’t require a coupon, can have one store coupon (Publix or one of its competitors) and one manufacturer coupon per deal (i.e. $1 off of every one item can be used on the BOGO items as well, as long as you have two of the coupons, but $1 off of two items will count as a coupon on each of the two items) and you can put a 5$ or 10$ off of 50$ purchase or the like on-top of all of that, as long as you reach the requirements on the coupon, and its either that specific store’s competitor or one of their own deals.

Kohl’s:

I love checking out the clearance sections in Kohl’s! The last time I was there I bought a soft black dress, a black short sleeved shirt, a pair of pants, and a soft pair of gray and black yoga pants that I love sleeping and wearing around the house in, for just about $13 bucks, that the amazing cashier manage to bring down to (originally about $16) by letting me know about a 20% discount that’s online. There’s also a clearance section in the makeup/ self care section, where I got a pack of face masks for $1.40, and nose strips for about $2, and an EOS lip-balm for $1.99.

Thrift Stores:

They can be a hit or miss in both merchandise quality and pricing. I mainly go to thrift stores for heavy furniture, such as desks and book cases. Sometimes you can get a nice desk for $25 and sometimes it’ll cost you $100. The end of school season at the beginning of summer is a good time to go shopping for furniture, because some people will be graduating and moving on to a new place, and you don’t have that moving in to the dorms crowd quite yet.

#thrift #thrifting #budget #college #collegeboss #budgetstore #budgeting #cheapstores #store hacks #shopping #shopping tips #stores for college #stores for college students #shopping for college students #student shopping #Marie Kondo #on a budget

[collegeboss]

#solubility #chemistry #polarity #molecules #molecule polarity #molecule solubility #college #stem #stemblr

[collegeboss]

So fucking true

#physics #chemistry #sciences #STEM #stemblr #labs

[collegeboss]

The Skeleton of a Stingray.

#stingray #biology #skeleton #display #marine biology #marinelife #stingray skeleton #marine skeleton

[collegeboss]

Ignoring, or don’t even understand.

#chemistry #chemistry matters #science matters #education #vaccine #vaccines #get vaccinated #pro-vax #pro-vaccination #pro-vaxxer #anti-vaxxer logic #anti-vax #anti-vaxxer #science before religion #science before fear

[collegeboss]

Students Living in Hurricane Zones for the First Time, Here are Tips on How to Prepare:

First of all, should you stay in the area?

Category 1- Move light weight objects such as chairs, tiki torches, umbrellas, plastic tables, and grill tarps (plus small grills) inside before the storm hits land and stay inside once it does.

Category 2- Roads may be blocked by fallen over trees, and if massive flooding occurs, there may be partial or total road loss on both sides of the road due to sink holes.

Category 3- Only people who are prepared and don’t have to worry about flooding in their zone, trees falling on their house, or having to go without electricity for a few days would stay. Water will also not be available for a few days from the tap or stores. You might want to board-up windows.

Category 4- Only very ballsy (or slightly moronic) and extremely prepared people would stay. Board-up windows.

Category 5- Only the insane would stay in this case.

During the Season:

Keep a 32 pack of water bottles at all times

In a backpack keep a first aid kit, phone charger and power bank, tea light candles, a box of matches, a flashlight and batteries (if not a friction or solar powered light), enough cash for a hotel for a week, and a couple days worth of clothes and snacks.

If you stay:

Keep at-least one 32 pack of water bottles per person.

Fill your bathtub(s) with water before it hits land, so that you can still get a couple baths in, because it can be weeks or maybe months depending on the area, till you can get water on tap again with a cat 4-5 hurricane.

You can boarder up your windows with plywood, number them for the next storm and to remember what they were used for.

Never run your generator inside of the house or an enclosed space.

Never leave your generator unattended. Someone will try to steal it.

Keep a bat around in case someone tries to loot your place in the immediate aftermath. Make it clear that your place is indeed occupied.

Power grids with hospitals are prioritized first in power outages. If you have a friend who lives on the same power grid as a hospital, stay with them if a prolonged power outage is a near certainty.

If you leave:

The moment you know a cat 4-5 is heading your way, you make plans to leave.

The moment you make the decision to evacuate before its mandated, pack-up enough cloths for a week, grab a few snacks for the road, make reservations at a hotel a safe distance away from the path of the storm, and head out immediately. The sooner the better, because roadways can get congested to the point that you only move a foot every ten minutes and hotels completely booked for entire towns for a cat 4-5.

Try to book a hotel with free breakfast first.

Get extra containers of gas for the trip. Stations will start to run out, especially for cat 4-5, and have mile long lines.

Bring important papers and documents with you, they might get lost in the storm from the hurricane, intensive flooding, maybe a sinkhole, or looting.

Bring valuables such as laptops and tablets so that they don’t get looted and so that you can keep connected with whats going on, and don’t leave them unattended or unguarded while traveling.

#Hurricane #HurricaneSeason #hurricane preparation #hurricane season #hurricaneprep #hurricane zone #florida #studying in florida #living in florida #first hurricane

[collegeboss]

Nuclear Reactor Pulse (Cherenkov Radiation)

The blueish glow comes from a phenomenon called Cherenkov Radiation. This arises from the nuclear fission (splitting atoms) that then sends extremely high speed particles through the water from the energy of the nuclear process.

These particles travel faster than the speed of the light in water, and create a pulse. The light photons emitted from the water form a cone-like shape behind the high speed particles that are shot from the nuclear reaction and emit the powerful blue glow shown in the video.

This effect is similar to that of a sonic boom, but with light instead of sound. Similarly, when a jet travels faster than the speed of sound, it creates a cone like trail behind it, creating a shock-wave.

This video depicts a University of Texas TRIGA Nuclear Reactor powering on from 50w to 1484MW, at a peak temperature of 419 C (786F) in a time of 3.94ms.