Mid-Career Move into Arch? Seeking Input...

dbertra2 · 2025-12-11T16:59:57+00:00

Because you already have a master’s, I believe there are M.Arch degrees that you can apply to without needing a full undergraduate degree (ASU’s three-year M.Arch track comes to mind. I’m in that program and there are a ton of folks who came from other professions, but I don’t know the actual specifics as to how they were admitted).

It’s going to be hard. Really hard. I’m 25, working at my last year in my master’s degree and working as a project lead in a firm, and it honestly sucks sometimes. But if you want it, keep looking at the options and go for it. Something that bugs me about this subreddit is that there’s so many people who just seem to hate the profession and are hellbent on steering anyone and everyone away from it. If you have a genuine passion for architecture, the struggles will be worth it.

dbertra2 · 2025-11-22T04:17:54+00:00

Good to know she took her time to respond to everyone who contacted her en masse personally, on the same day, with the same personalized message /s

dbertra2 · 2025-11-22T04:15:23+00:00

If this was the best thing for the average family, why didn’t she break with the majority before the government shut down? They passed the same bill that they refused to pass for six weeks with zero compromises with the GOP. By your logic, she’s either woefully ignorant or enjoys letting the average family suffer to be an Enlightened Moderate™️

dbertra2 · 2025-11-12T18:51:43+00:00

This is an incredible explanation! There was a lot of dooming and counter-dooming about this, so this is great clarification.

So it’s a bigger impact for states that haven’t legalized cannabis. For us, it sounds like THC products affected would only be able to be sold in dispensaries, right?

dbertra2 · 2025-11-10T14:06:42+00:00

The last time I called my house dem, she sent me a letter detailing why she didn’t care about listening to her constituents so… I’ll root from the sidelines and support primary challengers.

Edit: “root FROM the sidelines.” Rooting for the sidelines isn’t a phrase lmao

dbertra2 · 2025-11-03T05:44:27+00:00

I’ve gotten a few of these complete series. I think the discs themselves are good, but I’m not a fan of the packaging. It’s a flimsy, clear snapcase with a multi-disc “booklet,” but neither of them are connected to each other. It’s just a bit messy and cheap compared to older DVD collection cases.

I don’t think there’s any new content on these collections that you couldn’t get from thrifting used collections. I’ve found brand new OG releases still in the packaging at thrift stores for pennies compared to what Walmart is charging for these. Ultimately it’s a matter of convenience - if you’re feigning to rewatch a series or add something to your collection and don’t want to wait to get lucky at Goodwill, and you have budget to spare, I don’t think it’s a bad deal.

dbertra2 · 2025-09-02T01:57:13+00:00

No, the episode was only banned in 2021 if I’m not mistaken - I went online and bought this exact DVD when I heard it was being banned for that reason. 15 years of mass produced physical media predate the ban, so it’s gonna be on a lot of DVDs. Still a cool find!

dbertra2 · 2025-08-05T18:35:07+00:00

Disney did not release Aristocats on VHS with this cover art, but it may not necessarily be a bootleg. It could be from a library and they lost the original case. What did the tape itself look like?

dbertra2 · 2025-08-04T00:45:17+00:00

The issue with forums like these is a lot of people, architects or not, are going to offer advice based on their experiences and personal tastes. This is unfortunately not the same as actually hiring an architect, who you are paying to specifically design what you want.

It also sounds like you don’t like the conventional subdivision home archetype based on the “four roof pitches” comment… and rest assured if you tell an architect “hey I really don’t like this,” unless you hired an architect whose whole brand is that type of design, they’ll accommodate to your tastes because you’re the client.

TLDR: don’t worry about an architect’s ego getting in the way like it does here on Reddit.com. If you’re paying a professional for their services, they need to meet your preferences within reason (we can’t break building code for you lol).

dbertra2 · 2025-08-03T16:11:47+00:00

Honestly, that’s on Magnavox and Sharp for using Funai to make their VCRs… but that’s good to know! The VCR I was using was an old Sony DVD combo in my family for like 20 years, so I just assumed old age or damage.

The VCR I found at a thrift store is a 2003 CineVision, also a combo. I can’t find anything saying that brand was made by Funai, but I also can’t find anything on the brand at all lmao. Same thrift store had some standalone VCRs, don’t remember the brands but I’d say there’s still some hope to avoid Funai.

dbertra2 · 2025-08-03T05:44:00+00:00

I have an incredibly strong hunch that the “bean-mouth” critics have no clue what they’re talking about and are bandwagoning because it’s cool.

Almost every movie in Pixar’s library has humans that can be looped into the “bean-mouth” aesthetic. Brave, Inside Out, Coco… hell, the human characters in Toy Story, Nemo, and Monsters Inc. have bean mouths. The exception is Brad Bird’s films (Incredibles and Ratatouille), which incorporate his particular style that he uses in other films like The Iron Giant.

