echen's blog

> Note: “this website” now refers to my previous blog site, coded with Django. You can find it at blog.echen.io. I finally deployed this website! It took a bit longer than I would have liked to write it, but I am happy with the result. I deployed it without using Docker, and it actually saved me a lot of time and frustration compared to my old projects. Take a look at my home website at echen.io if you would like. It is hosted on Amazon S3 and CloudFront. Some details about the creation of this site: This website was built with Django. I used the default SQLite as the database; I didn’t really need to use something like PostgreSQL considering these models are quite basic. I used Bootstrap4 for the CSS framework and I have some JQuery for the dark mode and Waypoint.js for the infinite scroll on the homepage. I wasn’t able to get infinite scroll for the search page since the page URL would get intertwined with the search query URL, but I’ll try to add a “next page” button or maybe I’ll use AJAX if I can. The search form logic was created using django-watson. I wasn’t able to get the search function to work for the date, but I will probably fix that soon. The icon pack I use is called “Feather Icons”, and it looks really clean in my opinion. I’ll probably upload this to my GitHub as I have learned how to conceal my secret keys and such, and you guys can take a look at the source code if you would like. About the dark mode: the CSS implementation is just a simple JQuery with an input button. The hard part was creating the toggle and using JQuery’s “localStorage” class to store the user’s preference and keep consistency. The animation created on the toggle was very difficult to implement across all of the pages, which is why it’s only on the homepage. I think it looks better that way, too. Lastly, you might see some images in future posts. It uses the Media library of Django and Pillow for the model field for user upload. I used LetsEncrypt for the SSL certificate, and I learned how to use NGINX Virtual Host, so I can now fit multiple sites on my small Lightsail server. I might learn how to host multiple websites with Docker, but I don’t think I will be using Docker that much for websites anymore, as it doesn’t really make things easier. I do think it’s cool, and I am definitely not using it to its full potential, but it has caused me more problems than it has solved. I like how I can build everything with just one command, and I don’t have to mess with the Daemon for Gunicorn or NGINX. I can probably deploy websites faster now because of my experience. Crontab is literally the worst in a container though… I’ll try to make some more features on this website along with some of my others. You can check them out on my homepage (look to the bottom). One I didn’t include is news.echen.io since it is rather basic and lacks any type of security behind it, but feel free to post stuff on it (I will probably take it down eventually). You can contact me at my email if you have any suggestions or criticism of any of my sites! > Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. > > – Theodore Roosevelt

I have been watching a lot of YouTube recently, and I’d like to share my favorites by category. I hope you can find one you like out of the bunch. Note: many people fall into multiple categories, but I tried my best to separate them. A list of all the channels I mention will be at the bottom. Alert: this will be a very long post. ## Commentary Channels --- I like commentary channels a lot, and I have watched quite a handful of them. I recently found a guy named Drew Gooden, and he’s very entertaining. He is very sarcastic yet mellow, even when he’s mad. His commentary is funny and relatable, and I like the consistency throughout his videos. He discusses all sorts of topics, including the infamous Paul Brothers, dumb arts and crafts channels, and movies. I think he is underrated, and you should check him out. Some other notable commentary channels are PewDiePie and H3H3. PewDiePie’s content often involves discussing Youtube controversy, going through his subreddit, or playing video games. It does get a little bit repetitive, but he is very likable, and he generates well-edited videos. It gives me a sense of being part of a community. I wish he would vary his content a bit more in the future. H3H3 is a pretty controversial channel, and I have found myself watching him less, but he is funny nonetheless. He’s not afraid to say what he thinks, and he makes fun of people as well as himself. Hila, his wife, is pretty much the opposite of him, but they have a great dynamic. I don’t like H3H3 on Twitter as much, but a lot of his content is golden, but I can see why people think he’s disturbing because he is a bit crazy. The last one is Mother’s Basement. He does commentary on anime. He does a lot of research and puts a lot of time into his videos, and it really shows. He discusses what makes great films great, and what makes horrible films horrible. He is able to take a lot of meaning out of scenes and has shown me a lot about what an anime’s central theme was. He is funny and likable, and his videos are very well crafted and organized. ## Comedy Channels --- I have a few favorites in mind: NigaHiga, Casually Explained, and You Suck at Cooking (YSAC). NigaHiga has been around forever, and I grew up with his videos. He has created amazing skits, ranted about topics like racism and swearing, and has produced some amazing and unique series (Skitzo, ParkCourse, DearRyan). He is extremely likable and funny, and his ideas are as original as they get. He is good at acting as multiple characters, and I like every single person in his studio (RIP Sean). His videos are seriously top-notch, and you can tell that he spends a lot of time on them, all for his audience. He has gradually lost viewers, but I seriously believe he is one of the most underrated channels of modern YouTube. Casually Explained (CE) and YSAC are similar channels. Both are very sarcastic and entertaining. CE uses simplistic yet iconic drawings and talks about a lot of common issues (relationships, diets, banking) with a monotone voice. He is extremely sarcastic and every single joke lands really hard and is very thought out. He relies on the misery of his primarily male audience and has a depressing tone in every video, but it is seriously golden. His silly drawings really bring out the comedic effect of his videos, and he actually teaches you stuff at the same time, even though most of it is a joke. YSAC is a cooking channel, where he does comedy through cooking. His videos are all original with the same tinge of sarcasm and slapstick humor as CE. His repetition of inside jokes throughout his videos always make me chuckle. You have to watch him to understand what I’m talking about. He can sing (not in the way you might think), play