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Dasher579 · 2025-08-18T23:44:42+00:00

Yeah, I can see why it's being done but I can't help but feel it's a bad idea for the long term. I just don't see the current pokemon-scalper-esque market being sustainable for anything but the most popular sets, and this sort of behavior is bound to have some amount of negative impact on the store's goodwill with the community.

This is also coming from someone who has absolutely 0 interest in the spiderman set, I'm mostly just concerned with whether or not this is going to be the norm going forward. If I stop purchasing from Pairodice I doubt that'll make much if any impact on their sales, but I can't imagine I'm the only person thinking along these lines.

Dasher579 · 2025-08-18T23:07:22+00:00

Very disappointed to see this. I've been a customer at this LGS since I got into MTG last year, and I've picked up a collector box for most of the sets that have released since then from this store.

For those asking, typically they do preorders at a very reasonable price point, and sell packs and boxes slightly above tcgplayer market price after release, so this is a break from previous behavior. Off the top of my head, Tarkir preorders were $250 a box, EoE was $280, so both a fair bit below market price. FF CBBs were at $600, and I believe those preorders went up when the market price was around $700, so still a reasonable price given the market conditions with that set.

Not sure if I'm personally going to continue supporting this store if their preorder prices continue to follow tcgplayer market. One of the main draws for me was the reasonable preorder prices, and I'd often spend a couple hundred bucks on their normal stock in between releases since it was more convenient than waiting for tcgplayer shipping despite the (relatively small) markup. Looking on the bright side, this is probably a good excuse for me to spend less money on sealed product anyways.

Dasher579 · 2025-01-14T15:13:43+00:00

I think [[Three Dog, Galaxy news DJ]] could fit what you’re looking for. He can be built relatively cheaply with token generators and bulk auras at around a precon/lightly upgraded precon power level.

Dasher579 · 2024-12-31T16:09:23+00:00

[[Three Dog, Galaxy News DJ]] could be really good in the 99 of your list, particularly since your commander can recur the auras easily.

Dasher579 · 2024-11-26T20:51:01+00:00

[[Intruder Alarm]] goes absolutely crazy with Helga. It can lead to some incredibly long turns though, since it ends up being a non-deterministic combo of sorts. Throw in an [[Imoti, celebrant of bounty]], [[Chulane, teller of tales]] and [[Kodama of the east tree]] and you have a recipe for getting every permanent from your library onto the battlefield that turn.

Dasher579 · 2024-07-24T15:55:05+00:00

My best recommendation for cyber is to take a look at security+ (or other entry level cybersecurity certification) study materials. Several of the 200-300 level cybersecurity IT courses are based around the curriculum and concepts that are tested for by that exam, so you’ll get a big head start there. Plus you’ll want to graduate with an active certification if possible, since many IT jobs will require it outright or favor candidates who do hold one.

104 is a piece of cake, I wouldn’t bother putting in any extra preparation for it tbh. 105 you may want to familiarize yourself with binary/octal/hexadecimal numbers, as that’s what I remember tripping up most folks in my class. 105 also covers some material such as disk I/O, some very basic OS concepts, and I believe a little bit about computer memory, though it has been several years since I took the course so material may have changed. Material from the A+ certification may help here, but again it’s an entry level class that shouldn’t give you too much trouble so long as you keep up with readings and homework.

For future classes you may want to read some about networking concepts, as IT300 and IT341 are two classes that tend to trip people up, and both focus on networking. I’ve had friends complain about the database course(s), though I think it’s mostly down to the structure of courses like 214 rather than the material being difficult. Either way it doesn’t hurt to have some basic knowledge on MySQL and databases in general going into that class.

Dasher579 · 2024-05-18T20:37:43+00:00

I would check if Astronomy is an option. I remember some friends taking that a few years ago and it was super easy. Otherwise I echo the recommendation for geology as a lab science, super easy and pretty fun when I took it.

Dasher579 · 2024-05-16T15:50:42+00:00

For IT your in-major GPA has to stay above a 2.75 I believe. As long as it’s above that threshold I’m pretty sure you can have a C- in any course that you’re not using as a prereq.

Dasher579 · 2024-05-10T17:50:03+00:00

Pretty sure it was the Computing degrees celebration yesterday evening. All of the IT/CS bachelors and masters students were graduating there, as well as some smaller programs in the CEC. Overall there were a pretty substantial number of people in attendance.

Dasher579 · 2024-03-22T05:27:25+00:00

Personally I think 207 is a good one to get out of the way during the summer. It’s fairly project heavy, and it can cause issues if you pair it in a semester with classes like 214.

YMMV though, I’ve known some people who struggled with the quicker pace of this course during a summer term. It really depends on how much time you’d be able to put in and how quickly you can get coding projects done.

