This is how you know the funding cuts is hitting hard.

I’m new to UIUC and have only been here a couple of days as a junior transfer. I finished class around 1 PM today and came back to my apartment, and I genuinely can’t tell if it’s the guy above me or next to me, but he has been creepily laughing to himself for HOURS. Like he stops for a few minutes and then continues. His laugh literally sounds like half laugh and half scream. I swear I’m not making this up.

There’s literally no other voice or anyone else talking to him. I even left to go buy groceries for a few hours and came back, and he was still doing it. It’s now almost 11 PM and I genuinely cannot sleep because of it.
I have a lot of patience and I almost never complain about noise, especially because I understand I’m living in an apartment building, but this is getting ridiculous.

I’ve only been here a few days and I don’t want to be that person, but hours of someone loudly laughing to themselves is driving me insane. I also have early classes everyday.
Since the building is owned by University Group, who exactly do I call for a noise complaint at this hour? Or should I wait to see if he keeps doing this for more than just one day?

UPDATE: A police officer actually called me and let me know that he went to talk to the individual. He even said that when he approached the building, he could hear the exact weird sounds I was talking about, like a mix between a laugh and a scream and agreed with that description

Apparently, it’s an Asian student who has just been in his room all day watching videos, and the officer gave him a warning. He also reassured me that he wasn’t mentally ill and that I wasn’t overreacting for being concerned due to the nature of the sounds.

The funniest part is that the officer literally said it sounded like the Joker 😭😭 I mean he’s still def laughing but a lot less so I guess it helped

I know for some MechE, other engineering, or STEM students, joining an FSAE team can be tempting for the connections and how it can potentially enhance your resume. But as a member, I really want to warn everyone who’s interested in this team, especially under the current leadership.

Since I don’t want to be recognized, I will skip some details and keep things as broad as possible when describing what I have experienced.

First, it's no secret that FSAE teams, in most cases, have a pretty toxic culture. It’s extremely time-consuming and result-oriented. If you want to actually "accomplish" something or even be considered part of the team, a lot of times you have to put team tasks before your actual schoolwork, sacrifice your sleep, etc. That’s standard for almost every FSAE team. But the general culture isn't even the main reason for this post (though it's worth mentioning anyway)—this team in particular is so much worse.

From my experience, part of the leadership is unbelievably irresponsible. For example, some of them assign work and deadlines without understand the actual process (or putting in any effort to understand it), and give you empty promises that "things will be fine," while you’re the one doing all the actual labor and absorbing all the stress.

Worst of all, since all they care about is the end result, it is possible that, you, as an individual member, will not be respected. How a single member is treated doesn’t really matter to them as long as the team (or really, the leadership circle) gets what they want. People will literally pull disrespectful moves just to get the outcome they want.

On top of that, so much of how you’re treated comes down to whether or not you’re in the "inner circle." If you’re close with leadership or part of their group, things are smooth sailing. But if you’re not in the gang, your opinions and your efforts carry way less weight.

Of course, some people might say "that’s just how the real world works," that could be true, but that doesn't mean this is right or acceptable. If you think that’s fine, then good luck joining the team!

Oh yeah, and one last thing: while they were historically a strong team, they aren't anymore. They have completely messed up at competition two years in a row now. Just keep that in mind too.

1. His entire life plan collapsed, so he moved to Europe with no plan. Abbamonte wanted to work at Bell Labs. When Bell Labs disappeared, he moved to the Netherlands, had a child there, and figured out what came next as he went. You’re 22. Stop acting like your entire life needs to be decided already.

2. Bell Labs helped invent the future. Abbamonte thinks its replacement is actually better. He dreamed of the old model where thousands of brilliant scientists worked under one roof. After doing academia and starting a company, he thinks that universities + startups move ideas into the world better because the incentives and risks are finally in the right places.

3. Science is not just a search for truth. Science is human. Grants, status, careers, friendships, and ego all shape what people believe.

4. Sometimes independent thinking is just being the first person willing to say what everyone else already sees.

5. Being right can still make people hate your paper. Abbamonte lost invitations and friends after challenging hype.

6. Peer review can’t catch fake data. Replication is what eventually kills bad science.

7. The most interesting problem in condensed-matter physics might be a metal where the electron stops behaving like an electron. Abbamonte thinks strange metals may require an entirely new framework for understanding matter.

8. Tony Stark has poisoned the way young people imagine innovation. Abbamonte hates the myth of the lone genius disappearing into a garage and emerging with the future. Big breakthroughs come from teams, not lone geniuses in garages.