instruments, cook, make jokes, and put cute animals all into one video without making it weird. Absolutely incredible. ## Tech Channels --- I really like technology, almost to a fault. I want stuff that I will never be able to get, but I watch these videos anyway. My favorites channels are MKBHD, Dave2D, and LinusTechTips. MKBHD is one of the most popular tech channels on YouTube. He buys a LOT of expensive stuff and puts it into good use. His videos are very stylish and punchy, and all the shots he uses are amazing. He is very extreme with tech, and you like tech because he likes tech. He talks about smartphones, TVs, electric cars, and more. His editing is spot on and the way he talks about technology is very easy to consume. The variety he brings out makes every video seem fresh and new, and he has seriously conquered the YT algorithm. He uses nearly NO clickbait at all. Dave2D does YouTube on the side. His videos are extremely clean and his film work is simple yet refined. He has a soothing voice and he is very efficient. He gets videos done in like half the time of other channels but covers the same amount of content. Recently, he’s been discussing more of what a new product means to the market, and you can really learn new things. He prefers a certain aesthetic to all his products, and I share that aesthetic. His videos are efficient and have good style, and he is very thorough and covers topics as a consumer rather than a “guy who has everything.” Linus Tech Tips (LTT) is probably the most educational of the bunch. You can seriously learn something about technology/computer science in nearly all his videos. He cares a lot about things like gaming monitors and peripherals, and he knows a lot of his audience is too. He is very opinionated and controversial, and you’ll either love the way he creates videos or you’ll hate them. Linus is a very hard worker and covers every base in the tech world. His team is very likable and they do a lot of interesting things with tech, and his reviews are extremely thorough. ## Skit Channels --- Skits are really fun because they’re short and easy to watch. I know that SNL and CollegeHumor are pretty popular, but I don’t really watch those. My favorite skit channels are Studio C (cast moved to JK! Studios), CalebCity, and ProZD. Studio C is a family-friendly skit channel that plays on BYU-TV, but everything they do is on YouTube. The original cast (who I like the most) has now moved to JK! Studios to pursue something new. But all the old videos on Studio C are golden. The cast is extremely talented, funny, and diverse. Everyone has their own kinks and unique traits, and I honestly love all of them. Their skits are amazingly original, and they always pick the best people to play the part. They can do accents, sing and dance, and dress up in hilarious costumes. Sometimes they publish skits where people break character, and honestly, that makes it even better. I recommend watching the older stuff from Studio C, and I think you’ll really enjoy it. CalebCity is a skit channel ran by Caleb, a former Viner-turned-YouTuber. He usually plays all the characters in his skits, hence, Caleb “City”. He sticks to very relatable topics, and his skits are also very funny and original. They are short, but they always get the theme across. You know there will always be a plot twist, where his skits devolve into punching, screaming, or feet falling off. It’s honestly hilarious, and his crude-yet-refined editing and sound effects make it that much better. He doesn’t have the same studio-level production tools, and his creative ways of implementing the same effect are outright amazing. ProZD is a chubby Asian guy who makes a lot of really short skits (he is a voice actor). Like CalebCity, he plays all the characters and films himself. He has a different sort of style, and he is also very creative. He sticks to topics like card games, anime, and relatable topics, and his tone and slapstick humor makes even his 10 second videos great to watch. Honorable Mention: NigaHiga also makes a lot of great skits, but I already mentioned him earlier. They have great production quality. ## Gaming --- First off, I am not a gamer. I do not have the peripherals to play even basic titles, and I would also probably get addicted. Most of my gaming consists of playing Wii, Nintendo Switch, and GameCube. I’m a huge Nintendo sucker; I love the Mario series, and one of my favorite games ever is “Super Mario Galaxy 2”. The music is great, the gameplay is fantastic, and I would really like to be able to buy a console so I can play more when I have the money. I like Tetris a lot. I know it seems super lame, but I recommend you try it. I have only ever watched a few channels in my life, but I enjoy them nonetheless. They are TheRunawayGuys (I’ll be specific) and JosephSaelee. The Runawayguys (TRG) consists of ChuggaaConroy (Emile), ProtonJon (Jon), and NintendoCapriSun (Tim). They have also collaborated with MasaeAnela (Masae) and JoshJepson (Josh). I literally love all of them. They play multiplayer games such as Brawl, Super Mario, Kirby, and a lot of Nintendo games (kind of my jam). They have very good chemistry. Chugga is silly and crazy, but he is also really good at the games. I would say Jon is probably the best player of the bunch, and also the most intellectual and sane. Chugga and Jon are the “hate each other” best friends, and they always mess with each other and get mad at each other, usually stemming from Chugga pissing off Jon and Jon trying to kill him (in the game). Tim is usually quiet but he says a bunch of super weird but funny stuff and he is honestly super chill and somehow essential to the group. Josh is the crazy one with the crazy high-pitched voice and a lot of energy. He usually plays when there need to be 4 players in a game (e.g. Super Mario Bros), and he makes the LPs more lively. Masae also has a feud with Chugga (they are also shipped a lot), but she is really sweet and is a really nice addition to the sausage fest sometimes. They all share fantastic and exciting moments throughout all of the LPs, and you really get to know them and what they are good at. You feel like they are also your friends, and honestly, I wish I could play with friends more often after watching them. Outside of TRG, I probably watch Chugga the most, and only the games I’ve actually played myself. He does a lot of research before playing the games, and he talks a lot about the creation of the game. He gives you a lot of information about characters’ design, and flaws in every episode, and you actually learn from him. He is a really cool guy, but he is also kind of insane, but probably in a good way. You’ll get what I mean if you watch him. Joseph Saelee is not really a gaming channel. He plays Tetris, and he is regarded as the best player alive today. He is 18 (I think), and he is