u/MrsCutiePea

I have a 2015 Macbook air and I was frantically searching for a new laptop, as my macbook is not compatible with my college's software. As I was on the verge of panicking, emailing my mentor, and nearly calling it quits my mother in law arose like a beautiful phoenix as a savior. She gave me her old Lenovo Yoga 730 from 2021/2022. It is compatible with my school's software!

But is it reliable? I've heard the hinges aren't so great but I don't plan on using the tablet feature often or at all. Does it run smoothly through long testing? It has to make it through not only my main courses but also my student teaching, which means a lot of moving around and basically being abused by little kids.

I'm from the US. I need a laptop for college but I'm super broke and my budget is maximum $200, preferably $100-$150, so I'm pretty open to getting refurbished laptops. It's needs to support microsoft 365, windows 11 (or MacOS 12+), 8GB of RAM, 256GB+ SSD, 2.0 GHz processor.

Any recommendations on laptops that have these requirements and any reputable places to buy refurbished?

UPDATE: My amazing mother in law gave me her lenova yoga 730 and said I can keep it! Thank you for the suggestions!

I love pigeons so much. We don't have pigeons where I am from because I live in a small rural town from the south. I did, however, used to live next to NYC and boston and would often visit the pigeons. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I wish I could have a pigeon as a pet but I know I wouldn't be able to give it the best life possible

I AM TIRED of the anti-pigeon propaganda. Yes they build bad nests but it's because they usually nest on high flat area, so they build bad nests just so their eggs don't roll away. No they do not build bad nests because of humans. NO pigeons are not spies. NO pigeons are not dirty. Pigeons are graceful birds. The happiest of birds. We domesticated them years ago and when they no longer served a purpose for us we abandoned them. so YES i love pigeons. YES i what a pigeon sanctuary on some mike tyson shit. and NO you are not cute or funny for scaring the pigeons. they are BEAUTIFUL and i wish i could give them all the grains and fruits and pet them!

be a good person, love a pigeon. but not in a weird way.

A couple days ago I applied for the Online Access Scholarship. My Macbook is very old and does not support microsoft 365 and I can only use safari. For my orientation task I had to borrow a family members computer. I cannot afford to buy a new computer or buy a webcam. Ive heard that because of how many people are going to WGU now they're denying a lot of people for this scholarship. I am terrified they will deny me and I won't be able to complete my program.

Has anyone else in my situation applied to the Online Access Scholarship? Were you denied? What do I do if I am denied?

Just finished my orientation just waiting on my assessment task to be approved in case I have to make revisions. My mentor is Jennifer Elliot , anyone else had her? How is she?

Super excited to start my courses!

My start date is June 1st for BA in Elementary Ed. I stay at home while my husband works so I plan on doing atleast 45 hours a week of course work and studying. I'm hoping to graduate in 1.5 years, maybe a year if I really work at it.

How far are you into your degree?

I start June 1st. I'm pretty broke right now so I can't really afford a $50 webcam, I'll buy it if I have to but is there cheaper options that are WGU approved?

Also I know in the orientation they say they recommend a computer you bought within 2 years. I have 2015 macbook, technically I did buy it last year second hand and it was completely factory reset but I can't afford a new computer. Is this going to be a big issue?

My husband has a computer he bought in 2022 worse comes the worse, but I prefer to use my own computer.

I'm currently in college for my bachelors in elementary education. I've always wanted to learn ASL but thought it was too daunting and difficult. Today I decided I should really learn, I want my classroom to feel welcoming and inclusive to all students including deaf and HoH students. I downloaded an app similar to duolingo today and watched youtube videos on very simple signs. So far I've learned: hello, welcome, how are you, i am hearing, i am deaf, and some literal signs (like tree, car, eat, baby, etc). I am so glad I did because I genuinely didn't realize how easy it is to learn sign. I thought that sign language was translation from english, but really it's kinda like caveman talk lol. I've never met a deaf person but I'm super excited to continue to learn so I am able to properly communicate with people who are deaf/HoH or if I ever become deaf. I also think I'll sign in my classroom even if there aren't any students that are deaf so other people can learn too.

also does anyone know SEE. is it similar to ASL and should I learn SEE too?

To clarify, I am not against anti-depressants.

If you're gen z or a millennial you probably remember getting surveys at the doctor that asked how sad you are and how often you are sad and then being diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or some other mental illness as a young teenager. Your primary doctor probably then prescribed you or attempted to prescribe you anti-depressants without any input from a psychologist, therapist, or counselor.

For me, I remember when I was 13 I was given 400mg of zoloft to take every morning before school. About a week after taking to Zoloft I started experiencing headaches, nausea, lethargy, and muscle spasms. About a month into taking Zoloft I started experiencing more prevalent muscle spasms. My doctor told me to continue taking the Zoloft. A month later I started having seizures and visited the ER multiple times for seizures. My doctor, again told me it was fine and to continue taking the Zoloft. He said I was experiencing these symptoms because my dad was epileptic. Against his advice, I stopped taking the Zoloft and slowly my symptoms disappeared.

When I was 16 I had a therapist and a psychiatrist. My psychiatrist looked through my records and had me explain everything that happened while I was taking the Zoloft. My psychiatrist then told me what I was experiencing was more than likely serotonin syndrome. To this day I still have side effects from this such as: high blood pressure, muscle spasms/tremors, insomnia, and muscle weakness/fatigue. My psychiatrist told me that because of this it is unlikely I will ever be able to recieve medication for my mental health issues because of the dangers associated with serotonin syndrome and put in my file that it is strongly recommended I do not recieve anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, or medication used to treat anxiety.

Recently, I was diagnosed with trauma related borderline personality disorder. I will not be able to be given mood stabilizers. 🙃

Has anyone else experienced this?