(Part 3) Top products from r/VirginiaTech

I'm old, and I cling firmly to the age-old adage of "Never go cheap on anything that rests between you and the earth." That includes shoes, tires and mattresses.



If you buy "Bean Boots" get the flannel/chamois lined ones at a minimum. Saving $20 for the unlined ones is a bad move.
The Thinsulate-lined ones and shearling (fur) lined ones are almost too warm for Virginia, but if you are unaccustomed to cold weather, it might not be a terrible purchase.

DO buy 3 pair of tall, thick boot socks to go with your new pair of boots, and make sure you try the boots on with the socks.

Personally, I don't care for duck boots. (any boot with the leather upper attached to a rubber bottom)
I prefer an all-leather boot for cold-weather.

Some random products:

https://www.amazon.com/Rockport-Mens-Elkhart-Snow-Boot/dp/B00F4OAMO6

https://www.amazon.com/Timberland-Chillberg-Mid-Waterproof-Insulated/dp/B0199NCPF6

https://www.amazon.com/Vasque-Snowblime-Ultradry-Insulated-Brindle/dp/B00TYJ29XE

https://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Mens-SNOWCROSS-Snow-Black/dp/B07JH35HZQ/

I prefer dark leather, so it looks like a dress shoe at first glance.

Some key features:

1. You want to see the word(s) "Waterproof" or "Water proof".
   

• Slushy melted snow loves to sneak inside non-waterproof shoes and make you walk around with soggy socks. Wet feet get really cold really quickly.
  
• You don't have to see "Gore-Tex" for the boot to be waterproof.
  

2. You want to see a nice, chunky tread pattern on the boot. Something that can bite into packed snow and give you traction & stability.
   

• Pro-Tip: It is good manners to always stomp your boots clear just before you enter a building. Chunky treads sometimes fill with snow and carry it with you in the cleats.
  

3. You want something that at least goes up over your ankles. A 6 to 8" boot is plenty. 9-12" boots are really only intended for deep woods activities.
   
4. Resist the temptation to buy something with a zipper up the side, or velcro closure instead of big long laces. Laces are the way to go.
   
   If you apply a leather treatment to the boots at the end of every winter, before you throw them in the back of your closet, they will last 20 years or more.
   
   If you want to go old-school, and use something natural & traditional then:
   this or maybe this
   
   If you prefer to let science do the work for you then:
   
   this or maybe this could be the way to go.
   
   
   -----
   
   If money is tight, or if you are going to travel back home to Arizona after college and you'll likely never need cold-weather boots again in your life, anything $60 or so at Target or Walmart really can work just fine.
   
   Also, as I said before, good boots last a really long time. Weird as used shoes might be, Goodwill isn't as crazy an option as it might sound.
   
   -----
   
   Final comment on boot socks:
   
   Cotton and Acrylic socks are cheap and easy to find, and work adequately.
   But real wool is the warmest and toughest way to go, hands-down, and a super-soft merino wool is almost as soft as cotton.

Notes

• Most of these trails are quote rocky, and during the winter months can be quite icy/slick. Please be careful of your footing and if it's your first time on a particular hike, bring a buddy along for safety.
  
  
• Take out what you carry in. Nothing's worse than a disgusting trail or a spoiled river or a ruined overlook. Clean up after yourself and leave only footsteps.
  
  
• Little cars can get you to all of these trailheads. I drove my old '95 Honda Accord (RIP) to all of them. So . . . it's not like you need a quad bike for them.
  
  
• DNR and Forestry cops are crawling around these areas. Please be careful and know that if you're doing anything weird, they will bust you (I've seen it happen once, they thought some dudes were smoking dope).
  
  
• If you fish in many of these areas, you are required to have a fishing license, and a Nat'l Forest Stamp. My roommates were once busted for this.
  
  
• A lot of these little towns are speed traps, so drive carefully.
  
  
• Most of these trips can be completed in as little as an afternoon. Most of the time I didn't bring anything, although a pack with some water and a snack/meal would be fine/is kinda recommended.
  
  
• For footwear, I recommend Merrell hiking shoes with Gore Tex. They're expensive yet, they were awesome and my feet were kept very dry, even when walking through mud.
  
  
• If you've done some of these hikes and want to know more, I strongly recommend the book by Leaonard M. Adkins 50 Hikes in Southern Virginia: From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. It was my hiker's bible during my time at Tech. When it comes to maps, these National Geographic maps are incredible. I used the Mount Rogers one quite a bit. As I recall the Blacksburg one was kind of meh. Also, if you'd like to know a bit more about the AT, a good start is David Miller's AWOL on the Appalachian Trail.
  
