Community Forums => General Chat => Topic started by: Phil on August 22, 2016, 12:49:23 AM
Title: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on August 22, 2016, 12:49:23 AM
Sorry if this is too real for the forums for some folks (it's not inappropriate or serious in a bad way), but I wanted to share this with my NWR friends, since I like most of you (others I don't know well, so it's not a matter of not liking you or anything). In 2004 I graduated high school and in the fall, I started college! After 12 years of not knowing I wanted to do with my life career-wise, switching between majors, a traumatic car accident that left me with PTSD, and being diagnosed with a debilitating mental illness, I am finally experiencing my final semester of school.
I will be getting my degree in Media Communications, and doing a senior overview related to working on an RPG for the entire semester. My mentor is a good friend of mine, and he's also going to be my professor for Video Game Design II, so that's going to be a weird change, but it makes me more comfortable as well. I am interested in going into a game design career, but I didn't want to major in that because if it doesn't work out, then I'd be pigeon holed into that because of a game design major. With Media Communications, I have more options available to me post-grad career-wise.
I've had issues with finishing semesters-- depression, trips to mental facilities for suicide watch, and lack of motivation, but this time I'm ready. I'm going to make my friends, my family, and everyone proud! Just watch me! :D
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: rygar on August 22, 2016, 09:18:33 AM
That's fabulous, congratulations.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: TOPHATANT123 on August 22, 2016, 09:31:19 AM
Congratulations! We're here for you all the way.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Khushrenada on August 22, 2016, 12:06:24 PM
Good on you for persevering through all that and not letting it hold you back from completing your education and goals.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Stogi on August 22, 2016, 08:26:24 PM
Well done, phil!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on August 22, 2016, 09:49:27 PM
Thanks all. You guys rock! I hope to have some good updates in the future! :)
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: TofuFury on August 22, 2016, 11:04:18 PM
Great work Phil! It took me around 12 years for my college experience, so I know how exciting it must be to finally have that goal post in sight. I do miss the school environment compared to work, but it's great to have that degree.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: King of Twitch on August 23, 2016, 12:29:40 AM
Congrats and keep chasing your dreams.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Wah on August 23, 2016, 05:54:12 AM
Don't let your dreams be memes.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on August 26, 2016, 02:43:44 AM
First week done! I am still alive, so this means... SUCCESS!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: King of Twitch on August 26, 2016, 02:57:42 AM
Have you got your books yet? That's the real test of my patience- waiting in a ginormous line to pay for overpriced textbooks only to have the prof say oh sorry, we're not using that book.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on August 26, 2016, 03:05:32 AM
Thankfully, for this term at least, I just needed one book (then again, I just have three courses this term-- one being a senior overview). I was able to rent it via Amazon Prime. I'm glad I didn't buy it (I didn't have the money for it anyway), as we don't need it.
EDIT: I did have to buy a parking pass for the semester, which was ironically more money even though there are less parking spots available since they're doing construction on one of the main lots.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: nickmitch on August 26, 2016, 11:22:30 PM
Congrats, Phil! Keep it up!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on August 27, 2016, 10:22:11 AM
Hey Phil, Its about damn time!!! I thought we gonna have to gofundme a permanent dorm room for you so you could just live at the school and become professional student. after 12 years, you should have a Doctorate in Collegiate Studies and a PhD in Course Prep.
But seriously, good on you for sticking with it, through thick and thin, for however long it takes to get that degree. You are almost there.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Stratos on August 28, 2016, 11:00:40 AM
Way to go! I still have two years to go before my educational journey is complete, so hearing your story is encouraging to hear. I suffered from similar challenges during my first attempt at college in 2005-2008 and it took me nearly a decade before I worked things out in my life and got back on track with a new career path.
Your perseverance is admirable and I wish you the best going forward.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Mop it up on August 28, 2016, 12:29:26 PM
Conglaturation! ! !
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on September 27, 2016, 11:33:31 AM
At the start of week five, though I just go in for class on Wednesday and do a professor-student-student meeting on Thursday. Going well so far. Had to miss a week due to some serious mental stuff, so I got an extension on an assignment, but overall, not bad!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: nickmitch on September 27, 2016, 05:22:24 PM
Keep it up!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Fatty The Hutt on September 28, 2016, 10:21:27 AM
Awesome thread and excellent news, Phil. Keep your chin up and keep the struggle alive. We're rooting for ya! Congrats, you're almost there (https://youtu.be/KYc5H7VvZbc)
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on October 14, 2016, 02:13:15 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/hWonLZD.png) ;D
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Wah on October 14, 2016, 05:59:06 AM
Totally my doing! ;D
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on October 15, 2016, 08:01:38 PM
TOTALLY. Your friendship was what ultimately pushed me to try to finally graduate. :P: :
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: oohhboy on October 22, 2016, 12:05:23 AM
Good Man!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: rygar on October 24, 2016, 02:14:36 PM
Hey Phil, I stumbled on this over my lunch hour at work: http://www.gamefaqs.com/top10/2448-the-top-10-nintendo-3ds-retail-games-of-the-systems-first
It was in "Today's Featured Content"
Same Super Phillip? Good job if so. RE: Mercenaries has been sitting untouched on my 3DS since I bought it on sale. The mini-review is motivating me to give it a try at least.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on October 24, 2016, 04:58:20 PM
Haha. Yeah. I got my start sharing content on GameFAQs that I posted on my blog. Before SuperPhillip Central, I contributed some reviews to GameFAQs (but some are just horrible like my Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition review that has a whole paragraph dedicated to saying what every button does haha) Won the Review of the Month thingie a few times as well.
Now I share reviews here occasionally and on GameTZ. I don't put games I got a review code from the publisher on any site besides SuperPhillip Central for obvious reasons, though.
Anyway, this week begins the Fall 2 term! I just go to class on Wednesdays and have an online class! :D
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on October 27, 2016, 12:44:38 AM
Sorry to double post, but I got a grade back for my Intro to Media Research class from last term (i.e. Fall 1 2016). I got a B! Not bad since I didn't do one of the assignments! :D
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on November 17, 2016, 09:43:01 PM
4.5 weeks to go! :Q
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on December 22, 2016, 06:44:17 PM
So, now, after 12 years off and on of college, as of last weekend I am now a college graduate. The job hunt begins next year once my resume is updated and the holidays wind down.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: oohhboy on December 22, 2016, 06:47:42 PM
All the luck to you on your job hunt, you will need it and hope the economy doesn't blow up the first quarter of the next year.
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: Phil on December 22, 2016, 06:49:17 PM
Well, I have disability to fall back on for now (but I don't want to stay on it, and it will probably go away anyway due to a certain group in the U.S. in power). There are a handful of indie and bigger studios in the area, so that's a good start at least!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: nickmitch on December 22, 2016, 07:15:17 PM
Congrats!! Best of luck on the job hunt!!
Title: Re: After 12 years, my last semester of college starts this Wednesday!
Post by: oohhboy on December 22, 2016, 07:16:45 PM
You might consider starting you own indie outfit by gathering together your own contacts. You won't have to commit to anything, just gather them to hear each other out. If it doesn't work out you got lunch with friends if it works, you have a job, sort of.
pre/post graduation is the best time as everyone is looking for possibilities.
