Best products from r/UWMadison

Well boots and a coat are going to be your two main pieces of winter gear. You'll need hats, mittens, scarfs, etc too but those will be a far smaller expense.

Get ready for a different indoor temperature too, unless you want to spend a fortune on heating. It's currently 33 outside right now and we do not have our heat on. We usually don't turn it on until it gets below 65-60 inside. Sometimes rentals have heat included in the rent, and that is a huge advantage if you can find one like that. If you're paying for heat though, there are lots of guides out there on how to save money using things like programmable thermostats and window plastic wrap. Some other things that help me in terms of indoor comfort:

• Electric blanket - you can save some money by turning down the heat at night and bundling up, and an electric blanket will make sure you never get cold. At the very least make sure to get a very warm comforter for your bed.
  
• Slippers and good thick wool socks
  
• Layers layers layers. Not only does it get wicked cold here, but temperatures often fluctuate wildly. For example, it was 70 and sunny two days ago and now it's freezing (literally.) Wool tights are awesome.
  
  Another handy (lol) thing for the outdoors are mittens/gloves with conductive material for operating your phone while not freezing your hand off. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Winterwolf-Touchscreen-Gloves-Smartphones-Tablets/dp/B0192RZ9QQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1479575315&sr=8-8&keywords=smartphone+mittens
  
  You'll need a bunch of stuff (shovels, sidewalk salt, etc) if you end up renting a house, but you don't need to worry about that right now. It wouldn't be worth it to buy that stuff now and move it here, and you could probably get it here way cheaper (do they even sell that stuff in Florida?)
  
  One thing you'll definitely want to invest in when you get here is some hand lotion and chapstick. Cold weather dries out your skin a ton.
  
  Make sure to check out that winter car stuff. Besides that, what you need will depend a lot on personal preference which you can figure out when you get here.
  
  

I recently graduated but took Japanese in my freshman year. I imagine a lot of people in the class have learned hiragana before to some level independently since it's one of the more accessible things you can learn about Japanese without a class. That said, it's not a prerequisite for the class so I wouldn't be too worried about it (if it's the most beginner class)

If it bothers you that you are slower than others then my only advice would be to just do extra practice from a hiragana workbook (linked below) and in Genki. I really would recommend writing them as that would probably help you remember them better and then practice reading dialogues in the book, etc. In the end, all that matters is that you learn them and pass exams and such so I would worry about that more than how others are doing and I think you'll enjoy it more and actually learn more, which is the whole point :). Japanese is really a labor of love if you wanna get good, especially after the first courses. But don't let that scare you because it is also very interesting! Just find your pace and stick with it.

I used this book when learning and found it helpful by the way.

Columbia Womens Morning Light II Omni Heat Long Jacket Coat Puffer (XS, Teal) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBMH9WF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_C9roDbG7A8H3K

I love this Columbia one! It’s super thin, easy to clean, and really warm. You’ll definitely want to get a parka (it really helps with the wind). Also, you don’t need to spend more than $100, or even $80. A good winter coat doesn’t have to be super expensive.

2015 EE grad here. Unless there's a stellar instructor, I would not enroll in Physics 202 if you've already met the requirement through AP. Granted I had a pretty horrible experience my freshman year with downright poor instructors, so I have some bias.

You'll do a review of circuit analysis in ECE 230 where the the analysis techniques are taught again in a much more methodical way from the outset. The physics department does not do the introductory courses justice in my opinion. You very well may have had a more thorough experience in your AP course. My only advice is to practice electrostatics, as the instructors for ECE 220 are hit and miss. The text for the electrodynamics sequence is probably still Ulaby (old version here). I'd recommend reviewing statics from there. It's a good reference and still on my desk at work.

Physics 202 or equivalent credit is also a prerequisite for ECE 235 - Solid State Electronics - so check out that course description as well. I applied more from Math 222 and ECE 320 to the wave theory of that course though. I don't think 202 really touched on it much.

So, be happy you don't have to sit through those two lectures, two discussions, and a three hour lab every week should you choose not to! Oh dear, and WebAssign. You won't ever have to use WebAssign! Consider also that 5 credits are worth quite a lot, and getting a jump on the core ECE curriculum may set you up to graduate early. There are so many better ways to use 5 credits in ECE/CS advanced electives down the road.

Congrats on the 5!

I have this High Sierra Bag.