really good. I watch him because he really can play better than any other pro-Tetris player, and he constantly breaks records. He is also charismatic, which adds to the appeal. His content isn’t particularly interesting if you don’t know what to look for, but I find it calming. The matches he has with other people are actually somewhat exciting, and I recommend you check them out on the Official Tetris channel. Honorable Mentions: Ninja. I watched him because he was good at Fortnite when he was popular (not so much anymore), and it was fun to see him rage and own players. I know a lot of people hate him, but I found him pretty entertaining. I don’t watch him anymore, but I guess it’s fun watching the best of the best. I’m leaving this in the past. ## Educational --- I think it’s really valuable to learn something on YouTube. There are millions of resources and you can find almost everything. I like watching the ones that are also entertaining. They are Kurzgesagt and Charisma on Command. Kurzgesagt is a narration-over-animation channel. They dive deep into real topics in science, such as black holes, the immune system, and climate change. They gather information from many professionals and explain it to the audience in a really simple and elegant way. The visuals are eye-candy, and they seriously put a ton of effort into their videos. They discuss really fascinating topics, and it has really exposed me to a bunch of cool science I would have never considered. Charisma on Command teaches you how to be more charismatic and sociable. They discuss what to do and what not to do, often distributing the information in a numbered list. They also analyze celebrities and tell you what they do right and what they do wrong (e.g. Jordan Peterson, Donald Trump, and Brie Larson). It has helped me realize what makes my social interactions weak and boring, and I’m really trying to get better. They offer really detailed videos, and I think anyone can learn how to become more charismatic. I think this is really important, as I want to become a leader and really be able to engage with other people. Honorable Mentions: Crash Course teaches literally every school topic, but it is really specific to you WANTING to learn something. It’s more difficult to just pick a video randomly and watch it. They hire professionals in their fields (like Hank and John), and their videos are very thorough and refined. Veritasium also makes good content. It is a guy who travels around to learn more about science, and his videos discuss topics from aerogel to radiation. I’m not as familiar with his content, however. The last one is Daily Dose of Internet. He compiles videos of insane things, from amazing scenery to intelligent dogs and feats of extreme athleticism. The videos are short and are a rapid-fire compilation style, and his narration is soothing. They are cool videos and nice to watch when you want to relax. ASAPScience makes animated videos too. They are good for the common person, and the videos are very informational and surprising. Worth a look. I mentioned these channels already, but they can be classified as education. A lot of Linus’s (LTT) channels are educational, and they teach you a lot about computers and technology (e.g. displays, networking, CPUs). Casually Explained is also loosely educational but entertaining. ## Music --- People make a lot of music on YouTube. A lot of people are really creative and I like a lot of them. I listen to a lot of music, but there are a few channels where I usually watch more than one video. I wouldn’t regard musicians like Hillary Hahn or Jascha Heifetz to be YouTubers, so I have chosen not to include them. Also, I guess artists like 20syl or Taylor Swift do not really make “entertaining” content, so I also will not include artists who just make music. My favorite is TwoSetViolin. TwoSet consists of two Australian violinists that make comedic videos. They are very quirky and talk about a lot of music-related stuff. A lot of it is roasting fake musicians, cracking lame jokes, and playing charades on the violin. I really connect with them because I, too, play the violin. Their jokes do get a bit repetitive, but they are very charming and their videos are hilarious and fun to watch. They are also good musicians, having gone to music school and playing in professional orchestras. You probably won’t watch them for their own playing, but it is worth staying for the comedy. Honorable Mentions: Paint. He makes those videos where you sing all the parts yourself. He is very good at it, and also he adds a little bit of acting to all of them. He has a crude sense of humor, but his videos are fantastic nonetheless. He hasn’t been active in a while, but the videos are still very fun to watch. I recommend the “After Ever After” series. The Piano Guys. It is a band with a pianist, cellist, vocalist, and editor/set up guy. They have very creative videos to showcase their music, and they create fabulous remixes of pop and classical music (and movie stuff). They sound amazing, and they go to places all across the world (e.g. the Great Wall) to achieve the intended effect of the piece. Their videos are very entertaining and very nice to look at. Sungha Jung. He plays guitar and remixes a lot of random songs (K-Pop, normal pop, movie music). He’s really good at the guitar. His videos aren’t the most consumable, but it is worthwhile to appreciate the amazing talent he possesses. ## Miscellaneous --- There are some channels that I watch, but don’t fit into a category I watch very often. Here are some of them. SuperCarlinBrothers. They create movie/book analysis and theory videos, mainly about Harry Potter, Pixar, and Star Wars. It consists of Jay and Ben, two brothers. Their theories are very well crafted and believable, and they dive amazingly deep into the books and movies to pull the information. It’s a lot of dedication and hard work, and they are also very exciting and fun. The videos are creative as heck, and the theories are really worth a watch, mostly if you are a Harry Potter, Star Wars, Pixar, or Disney fan. Binging with Babish. He makes cooking videos, and they are much more “cooking-like” than YSAC. The recipes are very thought out, and he goes above and beyond to showcase them. I like to watch him make food, and not do it it myself. He also cracks jokes sometimes, but I don’t think it’s really comedy-centric. He makes recipes based on movie items, such as the “Krabby Patty” from Spongebob. He appears to be good at cooking, but it is still worth the watch anyway. Vat19. They are literally a commercial online shop, and all of their videos are commercials. But they sell stuff I want, like giant candy, color-changing putty, and wobbly wine glasses. The people in the videos are really funny, and they somehow make a commercial fun to watch. They have common tropes in their