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When it comes to books, you should always wait until the first day of class so the professor goes over what you will need for the course. For some classes you might not even need a book at all! You will not be using the book very much if at all the first week of the quarter so you will be perfectly fine waiting until the first day or two to order your books! I recommend avoiding the bookstore because it tends to be overpriced. Amazon has much better deals if you want a new book. For used books, join the Textbooks for Sale Facebook page, which is part of the UC Davis groups on Facebook. Also, many people obtain their books in PDF format online or through others who have taken the course. While this is not legal, it does provide for a very cheap alternative to buying your books (but again, it is illegal in most cases unless the publisher has explicitly released the book online in PDF format free of charge!)

I live in West Village as well actually! If you are in a furnished apartment you will get a bed, desk, nightstand and dresser to yourself. You also get a TV stand, living room table, dining table, and a sofa included that you will share. I recommend coordinating with your housemates on what to bring. That is what I did and it is way better than bringing 4 sets of silverware, plates, etc. Is there anything specific you'd like to know about that you should bring? The bare minimum (computer, clothes, kitchen utensils) is what I brought and I am doing just fine!

As for bikes, I recommend a single speed or standard road bike for commuting. The commute from West Village to the middle of campus on bike is 5-7 minutes depending on how fast you biking.

If you are looking to spend under $300 then buy a nice, used road bike when you get to Davis. There is a Bikes for Sale page for UC Davis on Facebook that is regularly updated! Craigslist works fine too. If you are looking to spend $300 or more, ($300 to $500 can get you a good quality bike that will last you throughout college) I recommend checking out this website: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm

I personally ride a Single Speed and I love it! It has no gears so you don't need to worry about shifting. It is lightweight, fast, and reliable. I have the Windsor The Hour from BikesDirect (it was $300 when I got it). I recommend the Mercier Kilo TT if they have it in stock (it is extremely popular so it is hard to find in stock). Otherwise the Dawes SST AL and Windsor TheHour/Clockwork are great too!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Edit: I almost forgot! Thanks for reminding me /u/nTranced. A good U-lock is a must in Davis. Bike theft isn't extremely common but it does happen from time to time. If you have a nice bike make sure it is locked up with a U-lock. I personally recommend this lock as it is a good combination of price and effectiveness: http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Kryptolok-Standard-Bicycle-FlexFrame/dp/B005YPK8G2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405012899&sr=8-1&keywords=kryptonite+bike+lock

Hello fellow lonely grad student! What I've done on weekends before is walk from Sac downtown to midtown, grab a coffee/beer on a patio somewhere and watch life go by outside. I'll sometimes bring my laptop to get some extra work done, but getting out of town for a bit does wonders for my mental health.

If you wanted to stay in Davis, a long walk/bike ride through the arboretum followed by a refreshing beverage downtown is also nice.

I have a relatively inexpensive hammock that I'll bring with me in my backpack, find a good shady spot to hang it up, and read and relax for a while. Davis has a ton of great parks with perfect spots for this. If you live anywhere near the Covell Greenbelt, I'd definitely recommend wandering around there. I've also found McKinley park in Sac to be a good option.

Yeah, basically always lock your back wheel and frame with a U-lock to a sturdy, stationary object (There are plenty of bike parking racks. NEVER lock your bike to just itself or another bike). That's bare minimum. That's usually sufficient if you're going to just be in class for an hour or two.

In Davis, cable locks are just a visual deterrent. They're essentially useless, especially if you have a nice bike.

If you have quick-release, either swap them out for regular wheels or be very vigilant about locking both wheels with U-locks.

If you have a nice bike, never park it outside at night on campus. Also, try not to leave your bike outside if you're going to be away (going home for the weekend, winter break, etc.). There are people who go hunting for bikes and bike parts at night and especially during breaks when nobody is around.

It's also a good idea to take a short chain/cable and thread it through your frame and bike seat, just so that's secure too.

Contrary to popular belief, bigger is not better when it comes to U-locks. You want the thickest, fattest, smallest U-lock possible that fits your bike. For example, this mini U-lock would probably do better than this standard U-lock. The idea is, the longer the U-lock, the more space it gives thieves to use for leverage to pry open your lock. I'm not sure if you buy into that, but mechanically it makes sense, and the smaller ones also happen to be cheaper too. Some of my friends with really nice bikes (think $500+) have two small, fat U-locks and they do their job well.

I've also heard that you do want two different types of locks (U-lock and a thick cable, for instance), because that means thieves have to carry two different tools to break the two different locks. This is up to you, and I still think two U-locks are fine.

