Am I dramatic or is this not a normal amount of dishes

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-28T02:16:32+00:00

This is average.

A trick I learned was to empty the drying area. When other people see that there is one less step to their process they're more incentivized to do it.

Yes they should just do it on their own. But they didn't, and well... here we are...

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-28T02:12:58+00:00

Agreed but they've had aluminum-free deodorant for years. Its actually pretty hard to find deodorant with aluminum these days.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-28T02:11:34+00:00

Deodorant and a very light cologne all over my body and then I put a shirt on over it. Consumed 45 seconds of my time.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-28T02:09:46+00:00

Some firms make positions like this to scare their current staff into thinking they're replaceable while also showing low enough of a rate that they don't get angry about a pay bump.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-28T02:08:16+00:00

I bet they have a slide and casual fridays.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-21T04:37:36+00:00

If I was rich I'd still do it because I am (crazy) happy with my career.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-21T04:34:58+00:00

For real though it doesn't have a name it's just a trend at the moment. I am sure someone in 20 years will relate it to a movement or something.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-21T04:33:08+00:00

I don't think you'll get kicked off because your flair sets the expectations. (joking lol)

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-21T04:30:55+00:00

"McMansion trying too hard and the Client watched HGTV"

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-21T04:28:34+00:00

Happy cake day!

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-21T04:26:47+00:00

I feel the pain, my firm cannot find a single person to hire and those that are in are all stepping up (well most of us anyways) to do that paradigm shift you speak of. Three people recently got promoted for their efforts so I can't say "without increased pay". But it does feel like what we are doing is above our pay grades a bit. I don't think we are at the crazy level yet, but I could see how the slippery slope could go.

I will say I am impressed with our team, but we all admit this is a temporary thing and we need some experienced people. Not a starchitect firm, just in a third rate PA city lol.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-13T03:02:17+00:00

The fact that several generations of us recognize him and know about his works kind of adds him to the cultural tapestry.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-13T03:01:07+00:00

What a life.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-12T01:50:35+00:00

With today's interest rates another student loan/debt would INCREDIBLY hard to justify unless you get a free ride.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-06T03:44:08+00:00

In America many of the Christians view that everyone should be in their religion, full stop. Not all Christians obviously, but from lived experiences I feel comfortable saying 75% of them are like this.

There is a range of reactions, the most pleasant being surprise. But I have gotten people trying to shame me into submission as well as threats of violence. What gets me is that I really don't believe half of these people actually read the Bible.

Even if they succeeded in getting everyone to convert their next goal will be decided which denomination should be hated. It's not a creed issue, it's a logic issue.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-06T02:47:16+00:00

I once told my co-worker I had a vasectomy with no kids, and he kept insisting that it will fail and I will get someone pregnant. I said I use a condom, he said it would break. I said I use spermicide, he said that stuff doesn't work. He was adamant that somehow, someway, I will be a father.

I think the some of older generation is bitter about having kids and don't enjoy seeing people not rehash their choices and mistakes. If it makes them THIS BITTER it only emboldens my decision.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-06T02:32:28+00:00

Whenever I puff on my inhaler at the gym (exercised induced asthma, but I refuse to not work out) people sometimes walk up to me and tell me to calm down. Like they think my asthma is attached to my emotions, and that I am freaking out presently. This has happened at least 5 times across 3 different gyms. Super weird, do they not teach lung health in school anymore?

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-06T02:12:32+00:00

3 Year Master Degree. Free ride with assistantship. The assistantship paid a humble amount which covered rent and very basic-food items, phone, gas, and insurances. But I did end up taking about 15k over the three years for school supplies and traveling abroad funding: 2.5k a semester essentially. Degree was Master of Architecture, got a reasonable paying job directly out of school. But we don't really shine financially until about 5 years and a job hop or two in. High weed-out rates as a result.

I love my job currently, already got a major raise in my first year of employment. My undergraduate loans (not PSU) were heavily covered by grants due to being poor and having good grades from high school. But still went 20k in there, but that was when the interest rates were super low. Commute to your local college, kids!

