I have both iOS and Android devices. The simple reason why I've purchased more apps on iOS is because the free equivalents weren't available as they are in the Android App Market. My daughter uses the iOS device (an iPod Touch) and I have a Droid2 and a Samsung Transformer. When she gets her phone it will be an Android device, likely a Samsung Nexus and she'll inherit the Transformer. So far I've spent about $100 in apps for the Android and that will likely grow because the tablets have proven to be quite useful.

"Re:In 3 years? How about now."

The OP mentioned 3-4 years before he/she graduates, hence "3 years" :D I haven't been to University in a couple decades but even then we had several languages represented in the engineering and mathematics classes.

Take a foreign language such as Chinese, Hindi, Japanese or German to ensure you can communicate with your co-workers in 3 years.

I'm only half joking.

Amy Pond is in the library. Amy Pond has been saved.

I'm checking her out.

"Be ready to do some real support. You may not find it very different form Windows but they will"

That's a load of FUD. I've installed close to a dozen Linux machines in the past year for kids and adults and about as many Windows ones. The support is the same. If anything, it's much easier for Linux because I just point them to the software repository and they can install anything they want with a click. With Windows it's a chore of disks and selections. For example, on the Ubuntu Linux systems I've installed, updating *all* packages is just a matter of clicking a button and entering a password. To do the same on Windows I have a dozen separate installers for packages such as VNC, VLC, Java, Chrome and the office suite. On top of that, it seems every other Windows free application adds some browser plugin or some other nonsense.

Quit spreading that FUD from 1999.

Will I gain super powers if I visit the reactor?

Think of cleaning a fish.. You have to get in there, clean out the guts, get rid of the scales, pull out everything but the meat.

Wild game is like that, except that you can't get the nasty stuff from the intestines on the meat. So you have to be very careful with your knife when you skin it so you don't puncture the intestines or the bladder. Doing so will ruin the meat. Fish is one thing. Mammal parasites and diseases are another. And mammal feces are generally poisonous to other mammals. For larger animals you need to bleed it. This means hanging it up, nicking an artery, and let it bleed out. If you don't then the meat will taste horrid, not to mention a host of blood-borne parasites that can play nasty with your body. I've done it for a goat and deer. Believe me, it's not for the squeamish.

If it came down to it, my choices would be fishing first then go after birds. Geese and ducks first. If it came down to it, seagulls. I don't know if I could eat a pigeon again :/. Once was enough.

Long pig? If it came to that. I have a can of peaches and avocados as dessert.

Ever cleaned game? Wildlife around urban areas tend to be freaking nasty. Mangy, diseased, bony... Not a lot of deer around my city. Not a lot of wild boar either. So you may end up eating rats and bugs. Make sure that you don't puncture the rat intestine and spill rat feces all over that delectable rat meat when you're cleaning that rat. And rats, though they may grow to be large, are still rats and not much more meat than a single drumstick.

Say all you want about a can of pork and beans or tuna, but I'd much rather eat that than a squirrel. And yes, I've eaten rabbit, deer, wild hog, and snake before... I've never eaten rat though.

I've lived through a few hurricanes, been in the woods for a days at a time, have had broken bones, been held up at gunpoint...

Staying calm is vitally important. The best thing to help in staying calm in having experience and knowledge. When confronted with new situations it's much more stressful because you don't know what to do next.

So preparation is key. It might be as simple as stocking up on a few items. Tarps, canned goods, *water*, first aid kits, etc. come in handy. There are also some other less obvious things... A GPS unit is so very helpful... When Hurricane Andrew stopped by it took away all the street signs. I remember driving to check on a relative who lived less than 5 miles away. Without street signs I could not quickly find a house I'd visited dozens of times before... You know what I missed too? Toothpaste. And baby wipes. We were able to flush the toilet, but showering was risky because of possible breaks in the water lines.

Having a plan is helpful. It could be as simple as knowing where the exits in your house are. Where is the closest shelter? If your car is un-driveable (blocked or destroyed), can you walk to that shelter with the 6 days worth of equipment? The sleeping bag and the 2-burner propane stove seems a lot less necessary when you need to carry it 10 miles on foot.

Do you have copies of your paperwork? Some people scan deeds, insurance papers, contracts, etc.. onto a USB stick. Others put them in a fire safe. If you have to leave your home, can you carry that safe along with 200lbs of other equipment?

Do you know how to set a broken bone? Can you use wound gel? What happens if you get punctured by a rusty nail?

We can go on for hours about the things we need. Firearms? Will they help set your broken leg? I'm not discounting their value, but carting around an AR-15 and that heavy-ass ammo is not too likely if you have to move.

And don't forget your towel.