You can call any bike shop and they'll help! It's worth a try at least. Good luck!

Not directly specific to dorms but even if you're not in a math-intensive class I swear by having a good calculator that has memory and can keep track of multiple lines of calculations. It's not just useful for homework, but also for things like budgeting. It doesn't have to be a top-line model, but something like this Casio makes life a lot easier whenever you have to do math.

In terms of more home supplies stuff, powdered gatorade is great to have. Hydration is important for keeping your energy up and being able to make gatorade on the fly as long as you have a water bottle and a working water fountain in the dorms is very helpful.

Despite being offered by the philosophy department, logic is much like a math class. It's best to treat it that way when it comes to studying. Do as many practice problems as you need -- there are plenty exercises around online and in textbooks. Schaum's Outlines is dirt cheap.

The pace of the class shouldn't be too bad -- UCD dedicates a full quarter to just propositional logic. It's common to see 12 and 112 combined in a single class.

The course will follow this rough outline:

• Learn the logical language and syntax. Then translate natural language sentences into the logical language. The major step here is understanding the connectives, which are the words like 'and' and 'or' used to construct complex propositions out of simpler ones.
  
  
• Then you'll learn the semantics, how the truth value of a complex proposition is determined from the truth values of its constituents and the manner in which they're combined. The technique used here is the truth table method. Truth tables are completely deterministic -- if you learn the process and practice, you'll have no problem.
  
  
• Next you learn the syntactic method of proofs (usually in what's known as a Fitch-style natural deduction). These are used to show which deductions follow from given assumptions, without any attention paid to the specific meanings of the sentences -- just the manner in which they're constructed. This is typically the hardest part of the course for students, because they won't teach you a simple process to solving them like truth tables. But again, if you practice, and learn how to work backward from the goal, it's not so bad.

I recommend getting a U-Lock along with an extension cable. You want to put the U-Lock somewhere through the rear triangle like this.
This locks the rear wheel and the frame. Then you want to loop the extension cable through the U-Lock and put it through your front tire so it is also secure. Kryptonite, Abus, and On Guard are all good lock brands. Something like this lock would work fine, but there are more expensive options if you want to be more secure. I personally use this lock. All locks are about buying time because an angle grinder can cut through any lock in a few minutes. I suggest parking it to something secure, something public, and well-lit. Also, make sure to register your bike through TAPS because if someone steals your bike or puts a lock on it, they won't be able to help you. Good luck!

I would suggest making a counseling appointment at the student health and wellness center. But in the meantime, I would suggest taking walks, doing breathing exercises, etc to try to distract yourself. Having a support system is really important too, so try to talk to your roommate(s), friends, family, etc about it so that they can help you!

If you can, I would suggest getting The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook because that's helped me a lot with trying to find ways to cope with my anxiety and address the root causes (it also has audio activities online for you to listen to). Oftentimes, panic attacks and anxiety are caused because we are too tense and don't even realize it; are you clenching your jaw right now? Are your shoulders scrunched up? These are things we do every day that send stress signals to our brain, and we don't even realize that we're doing them. Breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation exercises are super helpful for me (both of which I learned from the workbook but you can also find videos for online), I did them every day for a few weeks last spring quarter and it probably saved me from a few panic attacks.

Here's a link to the workbook if you wanna check it out: https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Phobia-Workbook-Edmund-Bourne/dp/1626252157/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1538276019&sr=8-3&keywords=the+anxiety+and+phobia+workbook

Just remember that you're not alone! It's scary and difficult, but there are so many people who are in the same boat as you and I highly suggest reaching out to loved ones about what you're going through because chances are at least one of them will be able to relate. I hope things get better for you very soon!

Comcast is the only provider here that you can get any decent speeds with.. ATT has crappy service compared to comcast in most areas. You can get a decent connection for about $30 a month for the first year (50% discount your first year), and it goes up after to regular price. Some people I know have just called after the first year, and sometimes can get the discount renewed, so that's something to keep in mind, though I have not done it myself. I recommend buying your own router and modem, as the stuff comcast provides is trash.

Get something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SURFboard-SB6141-DOCSIS-High-Speed/dp/B007IMPMW4

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Archer-AC1750-Smart-Router/dp/B00BUSDVBQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527283056&sr=1-1&keywords=archer+c7

Getting these will last you several years at a minimum (so long as you aren't worried about things like DDWRT/open WRT... if you don't know what the heck these are don't worry, for more enthusiast users) the modem/router I posted are like the best mid-range options. Comcast usually rents their equipment, and their equipment is... well... garbage, so please invest in your own hardware.

Hope this helps.

