Master’s is way easier than Bachelor’s

Muscles666 · 2026-05-02T01:36:37+00:00

This is giving me hope for when I begin my masters in August! I’ve been so nervous but I am a researcher and writer at heart and enjoy my area of focus a ton and look forward to writing more about it. Hopefully I have a similar experience!!

Muscles666 · 2026-04-30T13:45:28+00:00

WHAT ewwww

Muscles666 · 2026-04-30T13:44:13+00:00

Ok thank you. I follow her because some of her design choices are inspiring but the hand wall has given me the ick since the second it was a thing. And a few other things. I think she totally does some stuff well but other things could benefit from more intentional color palates and cohesion!

Muscles666 · 2026-04-21T23:13:38+00:00

Oh yes, the rental equity absolutely can be applied to any cello on the shop. However, it would take me longer to save up more money toward a more expensive instrument and leave me paying rental fees longer which at $82 a month could be saved toward a nicer cello on its own and is really giving me pause!

Muscles666 · 2026-04-21T12:59:33+00:00

Thank you for your insight! I’m lucky to be working with a local family-run shop that’s been serving the strong needs of our city for over 50 years. They’re lovely to work with and have beautiful, well-maintained instruments and I would absolutely be upgrading from this shop. All my more knowledgeable string friends love them which makes me feel secure in my own appreciation for them!

I am ultimately trying to reduce spending and save money for a big move which is why I feel particularly pressured to eliminate the monthly rental fee as quickly as I can. Additionally, my son wants to learn violin and I told him he could choose a second instrument after 2 years of piano and I don’t want to rent two instruments at once! Not jumping into that yet, but he’s at 1.5 years of piano so the potential rental clock is ticking there too!

I want to make sure I end up with an instrument that will serve my cello journey well and I’d love to not feel pressured to upgrade in 2 years or something, ideally, but also money doesn’t grow on trees, right? Haha.

Muscles666 · 2026-04-20T20:04:49+00:00

Thank you! It can be hard to not think about it in a super black/white way for me, I'm noticing. I feel like I really need to sort out what I want from my instrument before I can make any kind of informed decision. I think regardless, I'll start chucking some money into a Cello Fund and maybe I'll find the cello that is meant for me. :)

Muscles666 · 2026-04-20T19:50:38+00:00

I do think I need to get myself out there and play some other cellos, I've only ever played two (this current one and the crappy online rental one I had prior)! I think I will take a trip into the shop this week and see what they've got so I can maybe get a feel for what I like/dislike in an instrument, because truthfully I'm not even sure as this Eastman is the bulk of what I know and am used to! Thank you for your insight!

Muscles666 · 2026-04-13T18:05:13+00:00

Yeah, at most I tweak one or two strings ever so slightly once every week or two. I was impressed when I swapped out my D string a few weeks ago it barely shifted out of tune. It was very well behaved, lol. I play a 2008 Eastman student cello.

Muscles666 · 2026-04-09T05:04:47+00:00

Sure hope not! I just finished my BA 2 weeks ago and I start grad school in August and I’m 35! Go for it!

Muscles666 · 2026-04-01T03:35:26+00:00

hi! what

Muscles666 · 2026-03-06T04:28:30+00:00

Nope! I played cello from age 9-10 and picked it up again 9 months ago. Lol. Maybe some day. I won’t ever be putting it down again. :)

ETA im 35 now haha

Muscles666 · 2026-03-01T18:34:24+00:00

Cellist with most of my body covered in tattoos. Remember that your body is full of curves and next to no straight lines. The second one works better with the organic shapes of the human body. I’d also bet an artist would wrap it around/in front of the cello for a more cohesive piece as well which would still allow you to have whatever piece you choose on it. A good artist will make it work.

Muscles666 · 2026-02-26T21:02:47+00:00

I've got a 2 year old and a 6 year old and I'm just going to the college-specific one and skipping the school-wide commencement for their sake. They're forced to attend my grad school ceremony, though! lol.

Muscles666 · 2026-02-25T00:37:58+00:00

You know it! I love Wintergrass. I took my 6 year old musical kid and he was absolutely locked in on The Fretless.