  
• AT thru hikers are . . . interesting people. Feel free to ask them questions. They'll probably ask you a few, also (how far to __? what day is it? etc).
  
  
• Stay safe and happy hiking!

I'm not sure how well known this is any more, but there used to be a half decent music scene in Blacksburg. After the accident at The Solar Haus the town put a lock down on house shows and pretty much strangled what momentum there was. Still, there are some cool things that have come from their recently like the Wild Nothing record.

Get Rocked Out used to be a good way to find out about shows and meet other musicians, and a quick look shows there's still some light activity on their boards. It's not totally homogeneous, but there is a strong slant toward DIY/punk/hardcore 'round those parts.

If you or anyone in that scene need a good engineer to make a record, PM me it would be a fun excuse to come back to the burg. Epiphenomena by The Science was recorded at VT's studio and the mixed with my rig.

Good luck in your search!

This. Listen to this guy. I hate my fujitsu. They are a waste of money. Having worked in VT Tech Support, I can tell you that the engineering department completely disregarded the findings on the inferior quality of hardware in the fujitsu tablets because they got a good partnership. A good buddy of mine who is also a MechE spent his money on a really nice laptop and got this to go with it and safe to say I am very jealous... I wish I had known before my freshman year.

Another thing, you will only use the tablet your freshman year of engineering. I have not had to use it in any other classes (and I'm a MechE).

Also, get a solid printer. Don't get a printer from the bookstore, especially not an Espon. Here is what I have and I love it. Just recently smashed my Epson with a golf club.

Congrats on getting in!

I am a sophomore cs student going into my 4th semester. Here's my experience with the calculator policies for tests in different classes:

• Math: No calculator allowed or only a 4-function allowed.
  
• Physics: Any calculator allowed except for those expensive TI Nspire CX ones with like LED screens. They never checked during exams. Also formula sheets were allowed for exams so you only ever needed the basic functions anyway.
  
• CS: Never needed a calculator for any cs classes.
  
  I always use a TI-84 cause that's just what I own, but I really only use it for the screen size. Any calculations can be done on a 4-function or scientific calculator like you have. When I don't have a calculator with me, I'm able to use my phone calculator app or try to always keep wolfram alpha or symbolab open in a tab on my computer which is helpful for explaining stuff and a larger range of calculations. In other words, you should be fine with the scientific calculator for 1035 that you have, but a more expensive one will make calculations easier, faster, and possibly more accurate (in my experience the keys on the scientific calculators don't register sometimes and are less sensitive than the nicer calculators, which can mess up a calculation - pain in the ass when you don't realize a button didn't register at the beginning of a multi step calculation until after the fact). There are a lot of ti-83's and ti-84's on eBay that are pretty cheap. I just looked and the first couple results were all under/around $40. Hope this helps!

Yes, the lab is mandatory. If you are currently enrolled in lecture but not lab, you will need to try to force/add a lab section (and will probably not have any choice on times--you'll probably be placed where ever they can find a space). However, contrary to advice here, you should not wait for the first day of class to request a force/add from the instructor. In CS, all force/adds for undergraduate courses are handled centrally through an online form and you cannot force/add into a class just by going on the first day of class. The force/add policy description and link to the online form are on the CS website here: https://cs.vt.edu/Undergraduate/ForceAdd.html.

Regarding your computer, a MacBook or MacBook Pro is fine. Pretty much any decent notebook computer (whether Win/Mac/Linux) will work. No touch screen is required. All software is provided for free and is available for download from Canvas once you're in the course. The software is cross-platform and runs on about any OS. There is a required course textbook. I'm not sure if it is listed at the bookstore or not, but it is usually this one: https://www.amazon.com/Objects-First-Java-Practical-Introduction/dp/0134477367. An older 5th edition will probably also work, but you can find out on the first day of class when the instructor goes over the syllabus requirements. If you wait until the first week of classes to get the textbook, you'll still be fine.

I actually saved that from my search earlier. I picked up a nice inexpensive messenger bag, but I'll probably just use it for fun/when I feel like it.

I already bought a laptop sleeve as well.

I've kinda narrowed it down between what you posted and this Targus backpack

That's just it though, a company pays a large amount of money to license the VT logo, so they have to make it up somewhere. Additionally frames aren't cheap, and even places like amazon are 100-150 ish (try VT Frame But if you want something without the VT logo, try Michaels or a framing store not near the university. Otherwise, take your original, order a couple extra copies (25-50 bucks each or so) and thumb tack it to the wall. When one fades/wears out, put next one up. Every 5-7 years you'll have a fresh diploma on the wall and still come out ahead (please don't do this).