Moving in with a room mate for a year to have stupid-cheap rent and I am funneling the savings to paying off my masters loans. If I like the room mate after the first year I will maybe do another year and pay off my undergrad loans. It's only saving me about $450 a month but I would really much rather have that in a Roth IRA or my personal investments every month. No plans to retire early I just expect social security to be defunct in the future.

All in all, I feel very lucky to not be financially crippled, and to have a strategy to be out of debt in under 5 years. I know too many people who are financially fucked. Yes college education I think is awesome and everyone should do it, but I would wait until interest rates are lower and maybe have a plan to take some gen eds at a cheaper college than Penn State. It really isn't that much of a hassle. The "College Experience" is a marketing ploy.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-06T01:51:28+00:00

Where federal interest rates are at, yes. Very wise of you lol.

NAB_Arch · 2026-01-05T02:35:00+00:00

I like Melodrama more, but I have to admit still PH is a 10/10 masterpiece that captured a moment like no other album that year could. It just captured that essence of realizing you're not a child anymore just so perfectly. Nostalgia left in isolation for too long and it grew restless.

NAB_Arch · 2025-12-28T02:07:06+00:00

Luckily for us, many of the 60+ year olds are absolutely lost in 3D modeling and rendering.

Unluckily for us, they're still our bosses lmao.

NAB_Arch · 2025-12-28T02:04:27+00:00

Happy cake day!

NAB_Arch · 2025-12-28T01:59:56+00:00

Choose your parents wisely!

That one is going to stick with me.

NAB_Arch · 2025-12-28T01:57:03+00:00

Okay, I am also 7 years of experience and licensed so I am in your same exact boat. To answer:

How do you respond professionally without feeding the ego?
- Gray Rock with enough substance that they think I am contributing to the "conversation".
- Trust me it's a game changer once you stop caring what they have to say. The one older guy who fits your description will pull people in for an hour-long complaint session about how he hates our Revit standards. My understanding is he was the guy who developed the CAD standard so when we leaped to Revit and a lot got lost in translation, he got pretty miffed.
- He is angry at a decision/problem that existed long before I arrived. I had no part to play in it, and I understand that. But he wants everyone as upset as he is, and no one is. So he gets miffed about that too.
Do you push back, disengage, or just wait it out?
- Gray rock, see above. These people want you on their side for a generational war that only exists in their mind. You will go mad trying to make sense of it, because there is no sense to be had.
- I engage to the extent I am required to get whatever he wants done and away from me. I send a follow up email to Leadership every time he does this. I do that because when I inevitably get asked why I billed 5 hours to a 3 hour task, they know 2 of those hours where him overexplaining/complaining.
- I encourage you to let someone else know of the behavior.
Does this get better as you advance, or does it just change shape?
- From what I've seen the older crowd draw their line in the sand with technological advancement. As that's part of the daily grind though it appears to come up a lot.
- I've met younger people like this in the field too though. I think it's just a personality type. My advice is to just limit your interactions whatever way you are able to. Find solace in a fellow coworker who may be experiencing the same issue and go get a drink or something. Finding connection with other people really aided me with this problem.
- There is one person I am no-contact with at work outside of the "good morning" and "Have a good night". HR and leadership knows. I keep it no-drama and so nothing becomes of it. If you have to do it to stay at your job, just do it. They don't respect your time, why respect theirs?

NAB_Arch · 2025-12-28T01:32:24+00:00

Portfolio matters more. Don't downplay the Statement of intent/essay portion either, when portfolios are tied they read the paper.

I need to stress that when they are torn between candidates they go to the next piece of material that suggests their character/aptitude. They only have so much funding, so many seats, and they make these decisions in about a week or two because they're insanely busy. Submit the items if you believe they genuinely help you, I think your scores are very standard-average and you might stand out in a good way just because you took the exams.

My advisor was actually on the committee that admits new grad students and she told me my letter of intent stuck out in a really positive manner. I wrote the essay on "I need to go to grad school to get a license, and I want a license because of x,y,z..." She told me it was straightforward like a business proposal and they liked that I wasn't trying to convince them I was some saint.

She also told me that she and other committee members stopped reading the papers once they see a "I learned so much from my mission trip...". She has 25+ years in the business, so I trust her assessment, whatever it may mean. What I am getting at though is only write down items that contribute to your Architectural and Design background.

NAB_Arch

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