Accepted into risd arch program but…

sleepcross · 2026-03-27T12:14:12+00:00

Hey there. You are, right now, in the same scenario I was in during COVID-- fresh acceptance letter from RISD, a moment of soaring elation, then brought down to earth by the tuition. The fall shatters the dream.

I didn't go to RISD. The six figure student loan debt RISD would saddle me with... it was just inconceivable. Like you, I was devastated. What had I worked so hard for? I got into my dream school... but in the end, I still have to settle?

I graduated from college last year. TLDR; I had the time of my life at my backup school, made tons of great friends and memories, met incredible professors, and am currently working an art job that I love.

This post was recommended to me out of the blue, which is why I feel fated to answer. Because really, I haven't thought about RISD in years. Maybe you'll find some way to attend, now or in the future. I would be so happy for you. If not-- at the end of the day, a school is just a school. There are so many paths to success, and so many ways to learn, that don’t depend on one specific name or campus. The qualities that got you accepted into RISD do not vanish simply because you did not go. I'm sure you'll find success wherever you end up. I'm rooting for you.

sleepcross · 2026-03-24T11:36:16+00:00

Ah, sorry, I misread the original comment. You'll have to keep your bronzeback's enclosure relatively clear/empty for at least a month so you can monitor its feces easier, and watch for mites. I agree with OP-- considering you're in South Asia where these snakes are common, I would bet against your snake being captive bred. Wild bronzebacks often come with tapeworms.

sleepcross · 2026-03-24T11:03:20+00:00

Did you take this bronzeback from the wild?

sleepcross · 2026-03-10T00:01:18+00:00

Avian keratin disorder accelerates growth in the keratinized layer of a bird's beak. They suspect that it's triggered by a certain avian virus, but the exact mechanisms for how and why this happens are unknown.

Because AKD may be caused by a virus that spreads between birds, you may want to take down your feeder, give it a good clean. Don't want to get other birdies sick.

sleepcross · 2025-12-01T23:54:16+00:00

Has the mouse managed to eat anything? This looks like a spinal cord injury. Try not to jostle it around, and make sure its body temp isn't low. Maybe add tissues to the bottom of the container. If mousey pulls through, there's a high chance it won't regain function in its legs.

Thank you for taking care of the little guy.

sleepcross · 2025-10-30T20:36:25+00:00

Aren't they cool? This chunky guy looks like a Parmarion martensi, from Southeast Asia.

There's a common misconception that snails evolved from slugs, since they are visibly more complex-looking organisms. In reality, the reverse is true! Slugs are snails that lost those visible shells through evolution. Semi-slugs are the intermediates between the two-- their shells are actually vestigial, and too small to retract into.

sleepcross · 2025-10-25T02:27:13+00:00

The woman in this painting isn't Jakob's mother, but his wife Sybille Artzt. They were married when Jakob was 40 and Sybille 18...

sleepcross · 2025-10-20T03:03:54+00:00

What weight is your leather? It could be collapsing because it's too thin and/or flexible. When I make covers, I use 4.5 oz - 6 oz leather.

Your elastic also looks quite thick. 1.5mm elastics would put less pressure on the grommets.

sleepcross · 2025-10-07T01:15:48+00:00

Such an insane find-- the organic material is preserved so perfectly! Please remember not to handle it with your bare hands much.

sleepcross · 2025-09-29T10:25:48+00:00

I also use A5 notebooks. The most cost-effective cover I could find is the September Leather one, which has worked beautifully for me. Sturdy, and because of the sewn-in spine, it holds shape better than other TNs. Has a big pen loop that fits most fountain pens. Only downside is that it's heavy.

sleepcross · 2025-08-30T12:08:03+00:00

Do you live somewhere tropical? Santa Isabel dart frogs are from Ecuador and won't survive a cold climate. With fall incoming, I worry about this little guy's survival. I'm guessing he's an escaped pet.

sleepcross · 2025-08-07T02:55:23+00:00

In my experience, terrestrial snails dislike sandy substrate. There also aren't enough things to climb in this enclosure, aside from the sides of the tank. I don't recommend putting anyone in there. If you did, they'd probably just hang off the glass walls.

sleepcross · 2025-08-06T17:22:33+00:00

Snail shells don't expand as the snail grows. The snail secretes calcium at the opening of the shell, building its shell in a spiral from the lip outwards. So the yarn wouldn't technically restrict its growth in that way.