videos, and they do a lot of skits to promote their products. I don’t think I’ll ever buy from them, but the channel is still very fun, even if you’re a big man like me. Domics. Domics is an animation channel, where he talks about relatable issues, such as relationships, pet peeves, and interesting events in his life (a lot of it is anecdotal). He is really good at animating, and you can see his progress throughout his videos. He is fun and has a unique take on a lot of situations, and it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole when watching his videos. He is Asian too, and I probably relate to stuff because I am Asian too. He is Filipino, so don’t get confused! Oh, man. Chess has become a real time-consuming pastime for me. If you are getting started, you must watch Magnus Carlsen’s Banter Blitz series. He provides insight into his genius, monotone jokes, and unbelievable gameplay. It’s not obvious why he makes particular chess moves, but it can still be a valuable learning experience. He’s just interesting, which makes it that much fun. He has recently gotten WAY better at explaining his moves. It’s a privilege for modern chess players. If you would like to take things more slowly, I highly recommend Agadmator’s Chess Channel. He explains things very simply and elegantly, and he is almost unintentionally funny, saying ridiculous things with no emotion. It is great for anyone who wants to analyze chess games by the top Grandmasters. Though I have not really watched GMHikaru, Anish Giri, or other GM Youtube channels, I know a lot of them are very popular and probably very good. I’ll link some of them below. End note: I’m subscribed to a ton of channels. I love YouTube, and the people who make the content I watch work very hard. I have probably missed some, but this list should be close enough. I can update it over time if I remember or find new channels. If you made it this far, let me know and I’ll give you a prize! > “All the world’s a stage, the men and women are merely players” > > – Shakespeare ## Links --- ### Commentary - Drew Gooden - PewDiePie - H3H3 Productions - Mother’s Basement ### Comedy - nigahiga - Casually Explained - You Suck at Cooking ### Technology - MKBHD - Dave2D - Linus Tech Tips ### Skits - Studio C - JK! Studios - CalebCity - ProZD ### Gaming - TheRunawayGuys - Joseph Saelee - ChuggaaConroy - ProtonJon - MasaeAnela - NintendoCaprisun - JoshJepson - Ninja ### Education - Kurzgesagt - Charisma on Command - Crash Course - Veritasium - Daily Dose of Internet - AsapSCIENCE ### Music - TwoSetViolin - Paint - The Piano Guys - Sungha Jung ### Misc. - SuperCarlinBrothers - Binging with Babish - Vat19 - Domics - Chess * chess24 and chess24.5 * Agadmator’s Chess Channel * GMHikaru * Anish Giri * Daniel Naroditsky

I spent my last couple of months learning how to make websites with the Django framework. I have happened to pick up on a few things from working on it, and I want to give you a few resources on how to get started. This website (referring to my old site at blog.echen.io) in particular was made using Django, a python web framework. It is not difficult to learn, and it helps if you are at least familiar with the class structure in python. It’s good for websites that require things like user log in, posting, and model-related work (versions of the same type of object). I wouldn’t recommend it for static websites or rather simple websites, as it might take more time than you want. If you look at any of my other websites, all of them are also written in Django, other than my homepage, which is a static site hosted on Amazon S3 and CloudFront. I’m familiar with Django, but not much else. ## How do I learn Django? I learned Django by reading “Django for Beginners” by Will Vincent. It’s really good and I highly recommend it. You should at least know python and a little bit of Linux shell scripting before you get started (and HTML and CSS, of course). Django itself uses python but you need a lot of commands to get stuff set up. After that, you’ll start to get a hang of Django development from reading the book. ### Is it useful? Websites like BitBucket (Git Repository) use Django, and a lot of big companies use it too. Django developers are wanted by tech companies, and it’s a good framework to learn regardless. Other powerful frameworks include Express.js, which is based on Node.js, and Angular (Javascript branch). There are a lot, and Django is just one out of a whole collection. Another common python framework is Flask. Both are powerful, but Django has a little more customization and complexity. ## What do I do after I make a project? Will Vincent will tell you how to deploy Django projects to Heroku, an online service for deploying projects. It’s free for basic stuff, but it’s not a good long-term solution, mostly if you want your own domain. Learning how to deploy your Django projects will require you to grasp networking, like TCP/IP, working on a cloud server, and learning how to use reverse proxies and HTTP services like Gunicorn. A good tutorial is here. But don’t worry, this will come after you finish your projects. I recommend you use Amazon Web Services to deploy your projects, but that is quite complicated, to be frank. You can always search online for the easiest place to get a server for yourself. Will Vincent’s professional Django book will guide you through much more complex stuff, and there are still a lot of APIs (REST frameworks) that you can add to make your projects more complex. Both are a good read but finish the beginner book first. He never really goes into deployment, but you’ll know how to develop Django projects pretty extensively. A lot of your skills will come from messing up. I’ve spent days debugging issues. I have searched up thousands of questions on Google, but that is all part of the learning process. It will be frustrating, but it will be worth it. ## Static Hosting Recommendations You do not need a server or Django if you want a static website. I recommend Jekyll and GitHub Pages. The files sync with your GitHub repository, and the process is simple and streamlined. Furthermore, you don’t need to manage a server or anything fancy. You can also try Amazon S3, but that is less friendly to beginners. Django is a very powerful framework, and you can make almost anything you want. If you’re questioning whether it’s right for you, I urge you to give it a try. You can then decide what you really want to use. If you don’t want to streamline the project bottom up, you can use services like Wix or Squarespace, or WordPress. Those services let you do things like drag and drop, and you don’t even need coding to create a very stylish website. They aren’t cheap though; you should check your budget to make sure it’s the right choice for you. But, it might be worth it, since it makes building the website much faster and easier.