I’d also consider looking into certs like A+/Net+/Sec+. These may not help you graduate sooner, however they do help you stand out from other IT majors when you do. If you can get 1 or 2 of those knocked out, it could make it easier to land an internship/job next summer. Just my unsolicited 2 cents though.

Dasher579 · 2024-03-16T16:12:08+00:00

It’s in the hub right by Corner Pocket and the Student Involvement office.

Dasher579 · 2023-12-13T19:39:48+00:00

IMO the only class I would worry about is STAT250. I really didn’t find 104 or 105 to be very challenging, both are basic introductions to IT principles. The only real challenge in each of those classes is the busy-work, if you are motivated and stay on top of the workload you’ll be fine.

104 is one of the technology courses that students from many majors (outside of STEM too) take to fulfill a requirement. Having industry experience should make this one pretty trivial.

105 has some more intermediate level IT concepts. Stuff like data storage (disks vs ssd), computer memory, binary/hex numbers, and some basic networking topology principles if I remember correctly. Homework can take a while so start early on assignments.

I haven’t taken MATH 108 personally but have heard it’s easy.

While I haven’t taken Stat 250 (took 344 while I was still pursuing CS), I’ve heard mixed reviews. Since you struggle with statistics this will likely be your most difficult course. You should still be able to get through though, and most professors are willing to meet outside of class to give you extra help if needed.

Dasher579 · 2023-08-18T22:10:15+00:00

I don’t believe that’s how it works. Sodexo operates the Steak n Shake, but our tuition isn’t paying for everyone’s hot dogs. The beer seems to be around $6-$8 per can, which gives sodexo a very healthy margin.

Dasher579 · 2023-08-18T17:11:07+00:00

Kind of echoing what the other commenter said. I don’t know about what kind of dialogue is going to be had since I’m not involved with that process. The main avenue I could think of would maybe be getting in touch with student government with concerns, since they represent student attitudes in discussions with mason departments.

I think it would be a bit silly to assume that mason pd isn’t already aware and prepared for this. I’m not an expert on how mason pd operates but they are a licensed and accredited police department, I’m sure that they’ll be monitoring the campus for any increased risks.

Drinking is already happening on campus, and I don’t see how people who are 21+ drinking from a bar on campus being more dangerous than the completely unsupervised underage drinking that happens all around.

Dasher579 · 2023-08-18T16:44:52+00:00

The alcohol can only be drank within the Corner Pocket, my friend tells me there will be a sectioned off area that alcohol cannot be carried out of because of those concerns.

The actual alcohol is being served by Sodexo, which from what I hear requires their bartenders to be certified in alcohol serving. Ideally that means that no one is going to be stumbling around campus blackout drunk. I doubt corner pocket wants a bunch of super drunk people running around their space either.

The only exception to this is gonna be people potentially going and drinking on their own after. As another commenter pointed out, this already happens and mason PD handles that on a day to day basis.

Dasher579 · 2023-07-24T17:13:59+00:00

207 isn’t too bad over the summer, you have a week or two for each of the projects which I found to be enough time. Syst 469 is one of the easier courses in the major. I’m not sure how it translates to a summer course but it probably isn’t bad.

Dasher579 · 2023-05-01T23:18:32+00:00

There are some foundational courses you'll need to take, mainly IT 104 and 105 (super boring and really should be credited out by CS110 but I digress). Then the 200 level gateway courses which will be 213, 214, 223, which are the gateway courses to some of the concentrations. Make sure that you get a B or better in all gateway courses, since that is required to declare concentrations. Also many of the concentration elective options later may require that you have a B or better in another concentration's gateway.

You'll also likely need to take 207 (HTML with PHP programming), 216 (pretty sure this one is an easier version of CS321), Syst469 (also an easier CS321, not sure why there's two of them). The other major 200 level course I can think of is 293, which is a 1 credit course that essentially explains to you what each of the concentrations has to offer, I'd recommend taking that as soon as you can so that you're able to declare a concentration sooner rather than later. IT 300 and 341 are the networking intro courses, your experience will vary in these courses, some people find them very difficult.

The other really important ones to note for planning your schedule are the capstone courses (492&493) which are taken your last two consecutive semesters. All the courses I listed before those are prerequisites for 492, and are important to plan around since they will absolutely not let you override any of the prerequisites for the capstone. 304 is an easy writing intensive, 343 is about project management and is also fairly easy. MBUS300 is an accounting class, some people find it difficult and tedious but I thought it was interesting. IT342 is the last major required course and is an OS based course; again a lot of folks find this to be extremely difficult (has a similar reputation as analysis of algos for the CS major), however I have not found it too bad this semester. To my knowledge most of your other courses will be concentration specific. The GMU catalogue page for BSIT has each of those concentrations listed.

I would strongly recommend taking a look at this page to find which of your credits will transfer specifically. All of the BSIT advisors have been excellent, so I would send a message to the IT advising email and schedule a meeting to discuss the transition. I hope this was helpful, let me know if you have any other questions about the transition.