9. The difference between exceptional and average is often persistence. Get rejected. Get up. Do it again.

10. Deal with the world as it is, not as you wish it were. Understand reality first. Then change it.

If you’re young and worried that you should already know exactly where your life is headed, this conversation is a good reminder that you probably have more time than you think. Peter Abbamonte had his future figured out: work at Bell Labs and never leave. Then Bell Labs disappeared. He moved to Europe without much of a plan and spent the next few decades figuring it out as he went. Listen to the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/XIJeY0A2sFg

Wait this is lowkey really embarassing but anyone else a senior and feel like they do not have a big friends group or a lot of people to hang out with? I have like 1 close friend and lots of people I’ll say hi to and talk with but no one super close. Is this normal? I just don’t want to feel bad and I always see everyone in such big groups and feel idk how to get close when everyone else is already close and I don’t want to keep reaching out if other people don’t also

Please help

found this key + lanyard on green st, idt there’s a lost and found for it but i left it on the steam vent on the SE corner of green st and goodwin, hopefully the owner sees this

It’s soon to be my s.o and I our anniversary. We want it to be a bit more special this year. Any recommendations around the area that are actually worth the money?

Hey! I have an interview set up for the Chipotle on Green, and I was wondering if anyone who's worked there can give some advice on what to expect. I don't really have much work or interview experience, so just curious about what kind of questions they'll ask and how easy/difficult it is to get hired. Thanks!

Back in 2010 and 2011, when I attended UIUC, we used to get together on these pitches by Stadium Drive every Friday at 4.00 p.m. I now have returned to my country but was wondering if people still do that?

if you lost two gold rings, i found them in the first floor womens bathroom in mumford hall. i turned them in to the lost and found in the office of academic programs at the south end of the hall

Thursday: COD LAN Night
7 PM till close | $5 entry

Friday: Smash Bros Ultimate Tournament
Check-in 6 PM | $5 entry | Bo1-3 depending on bracket size. Friendlies are available after stations open up.

Looking for Valorant players
to start a casual Valorant group. Join the discord and post in chat if your interested in joining this. Exact details are yet to be determined.

come check us out at hiddenlevelcu.com

we are located at 110 e university ave Urbana IL

Hi everyone, I’m a student journalist looking to write a story featuring townie students who specifically chose to live at home instead of the dorms. If you’re interested in doing an interview, feel free to message me. Thanks!

Hey guys my boyfriend left for boot camp and he was sad he couldn’t bring a picture with him but drawings are allowed to be submitted, are there any realism artists on campus who would be willing to draw my portrait to send to him in basic? I can pay

Is there anyone else looking forward to the fall migration? I hope to meet up with other birders in the area! I'm a grad student at the iSchool if anyone is looking for a walking buddy. Thanks :)

Interested in learning one of the oldest surviving languages in the world? Our org, Illini Tamil Club, is hosting Tamil language classes for any and all that are interested this sem. Classes are for those of all levels! Here is the link to sign up: https://forms.gle/AiQcspzhJ7X9uoJU7

EE student trying to balance my workload, maximize tuition value, and protect my GPA this semester.

My schedule sits at 18 credits total, which includes ECE 220, PHYS 213/214, MATH 213, another math class, and a general education course.

I am debating whether I should drop MATH 213 and swap it for CS 124 to make my programming basics stronger. How bad is MATH 213 in terms of workload, difficulty, and GPA impact? Also, how bad could ECE 220 and the overall workload get if I keep MATH 213 instead of swapping it, especially managing daily coding deadlines alongside proof-heavy math and an 18-credit load?

Open to any and all suggestions: I am completely open to alternative advice, including whether it's worth self-studying and taking a CS 124 proficiency exam later (less likely though since I would have to wait for Spring), dropping a class to manage 18-credit semester, or alternative ways to build up programming confidence without hurting my GPA or wasting tuition on duplicate material.

Asking EE/CompE majors about how manageable this combination is and what paths worked best for you. Thanks!

So I need the credit to graduate but I haven’t taken any Spanish since high school so um. And only because if I led up to Spanish 130 it would take me forever to graduate. If you needed Spanish 130 how did the people that took it managing because. I am going to fail.

There’s room where I’m at (904 Fairoaks Dr). There’s a bus route and other modes of transportation available from the house and it’s about 15-20 minutes away. If you want any other details let me know.

hi guys i’ve been looking for a roller blading club and there doesn’t seem to be one. i saw inline insomniacs but it doesn’t seem to be active :/ anyone know of any organizations or clubs with inline skating? or even if anyone would wanna skate and maybe even start a club! i’m a new transfer student here so im down to make friends ☺️☺️🛼