It looks like you’re going to start to apply to college soon. It’s going to be a rough ride, but there are a couple of tips I’d like to give you just so you can feel more confident about it. Some of this advice will primarily apply to students at Montgomery Blair, but feel free to look for the parts that apply to you. First, a little bit of background. I applied to 13 colleges in total: 2 early decisions and 11 regular decisions. They were as follows. ### Early Action: 1. University of Maryland 2. Stanford ### Regular Decision: 1. Carnegie Mellon 2. Johns Hopkins 3. Harvard 4. Princeton 5. University of Pennsylvania 6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7. Northwestern 8. Brown 9. Duke 10. Columbia 11. Cornell There are quite a few reasons my list consists of these particular colleges. I will explain why, but don’t feel pressured to model yours off of it (you don’t know how qualified I am yet as most decisions are not out). Generally, most people would want a combination of safety schools, target schools, and reach schools (names are self-explanatory). Generally, if you have a safe school you’re comfortable going to, I advise that you only apply to one as it will not be worth the effort to apply to others. For most people in MoCo, UMD would be your pick for this one. It is one of the top-ranked public universities in the nation, nearby, and easy to get into (provided you are a semi-decent student). If you are in Blair, do not be worried, you’ll almost definitely get in if you’re reading this. Target schools are those that you feel capable of getting into but are not guaranteed. Students with good GPAs and extracurriculars would probably aim towards mid to top-tier colleges, including schools like Georgia Tech and Northeastern. I did not apply to any target schools, so take my advice with a grain of salt. For most, I would advise applying to only a few target schools, enough so that you feel comfortable getting into one, but don’t dwell too much on it. UMD is already an excellent college, and honestly, it’s better than most mid-tier schools. I find that most people spend their time on prestigious universities, but then again, my friend circle is brimming with hyper-accomplished students. Most people apply to quite a few. These universities are almost always reach schools, which probably means your acceptance is down to luck (for most students, that is). Schools include all your Ivies, MIT, Stanford, etc. There is quite a lot to choose from and a lot of research for you to do to see which ones you like. # Getting Started --- ## So which schools should I apply to? Well, it depends on who you are. I’ll lay out a few strategies and you can either take your pick or devise your own. If you are perfectly comfortable going to UMD and have a few reach schools that you’d consider, you probably don’t need to apply to that many. I know of some who just applied to ~5 colleges for that exact reason. If you’re set on making a top-tier college, I recommend UMD and a handful of top-tier colleges, and maybe a couple of targets if you don’t to go to UMD. I applied to 1 safety school and 12 reach schools because I am perfectly happy with going to UMD, and anything else is just extra. That’s why you don’t see any mid-tier or mid-to-top tier schools on my list. From what I’ve heard, most people in MoCo apply to 7-15 schools. Schools specialize in different majors. If you are a stellar musician, you would probably not apply to the same schools as a prospective engineer. The schools you choose to apply to are based on what you would like to do. If you’re a diehard artist, then something like CalTech is not for you. You’re going to need to do a lot of research. I recommend accessing the university’s homepage, blogs of alumni, college subreddits, or online guides/lists (like USNews). If you have friends or family who went to or currently attends university, they can be an invaluable asset to your application process. Try to reach out as much as possible; it can’t hurt you. I recommend Fiske’s Guide to Colleges for some basic research. It’s a comprehensive guide of all the universities in the United States. It will tell you about price ranges, general academic markers, and the specialties of each school. You can purchase it with the link or pirate it with Libgen. But I didn’t tell you about the latter. Also, don’t just go off of what I have said. Ask other seniors or recent graduates as well. Talk to your parents and friends to get their perspective. After all, that’s where most of my information came from. Don’t stress too much about it; you’ll get the gist eventually. ## The Mindset I genuinely believe that having the mindset that you must go to a top-tier college is harmful. Most people don’t end up at the best schools and that’s okay. Being a hard worker at a lower-tier college can net you many benefits and may even be better suited towards you. However, it’s really hard not to have this mindset in Montgomery County due to the vast amount of accomplished individuals, and I am honestly part of the problem. I think the best thing to remember is that you will be okay. When you look back at yourself in 50 years, which college you went to won’t be in the top 10 most important events in your life. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try for the top-tier colleges. If you’re capable, why not? Just note that it likely isn’t as important as others make it out to be. I rode the hype train and honestly, the only reason I want to make it into a top-tier college is just for my ego. I don’t necessarily think it will get me a better education overall. If even I think I will be fine, you should have confidence in yourself. ## Early and Regular Decisions. What’s the difference? So there are a couple of differences and I’ll try to explain it as best as I can, as there is often some confusion surrounding this topic. Early applications have an earlier deadline (around November 1st) and are split into two categories: Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA). ED schools are binding schools. If you apply and get in with the early decision, you are legally bound to that school and cannot go to another. They are usually your top pick, as you will not have the flexibility to choose another university if you get in. If you don’t…then you will have that flexibility. Early Action schools are also submitted early but are not binding. It’s just getting your decision earlier. So what’s the benefit? Generally, ED and EA appear to give you a higher chance of admission, as you are showing high interest in the school. But don’t be fooled; the acceptance rate probably won’t be the deciding factor. Furthermore, you just get your decision way earlier, so you can determine how to proceed with the application process depending on whether you get in or not. You can only apply to one ED school, so be sure it’s your top choice. Most EA schools are restrictive, meaning you can also only apply to one, but private schools like MIT and Caltech and most public schools allow you to apply to more than one (just make sure the others are not restrictive). Note the difference between public and private universities. Restrictive EA for private universities means you can still EA to public universities. They are independent of one another. Most people will either pick EA or ED, but the possibility of applying to both may suit your needs. Many of my friends applied to 4+ schools early. Regular Decisions have a later application deadline, usually due around January 1st. But check the school you are applying to, as some may have a deadline earlier or even much later. You can apply to everything else you didn’t apply to in ED/EA, with almost no restrictions. Since most ED/EA decisions are released before January 1st, make sure you modify your strategy accordingly. Say you got accepted into your ED school. There is no further need for you to apply to any other schools, as you cannot attend them anyway. Just be happy that you are done. If you get in EA, you can still apply to more schools, as it will give you more options later down the line if you do get into any of your RD schools. It is completely up to you whether you want to do that or not. Most of my friends applied for EA as it gives you more flexibility. But if you really have that dream school and it is ED, go right on ahead. I believe in you. However, if you have the choice of EA or ED for the same school, EA is probably the way to go. # The Application Process: What is my timeline? --- There are five key aspects of the application process: 1. Planning 2. Filling out Common App/other portals 3. Essays and supplementals 4. Teacher Recommendations 5. Transcripts and Test Scores Although the college process is quite simple, it can easily overwhelm you. Since essays will be the most difficult and time-consuming portion of your app, start with the others first. I recommend asking your teachers for recommendations as early as you can. If you can get it done before your junior year ends, that would be ideal. I requested my recommendations in August, which is still fine, but the earlier the better. They don’t have to fill them out until the deadline for your colleges, but make sure they know they are writing you one. The next step is the planning