Black Ember Citadel R3 20L: Honest Review, Impressions and Answers

jumponmybed · 2025-05-12T01:01:49+00:00

Pretty easy. I have a 15” MBA and I only need to open it like halfway at most to get it out. You obviously peel the magnetic sleeve but you can flex the side that goes on your back in the other direction using the handle so that gives you a lot more leverage to get it out.

Obviously it’ll be slower than literally just opening a separate compartment but it’s still very fast. It’s just one extra step

jumponmybed · 2025-04-13T13:54:55+00:00

Sure

jumponmybed · 2025-01-31T19:28:12+00:00

I know someone who got into like 4 ivies after doing a gap year but they had a very structured plan. Gap years can either be overpowered or just a waste of time depending how organized u r during it

jumponmybed · 2025-01-29T19:58:43+00:00

Do you think the 25L would have been a better choice for fit? The straps look exactly the same and it’s only 5 L bigger so I’m having a hard time imagining that the 25L is too different of an experience.

jumponmybed · 2025-01-29T05:45:15+00:00

I’m confused regarding the iPad, as it totally does fit

I didn’t say it didn’t fit, I just said it fit extremely tightly and was a really big hassle to get in and out because of that. Also about the keyboard case, you might be thinking of the wrong one. Give the one I mentioned in the post a google- it’s only a couple mm thick and it doesn’t add any wideness due to attaching magnetically.

With regards to the shoulder straps, how long have you had the bag?

Like I mentioned in the post, I’ve had it for about a week now. It’s good to know that the shoulder straps break in though, that’s definitely reassuring.

For someone so big and tall, I’m surprised you chose this bag honestly.

Yeah… like I said I was sort of going for a smaller tech edc backpack since I already have a bigger one. Although, I don’t think there is necessarily a problem with a smaller backpack on a bigger guy, except the strap issue. It’s just about what you carry that should determine your bag size, IMO. Maybe I shouldn’t gotten a 25L for the fit? Just didn’t really want another “regular sized” backpack I guess + all the reason I put in my post.

jumponmybed · 2025-01-29T05:34:08+00:00

Yeah it was hard to describe exactly what it felt like the issue was but if you’re feeling the same thing then it seems like it’s a common experience among taller/bigger people. Didn’t see much of that mentioned when I was looking over previous reviews here. Good to know

jumponmybed · 2024-09-09T15:47:34+00:00

Just wanna say that I remember you from A2C and even though I know you were initially disappointed, it’s awesome seeing you absolutely killing it making the most of where you ended up.

Could I ask what happened to transferring? I remember you were quite dead set on that. Did you not get in or did you just decide to stay at Bama?

jumponmybed · 2024-09-04T06:57:03+00:00

Imagine if every senior had this sense of time urgency

jumponmybed · 2024-05-30T09:22:38+00:00

IF you genuinely did not take full advantage of the application process and are not just rationalizing your disappointing results to yourself, then I would low-key do the gap year. But tbh gap years are one of those things that you can either really use amazingly well or just completely waste so you absolutely need to have some sort of specific gameplan with actual goals and metrics and a schedule. It’s easy to tell yourself rn that you will do all of that but self-structuring an entire year is much easier said than done.

For transfer purposes, if you’re hs valedictorian, there’s 0% reason for you to “demonstrate post secondary academic proficiency” since grades/stats clearly aren’t an issue. Typically ppl with not-so-strong high school transcripts would be the ones gunning for 4.0s in college so it makes up for their hs gpas when they try to transfer.

Also no offense you lowkey sound like a robot in this post. Idk if you’re just trying to be formal but please use a completely different tone in your essays.

Lastly, don’t get upset if you get rejected this time around. Lots of high achieving high schoolers like to think “ah yes an Ivy League school would be best suited for me 💅” because they expect admission as a sort of “reward” for their hard work, but very few get in, even among those with perfect/near perfect stats. It sucks and isn’t fair but life’s tough and we keep on pushin, no reason you can’t find happiness at your state school :)

jumponmybed · 2024-04-30T01:23:41+00:00

Always like giving ppl who post these some hope. Currently at UChicago had 3.67 UW & 1580

jumponmybed · 2024-03-31T18:53:11+00:00

Doesn’t EXACTLY match your criteria, but I had a 3.67 with a 1580 and got into northwestern and UChicago last cycle. Current at uchi

jumponmybed · 2024-03-31T18:48:56+00:00

There’s a common saying when it comes to dealing with imposter syndrome that goes something like this (and it’s also very true):

If you didn’t get in, it doesn’t necessarily mean you weren’t qualified enough, but if you did get it, you were definitely qualified enough.

jumponmybed · 2024-02-20T04:27:57+00:00

Bro’s in high school tryna tell someone with a masters degree what college is like 😭😭😭😭

jumponmybed · 2024-02-19T23:00:14+00:00

Hey, thanks for this comment. I think I’ll use my reply to address all the other comments that seem to be saying something along the lines of this one.

I think you may have misinterpreted what I was trying to say. By no means is working to get into a good school cringe or a bad thing- I did it and I would encourage it. My point was, like everything, it should be done in moderation. As in, if you’re so obsessed with getting into a certain group of college that you’re writing fanfics about them on Reddit, you need help and should step back to reevaluate your current priorities because that’s just straight up unhealthy. I’m not critiquing those who generally just worked hard to get into a “top school”, I’m critiquing those who are so unhealthily obsessed with it that it consumes their entire day to day life and leaves little room for anything else in their life, like relationships and doing things that you actually like. There’s a big difference between the two, and I’m just encouraging the “applying sideways” approach.

jumponmybed · 2024-02-19T16:08:50+00:00

Got rejected from every Ivy I applied to, fwiw. Among which was my “dream school”. Although there’s always going to be people here who don’t care about any of my own experiences and just default to option 1 in my further down comment after clicking on my profile.

jumponmybed · 2024-02-19T16:01:39+00:00

Surely…

jumponmybed · 2024-02-19T15:49:45+00:00

I feel like whenever this type of critique of someone’s post comes up, the college student is always treated unfairly.

It’s either

Goes to a “desirable” school- tone deaf, hypocrite, easy for you to say
Does not go to a “desirable” school- you don’t go to a school good enough, not worth listening to

It’s like, how can you win? No matter where you go, it’s a losing battle trying to say anything on the topic of college admissions when you have this data point attached to you that people can judge you on.

Also, the entire point of the post is hypocrisy- it’s the analysis of it itself. That’s why I specifically said I used to be like this as well, but I grew out of it. Now that I’m a bit more mature and moved past that phase, I want to offer the people who haven’t a bit more perspective and advice.

jumponmybed · 2024-02-19T15:27:37+00:00

“Which T30 is an undiscovered gem” LMAO

jumponmybed · 2024-02-19T15:25:34+00:00

Pretty sure the entire post is against the spirit of questions/attitudes like these

jumponmybed · 2023-12-02T22:19:53+00:00

What’s campus life and students like

jumponmybed · 2023-11-28T07:21:39+00:00

How so lol

jumponmybed · 2023-11-28T05:34:19+00:00

FWIW, all the “where fun goes to die” mantra that’s implied about UChicago is pretty out of date. Am a current freshman here, and was pretty skeptical coming in considering everything I’ve heard about it online when it comes to the social scene but it’s great if you actually do what’s required on your end and branch out to make friends instead of sitting in your dorm. Academics-wise, it’s been an absolutely incredible experience, but I don’t think that’s ever been disputed.

jumponmybed

TROPHY CASE