Pros: It's got a lot of pocket options, include a very easy to access laptop sleeve. It's pretty well balanced even when it's quite heavy. It includes a rain cover that you can use to keep stuff dry when walking or biking in a downpour. Also mine is a nice color and I like the way it looks.

Cons: Because it's easy to carry and has a lot of pockets, it's easy to leave stuff in it and it will get heavy. You might not use all the pockets. It's big too (both a pro/con depending on your laptop size), though it helps that you can cinch it down a bit.

Long story short, I would buy the same kind again if I was replacing this bag.

Correct. More fluid dynamics than thermodynamics. This will be your life your junior year unless something has changed, but I'm pretty sure this book has remained a constant throughout the years. Holton's Dynamic Meteorology. This used to be the book for AOS 310 and 311...the junior dynamics courses. 330 and 340 focus on Atmospheric physics. Topics can be found here, but that's where your thermodynamics come in. You'll spend more time on fluid dynamics than you do on thermodynamics. There are two physics based courses, but they cover a wider range of topics. The dynamics classes are narrower in scope, but a lot harder in my opinion.

Just lock it properly. Sturdy u-lock and a cable. The goal is to make it not worth a thief's time. So a more expensive bike requires more sophisticated deterrents.

Priorities when locking:

1. U-lock through frame, one wheel, and rack; cable through other wheel
   
2. U-lock through frame and rack; cable through wheels
   
3. Worst case scenario: cable through frame and wheels; u-lock to rack
   
   ---
   
   An example of the lock/cable setup can be found here: amazon
   
   Personally, I use a slim u-lock like this because it's lighter, but it has the draw back of being more difficult to find the right fit for some racks.
   
   If you would like to know more on the topic this video is a great resource.

Also with a U-lock, it is nicer to get a larger one, because that way you can usually get your front wheel and frame locked to the bike rack which is safer

This is the one i have and it works great

You can buy your own security key and register it if you really need one. There are plenty on Amazon for around $20, like this. Make sure you don't pay extra for one with NFC if you don't have a phone.

Or have a friend who doesn't want a token/fob give you their free one.

A good supplement to the text and practice problems is "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language"

Puts everything in relatively easy terms, has a lot of good practice problems, and tends to follow the coursework pretty well.

Organic Chemistry As a Second Language: First Semester Topics https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119110661/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5-XMybHHZP51R

nah you need special bike lube, something like this https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Synthetic-Blend-Bottle/dp/B000AOA290/ref=zg_bs_3405601_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TJH4MZDZFW64S7SRPK0Q

just stop by any bike store, they'll have it for cheap, or maybe even do it for free. If you do just buy some, don't be conservative with applying it. make sure you get it on everything.

I bought [this Columbia jacket](Columbia Men's Barlow Pass 550 TurboDown Jacket, Large, Peat Moss https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N53VVWB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cKz9Bb989YSVN) a while back and it’s been glorious in the winter, sometimes I would get sweaty walking downtown.

You could scrounge up a copy of Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I have heard very good things.

You definitely risk being written up and possibly kicked out if you do it, so probably better to find a nice place to walk to.

If you're gonna do it though, get a smoke buddy and some ozium and keep your shit in a safe or hidden well. You could also get a vape.

It's been that way since at lease 2009 so strap in for a hot winter 😎


You could try covering the radiator in this: https://www.amazon.com/Reflective-Insulation-Industrial-Commercial-Weatherproofing/dp/B07G653KPM/ref=asc_df_B07G653KPM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312200580937&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7615610474978146275&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=aud-801738734305:pla-569700654843&psc=1

If you aced ochem 343 and 345 biochem will be a breeze. It might be a good idea to take 507/508 though, as it is taught by the guys who literally wrote the book on the subject

So from a quick google, would something like this suffice then?

https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Band-Super-Fast-Gigabit-MU-MIMO-RT-ACRH13/dp/B01LXL1AR8/ref=sr_1_4?qid=1556232594&refinements=p_89%3AAsus&s=pc&sr=1-4

Do you have an air filter? Try something like

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q1S7GGJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Elements-Programming-Interviews-Insiders-Guide This book is also offered in Java, Python

This book goes into better details than the normal tech interview (Cracking the Coding Interview) it will teach you common ways to solve problems as well as good programming practices as well as how to handle the interview and the offer.


Then you could be practicing problems on Leetcode.com, however I cannot speak for exactly how Epic interviews but I have interviewed at larger companies they should be similar.