process. You need to decide which colleges you want to apply to. I stress that you need to make sure you are willing to go to the schools you apply to. There is no reason for filler schools; it will only waste your time and money. After you decide on a rough list, highlight the ones you are definitely applying to and the schools you will apply to early. If you are unsure whether you will apply to a college, it’s fine. You will have time to decide. Get started on your common app. Most schools will use the common app. You will need to fill in a lot of personal information, including your grades, academics, and honors. This shouldn’t take very long. You can update your achievements as you go, but fill out the trivial stuff as soon as you can. At this point, you should request transcripts for the schools you are set on. You can do it as you go, but make sure to submit the request on Naviance (for MoCo students) at least 20 days in advance. Make sure you know which schools require direct test scores for APs, SATs, ACTs, or whatnot because you will need to request scores from College Board (etc.) and have your scores sent to your schools. This will cost a bit of cash. The steps above are quite easy but annoying. Just get them done early so you don’t have to panic about it as I did. Making a spreadsheet detailing your actions will help you greatly. ## Essays of Death The next step is your essays. The common app essay is the default BIG essay where you pour your heart into something especially important about yourself. It’s 650 words and will take a long time. You must make sure you have a unique and interesting idea. The prompts are here (for 2021-2022). The prompts are vague enough that you can literally talk about anything, so make sure it stands out. You can probably find better advice for how to write essays from other people, so I won’t go into the details here. Know that there will be a lot of editing and rewriting. Put yourself on a piece of paper and make it riveting. Each school will have supplemental essays, which can range from just one to eight (thanks, Stanford) or more essays. Some will be short (50ish words) and some will be long (400-600 words). Common prompts include: - Why our school? - Name a contribution to your community - How will you integrate into our school’s community? - Describe your background. Each essay will require a lot of brainstorming and a lot of writing, so be prepared for the long haul. Generally, you will want to work on one school at a time. You will be able to reuse essays and snippets across multiple schools, so plan out the most efficient path for you to conquer them all. The bulk of your time will be editing your work. Use good rhetoric and use words that bring out your writing style. You will need to research colleges and learn a lot about them to write about them. For the “Why us” questions, read about clubs, the community, classes, and programs. Make a list of the things you liked and connect these ideas to who you are today and who you want to be. Again, I’m not going to include too many writing tips here, as there are plenty of resources at your fingertips. Good online resources include the CollegeEssayGuy and CollegeVine, but the best resources will likely be your friends, mentors, and family. Ask for help– it’ll indubitably save your ass some trouble. I would like to reiterate that the essays are time-consuming. Try to start at least a month before your deadline. You will spend weeks polishing, writing, and refining. Doing things earlier will take the stress off your shoulders and help you stay calm as the deadlines approach. You want to feel like you have an uncessary amount of time to write and edit. If you have trouble getting started, ask a friend to help you brainstorm. Once you’re done with a school’s requirements, you will be able to submit. Save some time to look over your common app and fix the silly mistakes. Nervously chide yourself that you did everything correctly as you enter in your credit card information and click the submit button. Remember, this guide is just a broad outline of things you will need to do. The content is only surface-level insight because most of your experience will be gained throughout the gruelling process itself. I will be here if you want to reach out, and I’d be happy to talk to you or even look at your essays. But I hope I can instill some confidence into you as these difficult months approach. Having an outline of what needs to be done can be greatly beneficial, and it’s something I wish I had. Planning will be your best friend. Putting the minute details on paper will greatly reduce the fog around you. You got this. I did not do a great job during the college application process. I did not even begin writing my common app until three weeks before my first deadline, and I did not settle on a final idea until two before. I was extremely anxious and incredibly exhausted every day. For the first school I applied to, I was still writing on the last hour of the last day, watching the clock nervously as the seconds ticked by. After I finished my Early Action schools, I took too long of a break as I was tired beyond belief; a big blunder. For my Regular Decision applications, I turned everything in on the day it was due, less than an hour before the deadline. I had seldom time to polish my essays and relied on massive aid from my sister and her friend. Despite this, I believe I was able to crank out some solid essays, but they definitely could have been better if I allotted my time wisely. I believe you can learn from my mistakes. After you finish applications, the bulk of the work is done. However, it’s not time to celebrate quite yet. ## Interviews The last step is the interviews. Shortly after you apply to colleges, alumni of the schools you applied to will email you for an interview. This can take weeks, so be patient. Many schools will offer you the choice to opt out, but I don’t recommend it. Interviews are an opportunity for you to show the schools what you are like in real life, so you should use it to your advantage. The charming words on paper won’t masquerade you in front of another person, so be prepared. The interviewer will ask you questions and report back to the school with an essay about your conversation. Although it was over Zoom for my year, it will likely return to in-person meetings at a coffee shop or a restaurant next year. From what I’ve heard, most alumni do not know the scope the interview has on your decision. The general consensus among students is that a bad interview can screw you over and a good one will only confirm what the admission officer already knows. This is pure speculation, so take it with a colossal grain of salt. Nevertheless, you want to shine like a star. Brush up on the school’s interview policies because some schools don’t offer them or might not have space left to offer you one. I highly recommend studying up on the school before your interview. Know how to answer the commonly asked questions, like “describe yourself” or “why did you apply to [this school]” or “what is your biggest weakness.” The conversation is usually more relaxed than you expect, so there’s no need to tense up. Try to act human; you don’t want the interviewer to see you as only stats on a piece of paper. Talk to them like you’re trying to impress your parents’ friends. The interviewer isn’t going to intentionally trip you up; he or she’s just trying to see if you’re a good fit for the school and whether they like you, so don’t spend the entire hour boasting about your achievements. I recommend memorizing a few memorable experiences or activities that show growth or something important about you. By doing this, you can direct any interview question towards one of these topics and engage the interviewer with meaningful and interesting stories. Look online and learn how to build rapport and be confident. One great YouTube channel for this is Charisma on Command, from whom I learned many tricks. Try to stand out. Instead of saying “I’m doing well,” say “I’m doing fantastic” or something descriptive that most people wouldn’t say. You want to leave a good impression and have a nice conversation. Put yourself in a good mood before meeting your interviewers– it’ll go a long way, making you more confident and upbeat. Once you have finished, you’re essentially done. You can still submit an update to some schools about new achievements, but now it’s time to wait. I’m in that process now. You should find meaningful and interesting activities in the meantime, as it will be your last semester in high school. Your life is about your activities and relationships. Have some fun! # Closing Thoughts Remember: the college application process isn’t complicated, it’s tedious. Doing things up front will reduce the stress for your future self. Being organized will make you confident that you are doing things correctly and efficiently. Feel free to email me at eric chen 314 at gmail dot com if you have any questions or would like some advice. I want to help you to do better than I did. If you want, I am willing to send you some essays I wrote for my schools. All you have to do is ask. Best of luck! > Be okay with not knowing for sure what might come next but know that whatever it is… you will be okay.