Please go buy a niosh N-95 mask to protect your lungs. You can get them online, or at Ace Hardware, Hibbert Lumber, or Kelly Moore Paint in Davis.

Keep your windows, doors, and vents closed to prevent smoke from getting in your living areas.

Refrain from using the heat or AC in your vehicles, keep the windows closed, and keep the air on recycle.

Encourage your friends, classmates, and instructors to wear masks for their own safety.

If you buy a ten pack, consider handing out extras to those without. You can use one mask for quite a while, so you'll have plenty left over.

Sincerely, a concerned alum living in Santa Rosa, where classes have been cancelled.

I've heard that AT&T is really inconsistent and drops all the time.

Comcast has been pretty good for me this last year. If you just want internet, they have a 50mbps plan for $35/month for the first 9 months. This isn't really written anywhere, but you can call or walk in. Ask if they offer student discounts too.

If you are going to be living in Davis for a while, you might want to buy your own cable modem for $70-90. ISPs charge something like $6-8/month to rent one from them, so the cost cancels out eventually. Both of these are approved by Comcast. The black one maxes out at 170mbps, the white on tops out at 300mbps (not that Comcast will give you anything close to those speeds, its just future proofing).

Motorola SB121 - 170mbps - $70

Motorola SB141 - 300mbps - $90

From another socal person:

Waterproof jacket WITH A HOOD is really useful, and waterproof shoes (not necessarly rainboots! I'm talking more like hiking shoes) are VERY helpful.

Also, some sort of backpack cover, or a waterproof backpack is really helpful (you'll get tired of trash bags eventually if you're active. I personally use one of https://www.amazon.com/Gemeer-Backpack-Security-Transparent-Reinforced/dp/B07GCBJF7H/ref=sr_1_41?ie=UTF8&qid=1542926272&sr=8-41&keywords=clear+backpack

This sort, because at the time I could not afford a totally waterproof backpack, and wanted something more sturdy than a cover.

There's something called a Scrubba which could be helpful to you! It's basically a portable washing bag with bumps and stuff inside of it to help you wash your clothes. Hope it helps!

https://www.amazon.com/Scrubba-Wash-Bag-Portable-Backpacking/dp/B01N68XF0O/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=scrubba&qid=1568128689&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Or an Aeropress for even better portability (I fucking love my Aeropress and use it on a daily basis).

I would get the Acer. I might even consider this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-V3-551G-X419-15-6-Inch-Midnight/dp/B00AYT8H3Y/ref=amtcd_B00DKFFFXO_B00AYT8H3Y/181-0719632-0988565

For the money, the Acer is giving you more hardware (i.e. discrete GPU). And while you won't need a discrete GPU for coding, if you are deciding between 2 laptops at the same price, might as well get the better hardware.

That being said, Lenovo is known to have the better keyboards (especially after IBM sold off their laptop line to them).

I think there are better options out there, but the Acer Aspire is fine for that price point.

Education is the only way to convince people. Here's the best documentary of the whole 30 year conflict that i strongly suggest people learning from!
https://www.amazon.com/Trial-By-Fire/dp/B07PN615ZN/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+world+wars&qid=1571372436&rnid=2625374011&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1

I will definitely do that! Also If people are interested I have BANG! The Bullet! which I could bring sometime!

I bought it used off Amazon Marketplace (so it won't arrive for another week or so). Hold on while I find a link.

Edit: It seems like the price on Amazon has gone up considerably. Here's a link anyways. I would recommend searching by ISBN instead of by name, especially when looking for older versions of the textbook.

Not technically a case, but a sleeve rather, the Acme Made Skinny Sleeve Small has been the first case that I've actually liked on one of my laptops in years. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F8H2O4E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's also wise to buy a cable modem yourself since you won't get charged to rent theirs.

If you buy your own it will pay itself off in about a year (7$/mo) and anything after that is pure savings.

I'd suggest using a good U Lock like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Kryptolok-Standard-Bicycle-FlexFrame/dp/B005YPK8G2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469132985&sr=8-1&keywords=kryptonite+u+lock

Lock the frame/front wheel to the bike rack and loop the cable around your back tire. This should be enough deterrence to safely leave your bike outside.

That said, if the professional thieves want your bike, there's no lock you can get to stop them. I wouldn't lock up a $2000 road bike outside, but your bike should be fine I'd imagine.

I got this and so far it works well
https://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Kryptolok-Standard-Bicycle-FlexFrame/dp/B005YPK8G2/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1498956005&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=kryptonite+u+lock&psc=1

Shorten the url next time. It looks hideous: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005YPK8G2/