Get one of the mattress pads for those beds...trust me they make it so much more comfortable to sleep on and aren't too pricey. (Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Innovations-2-Inch-Memory-Mattress/dp/B002NEG15E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373695774&sr=8-2&keywords=foam+mattress+pad+extra+long+twin )

I assume he's talking about Bose IE2 In-Ear headphones. Here they are on Amazon.

I got them on sale at BestBuy a year ago for $80, and got a $10 or $15 two-year accidental coverage warranty through them. I flew to Europe that same day and was incredibly thankful I got them, because they were the first pair of headphones that I could comfortably wear while asleep and leaning up against a wall or pillow. They were also the first pair of >$20 headphones I bought, and there's no going back.

Yes totally bring it, you will more than likely buy Box Fans to help with air flow if your in a dorm without AC. Probably my biggest mistake was buying a expensive laptop when what I should've done was buy a decent small laptop and spend the main amount of money on an actual PC.

I said this in the other thread: If you're an engineer, do not buy a $1500 Tablet PC. Instead, get whichever laptop you want plus a $60 external USB tablet. Your wallet will thank me.

I'll also recommend the Wacom Bamboo Tablet...here is another one that's about $20 cheaper.

This is the router to buy, no questions about it. Just go ahead and do it regardless of what you currently own. It'll make everything easier, and that router can be hacked in about 2 minutes to give it features that usually cost around $600 to get. As for helping you out, I'm not adverse. I should be in town Thursday through Sunday of that week, but earlier in the week I think I may be travelling.

http://www.amazon.com/Pinzon-Basics-Overfilled-Microplush-Mattress/dp/B002DELZ7I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373688087&sr=8-2&keywords=twin+xl+mattress+topper

Freshman and sophomore year I had a backpack because I bought books. My last year in school I was scanning all my books into PDF's in the library and just carrying my laptop and a binder.

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Laptop-Backpack-15-6-Inch-laptops/dp/B0024IGH3A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312785349&sr=8-2 -- that's what I got.

But seriously, the key feature you'll want is waterproof. My first backpack had a "backpack condom" built in that you could pull out and make it waterproof quickly. The belkin one has waterproofing built in.

edit: I got around with a bike 90% of the time...messenger bags blow while riding a bike.

From experience, after about 7-8 days, the quality drops off a bit. By 10-12 days, I think there's a noticeable loss of flavor.

At the risk of sending you down a dangerous rabbit hole, this dripper is what I use with the OEM filters. When I'm on travel/vacation, I grind with the Hario mini which produces a nice, consistent grind (as inexpensive grinders go). AT 10-11 clicks out from the finest setting it will take about 2 minutes to grind 15-17 grams (enough for 350-400ml of water, and faster than said water will boil in a typical microwave).

If you batch your beans into zip-lok baggies (~1 weeks worth each) you can freeze them and they will easily hold for a month.


Other roasters of note in the area include Red Rooster (in Floyd) and ones who's name I can't remember in Draper - Sugar Magnolia on main sells the latter. Both are more expensive (those two ~$16-18/12oz) than Mill Mountain ($13-15/16 oz) and I've not found them "better". Then again, I'm not a big fan of modern, fruity/acidic coffee.

Some of this is your professors fault, there are some rooms WITH outlets, they just didn't request them. All of surge has outlets in the floor and first class AV systems, but engineering professors never want to teach there because they have to walk farther. Many rooms in Surge are only booked an hour a day.

Most buildings on campus were designed and built well before computers were smaller than the size of rooms, so power wasn't event remotely thought about, because of this much of it cannot by code be retrofitted. To get power in these rooms requires power to be run directly from the breaker, if the breaker(which was probably installed in 1960) isn't designed for it, it has to be replaced(many thousands of dollars), lines have to be run, outlets installed, total cost for a room is probably on the order of $10-15k, many thousands more if asbestos has to be touched in any way which is EVERYWHERE in lots of the old buildings. Multiply that by every room on campus and you see why just adding power isn't a trivial task.

Some rooms have them, ask your professor to request one of these rooms, many rooms have power along the walls, bring a small travel power strip and sit near the wall. MOAR POWER

tl;dr tell your prof to stop requesting the room across from his office that was last renovated in 1972 or deal with it.