Android has some fantastic and unique apps, and I thought I’d share a couple of my favorites. This blog post was influenced by the one and only Eli Qian. You can find the post about his iPhone setup here. Some of the apps I will talk about are not from the Google Play Store. This is generally because they might not be able to survive there and rely on you to sideload them. However, this is a very simple task on Android, which is one reason I prefer it over iOS. Be careful with downloading malicious apps as they will likely steal your data or mess up your device in some way. You can sideload apps that would otherwise cost money on the Google Play Store. I have done this with a couple of apps, but I don’t really recommend it. This is because they will not get automatic updates and do not support the developer. However, if you make the argument that you will patronize the creator when you are financially capable of doing so, I can get behind that. I do pay for 99% of my apps, so don’t arrest me. A general tip: If you do use Reddit, join the subreddit for the indie apps on your phone. It will let you know about features coming down the line, and you can submit bugs or request features. Note: Most of these apps are also available on iOS. Just search for them in the App Store and see if they exist. ## General Apps --- ### Google Opinion Rewards Every Android user should have this app. Google Opinion Rewards is a rewards-based program by Google. All you need to do is answer the surveys it gives you and you will be able to receive rewards in the form of your Google Play Balance. Surveys will pop up every few days or so based on your activity on your phone. Questions range from “Have you been to this place recently” or “Have you searched for this term using Google Assistant?”. They take less than a minute, and rewards will range from 10 cents to a dollar. The more questions you answer (based on your answers to previous questions), the more money you earn. I’ve probably amassed over $20 in total in less than two years, and I’ve used the money to buy apps. There’s no reason for you not to get it. I believe iOS also has this app, where you can earn some money towards PayPal instead, which is kinda cool. ### Google Keep Good for jotting down a couple of notes. I use it for writing down important things and saving URLs. ### Google Photos It backs up your photos and allows you to sync photos across devices. Either get free 1080p unlimited or have each picture contribute to your 15GB limit. Every phone user (iOS or Android) should have this app. You can also share albums with friends and family. ### Youtube Vanced This is by far my favorite app. It’s a side-loaded YouTube alternative that offers different themes, ad-free playback, and SponsorBlock. It’s essentially Youtube Premium with more customization. The app has user-login through MicroG, a Google Play Services mod. SponsorBlock allows you to skip pesky portions of YouTube videos, like intros, sponsored messages, and empty silence. I was skeptical of it at first, but it actually works very well. As someone who watches YouTube a ton, this app is literally a blessing from above. Vanced also has automatic updates through their Vanced manager, which allows you to update MicroG, YT Vanced, but also YT Music Vanced, which is essentially free YouTube Music (albeit, no download capabilities). No hassle and easy updates. ### Weather Timeline This app was discontinued as the developer, Sam Ruston, couldn’t keep up with the Weather API fees. The app was supposed to be rereleased as it was purchased by MyRadar, but I don’t really see that happening any time soon. You can currently sideload it if you would like, but you won’t get any app updates. I really like this weather app, due to its simplicity and design. It has minute-to-minute precipitation, rain and snow notifications, and an overall pleasing look. I don’t really know how good its accuracy is, but the app design is why I continue to use it. It’s overall an excellent weather app, and I highly recommend it. Courtesy of adroidsis.com ### TickTick The to-do list app in my life. It’s very good for managing tasks and has a clean design. It will automatically schedule tasks with keywords, like “tomorrow,” “next week,” etc. Its free version is actually good enough for me. Premium features include calendar integration, calendar view, smart lists, and more. It’s $2.99 / M or $27.99 / Y. I’ve tried Google tasks and Todoist, but TickTick is just better. ### Tachiyomi The best app for the manga reader in your life. That’s not me, but this app is really good. It has a clean design and dozens of manga sources available, from NSFW stuff to your normal stuff. Although I don’t use it much, it is riddled with convenient features and gives you access to things you wouldn’t be able to read otherwise. It is a sideloaded app (also indie), and you can find it here. Thank you to Maxwell Zhang for telling me about this app. ### Duolingo I’ve been learning Japanese for over two years at this point. For my new year’s resolution in 2019, I wanted to learn a new language, and I’ve stuck with that since. It’s probably the only time I’ve ever kept one. Duolingo is an excellent resource for learning languages. Although I don’t necessarily think it’s ideal for a language like Japanese, I still use it as it is convenient and simple. Although the ads are quite annoying, I think it is nice overall. I picked up French a couple months ago and I’m also trying to learn it at the same time. I think you should diversify your sources to maximize your learning capabilities, as Duolingo isn’t good for all aspects of learning a language. ### Aftership A really good app for tracking packages. If you can sync with your Amazon or eBay account. The package updates aren’t always in time for some reason (maybe delayed an hour), but it’s good enough, and it’s free. ## Customization --- ### Nova Launcher Best launcher I’ve tried. I do not like Samsung’s One UI launcher as it is not customizable at all. With Nova Launcher, you can rearrange the app grid, remove app labels, use custom icon packs, hide apps, customize gestures, change animations, change themes, customize app drawers, and more. I’ve tried a couple of other launchers, but this one has the most features and is compatible with almost every Android feature. It’s $4.99 for Nova Prime (more features), and it’s worth every penny. Courtesy of reddit.com ### Kwgt The all-in-one widget makers. You can literally make any widget provided you have a lot of time to spend. A better idea is to buy widget packs. Some good ones are Shadow and Fusion. Using Kwgt will require you to purchase a key, and icon packs will probably cost money as well. But it’s your only option for customizable widgets not provided by your apps. One4KWGT Pro ### Flight Icon Pack The icons you see below are from this icon pack. It has thousands of icons, and I really like the clean aesthetic. There