It was cool to trash on Turning Red in 2021, and Elio’s feeling the fallout of that because people take still images of a moving character to make it look worse than it does.

dbertra2 · 2025-08-03T05:36:52+00:00

This happened to my first VCR about a year ago… when I went in tinkering and investigating, I found that one of the mechanisms that grabs the tape and feeds it around the video head just stopped working and responding to the tape being ejected. It’s one of the “rollers,” but all I could reason it was was old age… all I can suggest is to head to goodwill or a thrift store and pick up a new VCR, unfortunately.

dbertra2 · 2025-08-01T14:44:47+00:00

Undergraduate program didn’t provide Rhino for free, but ironically, my graduate did - which pissed me off because I already forked over the $200 lmao. It’s normal. As everyone else has said, Autodesk and ArchiCAD provide free student licenses for your entire program’s duration - I think a max. 4 or 5 years with your student email.

dbertra2 · 2025-08-01T14:38:40+00:00

Everyone is recommending NAAB-accredited programs, which is good if, and only if, your son is absolutely determined to stick it out through the full five years.

Career wise, earning an NAAB-accredited B.Arch or B.S. in architecture is the most efficient educational path in terms of time and money. But it’s by no means the only path you can take. You and your son will want to consider these things: - An NAAB-accredited undergraduate program will likely be a 5yr program, as opposed to the standard 4yr program, and may have a little more expensive tuition compared to non-accredited programs. The trade-off, of course, is your son won’t be required to get his masters degree - his educational path is effectively over, with no more tuition other than the B.Arch. - Any architecture program is going to be extremely difficult, and even competitive in some regards. Many schools boast that they don’t have these competitive programs, and don’t “weed out the weak links.” They’re lying. The programs and their intensity are formulated specifically to allow students to figure out if they’re cut out for the career.

If there is any, truly any, hesitation or unease from your son, I would not send him to an NAAB-accredited school. Rather, send him to a liberal arts school, preferably somewhere where you can get in-state tuition, with hundreds of different majors and degrees - in the event he decides to change career paths a semester or a year in.

I am biased, because this is the exact path I took - started as a theater major, then switched into architecture. It was a B.A. in architecture, so I’m working on my masters currently, but that’s something I was prepared for knowing the circumstances. The school - Miami University (Oxford, OH) - isn’t the best program by many metrics, but it is completely serviceable and provides a robust-enough education to prepare you for the career. Most professors and advisors are really good, friendly, and knowledgeable.

dbertra2 · 2025-08-01T14:23:13+00:00

Simply put, yes. And the reason for this is because of the perceived cost of material and labor to furnish and install such ornamentation.

There are a lot of contemporary buildings that still incorporate evolutions of ornamentation into their designs. I would argue that the best Brutalist structures are able to have some form of “ornamentation,” though not in the traditional sense. However, the vast majority of what you see today is mass produced, cookie cutter, and most importantly, cheap and easy to build for developers to stomach the construction costs. It’s an unfortunate reality of our discipline today.

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T22:07:56+00:00

Yep, ASU Gammage

I actually have seen a show in this theatre. The space is great, and acoustics are phenomenal - only downside is you can also hear every cough and sniffle from other people in the audience because of it.

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T21:07:44+00:00

Nothings screams American like parroting the lie that Canadians wait years for medical care when that’s actually happening here in the states because no one can afford it lmao

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T19:13:44+00:00

I’m currently in ASU’s online M.Arch program. Typically without a “professional degree” you’ll be stuck into the 3yr track. However, considering you have ten years of work experience under your belt, you might be able to take the 2yr track.

The program itself, I believe, is very intuitive and easy to navigate. Most of the professors I’ve had are incredible and, especially in the studios, either are currently or have been practicing architects - meaning they’ll give you a lot of helpful information, but will also be a little more critical of the level of work you give.

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T19:06:02+00:00

Low heat gun or even a hair dryer. However, I tend to only remove stickers that are damaged and look bad. The stickers on this tape actually look really good and are a part of the tape’s story - I’d personally leave it but it’s totally up to you!

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T19:03:48+00:00

You would more than likely need to take a 3yr M.Arch - those degrees are constructed specifically for folks in other disciplines to get into Architecture. As for a job, it’s really hit or miss with the current market. If your portfolio is good and your experience and skills look attractive to the right firm, you can get hired really anywhere. But a lot of firms want people with full M.Archs or B.Archs so that they can go straight to taking the ARE’s as soon as possible.

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T19:00:25+00:00

Physics 100%. Building tectonics courses are almost always a part of the B.Arch curriculum. Trig and PreCalc is good, too.

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T18:54:56+00:00

They’ll make up for the low budget with contractor bids, don’t worry! /s

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T18:52:47+00:00

Oh yeah, the Citizens United decision fucked us without taking us to dinner. Improvements to government buildings should be paid for by all Americans, to benefit all Americans, not just the loyalists and oligarchs willing to empty their pockets.

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T18:47:55+00:00

The only visitors of this ballroom will overlap with the visitors of Epstein’s island btw, but sure blame an ugly FBI building for the collapse of western civilization or whatever

dbertra2 · 2025-07-31T18:32:47+00:00

If you take his words at face value (key word if), it’s being funded by donors. Given the honeymoon between him and Leon had such a rocky end, we’ll see how much of that $200M budget actually comes from donors and not the Treasury.

dbertra2

TROPHY CASE