University surplus is where they sell any and all items no longer needed by the school.

Though, I have also had some really good luck on govdeals for some stuff

I agree

I bought my color laser printer from the local university surplus store for $20…

Proton Drive just added photo backup to their app. It’s new, and lacking features, but automatic backups and sharing are working.

The whole proton suite is pretty good, I’ve been very pleased.

Plus one for Proton, I don’t use their password manager, but their other products I’ve been using and been pleased with. I consider it well worth the cost.

I don’t know current pricing, but a premium proton account, which was ~$9/month when I started has worked very well for me. I like the other features they are rolling out and use them a lot.

Domain is purchased through cloudflare, and I think it was like $10/year?

You can backup your messages with signal… I do it whenever I switch to a new phone.

Make sure to keep him away from any open wells

Not all degrees can be done in a classroom with a projector

Context.

I am a non traditional student, who has spent a significant amount of time working between highschool and college. The degree is about $18k/year for tuition. My STEM degree has a track record of 100% job placement, in your degree field, within one year of graduation. and, with a BS, average starting salary is approaching $80k.

With average rent and stuff, lets call it about $25k/year for the degree. Maybe $30k.

Is there stuff that the university is spending money on that they shouldn’t? Yes. But, we also have many millions of dollars in equipment, some for undergrad, and some for graduated program use. All that equipment/lab spaces takes up space, and that equipment, our professors, and the reputation of our graduates are what makes the companies want to hire from pur school. We’re not even that big of a school, but we have a large reputation for academics.

If you started cutting funding and forcing downsizing, you’re losing decades of experience im teaching, many hundreds of millions in labs and equipment, and reducing the quality of the education that can be offered.

Now, I will grant you that some schools are too expensive, or degrees aren’t worth the cost. And yes, changes in student loan structures are needed, but blanket statements, like that loans should be made illegal, is painting the issue with too broad of a brush stroke. What about making student loans able to be discharged in bankruptcy, and not being federally guaranteed? That could create an environment where loan companies are denying loans based on the cost vs income potential of the degree. Even with that though, we want to be very careful that it is structured in a way that is not going to disenfranchise low income students or minorities. Some degrees will either disappear, or get a lot cheaper. If you can’t get a loan for a $400k underwater basket weaving degree, then it will either go away, or get cheaper.

A lot of programs need space and equipment to effectively produce a good product. You don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water.

I make eye contact and just go, it’s why I have life insurance.

Knowing where one is starting is crucial to formulating a plan.

I was once in OP’s shoes, college drop out ten years ago, and not a lot of good job prospects. I am now less than a year out of a degree with an income potential close to or actually hitting 6 figures. I was able to work myself into a sound financial position and return to college. Now with a family, and a stay at home spouse.

Yes, there are a litany of socio-economic issues that can make things more difficult, but to say “getting a better paying job is never the answer” is false. It may be challenging, and it may take time, but there are rarely no options. I have a good friend with a felony, 7 years in prison, and a college drop out who is in a HCOL area who is able to support themselves well with a trade. Yeah, they work weird hours, but they make good money.

If you don’t mind sharing, what education do you have, and what are you currently doing for work?

The “college experience” is different for everyone. It’s also a relatively short period of your life. Instead of looking back with regret or dissapointment, look forward to what you can do after you graduate. Find community in your next endeavor, settle in, find ways you can help those in need around you. Plan adventures, build relationships with those you care about. It’s technically possible to settle somewhere and grow roots.

No, a short is a break in the wire. The wire is made up of multiple strands of copper, like a rope. If you shift the wire around, you can cause them to touch and continue to conduct. If the short isn’t very bad, this can be an intermittent issue, as time goes on it will get worse.

Low voltage electronics, like earbuds aren’t that dangerous. I was using a drill recently that I knew had a short in it and was just moving it around to make contact so I could finish the job. The cord eventually caught fire and I had to replace it.

There is probably a short in the cord. In my experience that tends to be a common failure point in that system.