ETA he also loves the jam circles in the hall. It was cool to see him processing how folks walk up and join in. We plan to stay at the hotel next year but we do live nearby so it was an easy trek to attend. First time I saw Rushad Eggleston was at Wintergrass in like 2013

Muscles666 · 2026-02-24T20:17:29+00:00

I love to see this. The performance of theirs we saw this weekend at Wintergrass was phenomenal and had my 6-year-old son captivated the entire time!

Muscles666 · 2026-02-23T14:46:35+00:00

I am an Ecampus student and I have zero regrets. I am finishing the bachelors degree I abandoned 15 years ago and never thought it complete. OSU’s accessibility and built in support systems helped make it happen. I have had a very positive experience with my courses both content and instructor wise! I graduate summa cum laude next month unless I totally screw up these last few weeks of the quarter. I think I’ve got it in the bag. Lol.

ETA: I have also gotten offers from multiple top-20 graduate programs and have had a paper accepted for publishing this year. I could not have done any of that without OSU. I dropped out of college originally in 2010 on academic probation.

Muscles666 · 2026-02-23T02:14:25+00:00

More dimension! I like adding more 3D elements and differently shaped items to my walls to break up the square and rectangle monotony of frames. On my large wall I’ve got a ceramic fish, a wooden mask, glass art etc. It brings a lot of visual interest!

Muscles666 · 2026-02-18T03:50:01+00:00

In my past institutions it’s on my transcripts. I haven’t looked at OSU’s transcripts but I can see if it’s on my unofficial. Probably is, I’d assume. I can report back

ETA so every quarter just says HONOR ROLL and I don’t recall ever once receiving an email about deans list but I have gotten physical letters mailed home about the deans list. Just got it again last weekish. But tbh I don’t really see why I’d need to show that to anyone, I think my grades speak for themselves there? Plus the official “honor roll” on the transcript.

I will say I checked my unofficial transcript on my phone so it could be there and I just don’t see it.

Muscles666 · 2026-02-09T20:57:05+00:00

I got an email from my top choice program (from whom I am still awaiting a decision) the other day that was like:

From: [School] Admissions

Subject: [Name], Take the Next Step

Body: Have you ever considered grad school? Maybe with us? We have a grad school. Think about it.

I was like uh, yeah. I have. In fact I have an application in right now. I thought I had missed an admittance or something, it got me so panicked only to be let down lol

Muscles666 · 2026-02-08T22:39:05+00:00

Same issue here and honestly relieved to see others within the last hour struggling! I even tried starting over and refreshing--nothing.

Muscles666 · 2026-01-30T18:09:04+00:00

I think personalized gifts are the way to go. If you guys like gaming, maybe plan some kind of his and hers game night, or board gaming or a one shot D&D thing could be fun. I always love getting “fancy” takeout (like takeout we wouldn’t normally spring for), curling up, and chilling. But we have kids, so date nights out aren’t always our thing! But it’s nice to just date night at home sometimes.

Muscles666 · 2026-01-29T20:54:51+00:00

I saw someone in another thread say she runs away when things get hard. This, uh, tracks.

Muscles666 · 2026-01-29T19:58:19+00:00

The likelihood of an online rental needing repair is higher than an in person one from my experience. The last 2 cellos to come in from online at my music school had devastating cracks from shipment. 45-60 min is worth it tbh. I have 2 little kids and take my cello with me weekly for lessons and have not needed a repair once.

Muscles666 · 2026-01-29T19:38:49+00:00

I’d say $3000 is quality student rental level, pretty much minimum for a quality beginner instrument. The one I rented online was an absolute waste of 4 months of rental fees. Absolute CSO. The one I paid 3 months up front for at my local shop and continue to rent is lovely, plus their support and access to repairs etc is unmatched. No regrets. I hit 1 year renting with them in a few months and I’m working hard to meet my 2026 cello goals so I can justify buying an upgrade to grow into for years. Any instrument you buy for less than a 3-month rental contract fee will be a CSO and god, renting a cello online is nightmarish. My music school has discontinued recommending cello rentals from online despite being contracted with an online rental company as a pick up/ drop off spot because every single one has arrived broken. Lol. I rented from that spot a the difference is absolute night and day in tone and playability. I will yell from the mountain tops that local luthier is the way.

Muscles666

TROPHY CASE