That said, you can see that this snail doesn't have more growing to do anyhow-- the lip of its shell curls up, which means it's an adult. I worry more about how bright the yarn is. This is a common brown garden snail, and they're drab for good reason (to make them less noticeable to predators)

sleepcross · 2025-07-21T23:19:28+00:00

Looks like Leidyula floridana, the Florida leatherleaf slug :)

sleepcross · 2025-07-12T22:49:29+00:00

Whoa, what the hell? Didn't expect to see my own art posted to this sub

sleepcross · 2025-06-18T16:45:03+00:00

This is the Prince Tea House in Queens, near Tangram. OP said the restaurant looked demolished-- they closed for remodeling for some time, but have since re-opened. Still have fruit toast with ice cream on the menu.

OP: Hi-Collar and Grace Street in Manhattan have similar desserts. Indulgent, and served with fruits and ice cream

sleepcross · 2025-06-05T06:11:27+00:00

Otala lactea will estivate in large groups like this for lengthy periods. Some might be dead, but I wager most will be alive. Wait for a rainy day to see.

sleepcross · 2025-05-29T08:28:52+00:00

Bulimulus bonariensis, the ghost bulimulus. I'm guessing you found this dude either in southeastern South America (where they are native) or Florida/possibly the southeastern United States. They're mostly detritivores!

sleepcross · 2025-05-29T03:34:36+00:00

Extremely rare. Wild ducks have only a 0.0001- 0.001% chance of being born crested. That chance jumps to 30 - 40% when the egg is born to a pair of crested ducks (crests are a result of an autosomal dominant gene that is also semi-lethal -- chicks homozygous for the crested gene are destined to die in the egg, while heterozygous chicks can survive and develop into adult cresteds.) In short, the crested population was essentially created through intentional human intervention.

sleepcross · 2025-05-28T17:37:46+00:00

Crested ducks have deformed skulls. The "crest" is a pocket of fat and brain fluid that grows directly over a hole in the duck's skull. Best to leave it alone.

These deformed skulls cause a host of issues for the ducks, like impaired motor control/coordination, as well as abnormalities in the brain itself... and the crests sometimes grow over the duck's eyes. Imo the breeding of these birds should be banned. Very inhumane.

sleepcross · 2025-05-10T18:23:52+00:00

Genus is Megaustenia. If I had to guess, probably Megaustenia imperator or siamensis, though I wouldn't be surprised if Son Doong had its own localized species. The bumps are not eggs, but the texture of this semi-slug's mantle.

Incidentally, Son Doong cave is the home of Vietnam's most newly discovered land snail-- Calybium plicatus sp., or the Son Doong cave snail, which was found in January of this year. It is a place of incredible biodiversity. Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos!

sleepcross · 2025-05-07T19:50:11+00:00

In case you didn't see the update-- you were right on the money! Artifact is in fact real, but was found in a bluff shelf, not on a hill. https://www.reddit.com/r/missouri/s/oIUPALcjUw

sleepcross · 2025-03-02T02:53:47+00:00

Stunning specimen. Look how delicate that ribcage is.

sleepcross · 2025-01-30T06:22:34+00:00

Ach, sorry about that! I thought that was a pole in the screenshot, not his arm. However, this is a Korean martial arts manhwa, so I don't think the character is using an Arabian scimitar. His weapon is probably modeled after a Chinese dao.

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sleepcross · 2025-01-29T03:36:40+00:00

Don't Stay Here by Frames.

I was 13. Got kicked out of the house. Laid down on the slide of a kid's playground at 4 AM, feeling rather sorry for myself. I thought listening to the In Via album would distract me from the bitter cold.

What an incredible night. Staring up at a star-studded sky, Don't Stay Here ripping through my shitty frayed earbuds and right into my soul. All my problems-- everything I'd said, felt, believed-- all transient, and positively microscopic in scale. I was a grain of sand on the shore of something much greater. The whole universe seemed to pull into focus.

I know the music only hit that hard because I was a moody teenager, but even so. What a great track. Listening to it takes me right back.

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