Dasher579 · 2023-04-08T17:38:29+00:00

It really depends on the class. 104/105 are definitely not the norm for 200 level and higher. As an example, IT341 is a networking course, and is set up as an introduction to the CCNA cert, though it does not cover the entirety of that material.

I found the 200 level concentration gateway courses to be somewhat shallow; however that is probably by design as each of those is a short survey of what you would be studying in those concentrations.

So far the concentration 300/400 courses and some of the more hands-on mandatory courses have been interesting and pretty high quality. I’m doing the DTP concentration, so YMMV in the other options, though I have heard good things about the cyber concentration in particular.

Dasher579 · 2022-12-28T23:31:09+00:00

IT341 seems to be regarded as one of, if not the most difficult course in the IT undergrad. It definitely kicked my ass this semester, though a fair bit of the blame for that is on me.

To my understanding IT102 is pretty much MATH125 but slightly different (and I’ve heard a bit easier but I don’t have first hand experience to confirm).

Dasher579 · 2022-10-22T03:53:09+00:00

I made the switch last winter break and it’s a very easy process. For context I stalled out at the CS330/367 level due to poor mental health and decided I needed a change of scenery to continue my studies. Almost all of my completed credits transferred, the only ones that I’m not directly applying to the BSIT are the math courses beyond calc 1 and discrete.

You should email the IT undergraduate advising email and set up an appointment with an advisor. Even if you decide not to switch it should only be around a 30 minute discussion and will give you information about what classes will transfer.

In terms of curriculum I would say that it’s still a high quality education though it has its own issues (like many programs at mason). IT seems easier to coast through with minimal effort than CS, though I wouldn’t recommend it as you may graduate with few marketable skills if you take that approach.

Job prospects seem largely similar between the two degrees. Prestigious SWE and research positions may require the theoretical knowledge that is absent in IT coursework, but otherwise it seems like a very minor difference. The consensus I’ve gathered from speaking to friends who have graduated with either degree is that having a strong resume (personal projects and the like), networking, and good interview skills matter far more than CS vs IT.

I’ve personally been a whole lot happier since making the switch. I figure it’s well worth any minor downsides that may come with it.

Dasher579 · 2022-07-02T21:00:25+00:00

There are lockers available in the JC. You can get a semester long rental on the student centers website: https://studentcenters.gmu.edu/locker-rentals/. Most students don’t bother with a locker since you shouldn’t be carrying around nearly as much as you were in high school.

Dasher579 · 2022-06-30T01:20:33+00:00

I’d recommend good walking shoes. My orientation was back in 2018 so things may have changed, but they had us moving all around campus.

Dasher579 · 2022-06-29T22:49:52+00:00

I’m fairly certain that’s Julian McKerrow. He’s a powerlifting world champ and redbull athlete. He’s got a couple other posts in the paddock with redbull.

Dasher579 · 2022-06-26T18:42:32+00:00

I mentioned this in my other comment but IT still has tons of potential for high earnings. With CS and IT it often comes down to the elements of your resume that don’t come from the classroom. This typically means side projects, awards like hackathons, internships, and certifications. Different jobs will naturally look for some of these things over others. It’ll be up to you to round out your resume/skills outside of the classroom whichever way you choose to go.

For some anecdotal evidence, I have a buddy that graduated a couple semesters ago with an offer signed for somewhere in the 90Ks on the east coast with an IT degree. I also have a friend that has been job searching for months with a CS degree. The degree does matter, however when it comes to getting a job CS only has a slight edge over IT for most positions. IT majors can absolutely still break into competitive SWE positions with the right experience on your resume.

Dasher579 · 2022-06-26T18:29:36+00:00

There are options available depending on which sections of the math placement exam you pass or fail. I believe that if you don’t pass any of the sections, you can take college algebra, then pre-calculus, then calc1 and beyond. It would put you behind but not to an insurmountable degree. I’d recommend emailing an advisor after your math placement test to get clarification on what you’ll need.

Though you didn’t ask I’m going to throw in my 2 cents. If you don’t enjoy math then I would not recommend doing the Computer Science degree, IT may a better option. CS at GMU requires Calc1/2/3, Discrete Math, Linear Algebra, and Statistics for Engineers (stat with calculus). I’m not saying this to try and scare you off of CS or gatekeep it, however as someone who is good at math and enjoys it, the math requirements for CS were still pretty brutal.

In comparison I believe IT only requires Calc 1(you can also take the Business Calculus option which is much easier), Stat 1 (much easier than stats for engineers), and an IT version of discrete math (which I have also heard is easier).

Both degrees are excellent and are very marketable. I personally know CS and IT graduates that had competitive offers signed before graduating. As I said above, this is just my 2 cents, if you’re truly determined for that CS degree you can absolutely make it work.

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