are a bunch of default icons you can assign to apps that don’t have an icon yet. This is obviously a very personal choice for your home screen, so get the icons you like. The pro version has more icons and costs $1.99. Courtesy of Dave2D ### Agenda This is the best calendar widget I’ve used. It allows syncing with any calendar app and categorizes them. The widget is very customizable and lists all your events chronologically. It’s 99 cents on the Google Play store. Agenda Widget ### Backdrops It’s a wallpaper collection app. Wallpapers are added every few days or so, and you can set them through the app. I learned about this app from MKBHD; he gets some of his wallpapers from it. You have to have particular tastes to enjoy these wallpapers, so they may not suit your needs. I like most of the wallpapers, but I probably wouldn’t use them on my phone. Courtesy of ytechb.com ## Social Media Alternatives --- Honestly, I need to get off social media. It is an incredible waste of time most days, and I find myself mindlessly scrolling through reposted and uninteresting content. I agree with Eli in the sense that I should remove these distractions from my homepage and focus on things that matter more. As much as I hate Reddit, it is good for some things, like finding good wallpapers, learning about app updates, and finding excellent photography. ### Sync for Reddit This is probably the best Android Reddit app. It has unbelievable customization, and the developer is extremely active and pushes out updates all the time. There are so many features that I can’t possibly list them all, but I’ll name a few: theme customization (literally every element), dark mode, animations, caching, word filters, and more. I mainly like it because of its clean design and layout flexibility, but there’s just something pleasing about being able to customize everything. That’s the basis of Android, no? I’ve used Apollo for iOS, which is also very good, but I definitely like Sync better. It offers more customizability and theming options, but this is just a personal preference. The ad-free version is $4.99, and it’s honestly a steal. You probably won’t find anything better. Sync for Reddit ### Relay for Reddit I used this app until I found Sync. It is also very good. It is based on fluid animations and a clean, simple design. Sync is definitely more customizable, but you might be overwhelmed by the tsunami of options. Sometimes, falling back on a simple and clean app is better, and you’ll definitely find that with Relay. It has multiple card layouts and preset themes. You can go minimalistic or feature-rich. It’s overall a very nice app, but I do like Sync a lot more. The ad-free version is $4.99. Relay ### Flamingo for Twitter This app is also discontinued, and you can’t really get it anymore. So why am I mentioning it? First, it still has an incredibly nice design, and it is a very customizable Twitter app. However, I do not recommend it. Twitter’s API for developers is some hot garbage. It restricts access to features like favorite notifications, retweet count, and token limits. I doubt this will be changed any time soon, which means all independent Twitter apps are missing out on features only the actual app will have. I do not recommend Twitter apps unless you really like the design, so it’s up to you. Having worked with the API, I know the pain of working with free-tier limits. ## Games --- The games I play are not the time-consuming type. They are usually pretty collector-based, so don’t expect any triple-A shooter games here. ### Tsuki Adventure A simple RPG-like app where you collect carrots and roam different areas. You are a small bunny who aims to build relationships and memories with your friends. This game is honestly really cute. There are tons of things to unpack as you go along, and the developers have hidden many secrets. I’ve played this game for nearly two years, and I am nowhere near finished. There are some adult jokes too, which is strange considering its innocent artwork and designs. The storyline has some pretty dark points. The Yakuza boss owns the bar in the Mushroom Village? The police chief’s daughter died falling through the thinning ice? You’ll be surprised. It also has events that correlate with real life, like Chinese New Year, Halloween, and Christmas. You have to download it to really understand how this game works because it’s probably not what you would expect. Courtesy of reddit.com ### Neko Atsume A cat collecting game. Your goal is to befriend cats by buying food and decorating your house with cat furniture. There are common and rare cats to collect and house remodeling upgrades. It’s simple yet addicting. It takes a while to complete, so you better have some patience. Courtesy of amazon.com ### Alto’s Adventure/Alto’s Odyssey It’s a clean and elegant endless snowboarding game. Travel different landscapes and scenery while unlocking new boards, abilities, and characters. It’s relaxing, and the music is nice. Literally any screenshot you take is wallpaper-worthy. Frame from Alto’s Odyssey ### Monument Valley 2 A really cool game with some fascinating designs. It’s a puzzle game that revolves around impossible shapes and optical illusions. You operate a princess, modifying landscapes to help her reach the next levels and reconnect with her mother. There is no dialogue, yet it tells a pretty charming story. Some puzzles are genuinely challenging, and the landscapes are seriously beautiful. I only wish this game was longer, but otherwise, I have no complaints. This game has a predecessor, Monument Valley 1. The game costs $4.99, but I think it’s worth it. Courtesy of steam.com ### Some others worth considering: Games like Genshin Impact and Sky: Children of the Light are open-world RPG-like games. They are processor intensive but with very nice graphics. I thought I’d be into those types of games, but they don’t suit me. I can imagine a lot of people liking them, however. ## Concluding Thoughts As you can probably tell, I’m pretty invested in customizing my phone. It’s pretty time-consuming, but I like the freedom to customize to my heart’s desire. One thing I can say for certain is that I currently spend way too much time on my phone, primarily watching YouTube videos. I think this line from Eli’s post about how a phone should function in our lives is pretty good. > Instead of a technology that sucks up time and controls my attention, I want my phone to be the opposite - something that saves me time and frees up attention for important tasks. We have an unlimited arsenal of tools at our fingertips, and putting it to good use should be its purpose. Starting from now, I’m going to try to build more positive habits and try new things instead of lazily swiping my finger over nonsensical posts on Reddit. My goal is to read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley within the next few weeks. Expect a blog post with my thoughts.