A personal journey share

[retrofade]

I just got some of the best news to start out 2020 earlier this morning. 

As I've mentioned here before, I've been working for the last two years on finishing my Bachelors degree. I've hit some personal speed bumps with my mental and physical health over the last year, so it's taken me longer to finish out my last term than it should have. My final class was a capstone project... one proposal, one project proposal, and a project review. The proposal ended up being 70+ pages, and the review clocked in at 30. My term ended at 2am EDT this morning. I passed the project proposal earlier in the week, and powered through all day Monday and yesterday to finish the review and submitted it.

930pm last night, I get a notification.... it needs revisions. I start freaking out a bit, then I look and the revision was miniscule and honestly quite pedantic. So I went and made the change, re-submitted and waited. 

I got this text message this morning...

That was the last task of my last class... I almost didn't believe it at first. Sure, it's "only" a Bachelors degree, but it represents, to me anyway, 20 years of working towards it. Giving up, starting again, and then finally powering through over the last two years. 

Now I'll take six months or so off and start applying for Masters programs. 

[modestobulldog]

Congratulations retro, I am sure you are relieved and have a great sense of satisfaction.  No matter the path, education is a worthwhile endeavor.  Well done.

I was an academic late bloomer myself.  Lackluster academically in HS.  Working a few years in dead-end jobs gave me the motivation to get a college degree.  Of course I needed to take the bone head remedial classes first, but as I completed that phase, motivation kicked in and it was like charging hell with a water pistol, graduated magna cum laude in Accounting and Finance. I was almost 28 when I graduated.  

[sactowndog]

2 hours ago, retrofade said:

I just got some of the best news to start out 2020 earlier this morning. 

As I've mentioned here before, I've been working for the last two years on finishing my Bachelors degree. I've hit some personal speed bumps with my mental and physical health over the last year, so it's taken me longer to finish out my last term than it should have. My final class was a capstone project... one proposal, one project proposal, and a project review. The proposal ended up being 70+ pages, and the review clocked in at 30. My term ended at 2am EDT this morning. I passed the project proposal earlier in the week, and powered through all day Monday and yesterday to finish the review and submitted it.

930pm last night, I get a notification.... it needs revisions. I start freaking out a bit, then I look and the revision was miniscule and honestly quite pedantic. So I went and made the change, re-submitted and waited. 

I got this text message this morning...

That was the last task of my last class... I almost didn't believe it at first. Sure, it's "only" a Bachelors degree, but it represents, to me anyway, 20 years of working towards it. Giving up, starting again, and then finally powering through over the last two years. 

Now I'll take six months or so off and start applying for Masters programs. 

Congrats Retro.  Hopefully your perseverance will be an inspiration for others.

[retrofade]

33 minutes ago, sactowndog said:

Congrats Retro.  Hopefully your perseverance will be an inspiration for others.

I just want it to be an inspiration for my kids so they don't take nearly as long to get to this point as I did. 

[Rocket]

3 hours ago, retrofade said:

I just got some of the best news to start out 2020 earlier this morning. 

As I've mentioned here before, I've been working for the last two years on finishing my Bachelors degree. I've hit some personal speed bumps with my mental and physical health over the last year, so it's taken me longer to finish out my last term than it should have. My final class was a capstone project... one proposal, one project proposal, and a project review. The proposal ended up being 70+ pages, and the review clocked in at 30. My term ended at 2am EDT this morning. I passed the project proposal earlier in the week, and powered through all day Monday and yesterday to finish the review and submitted it.

930pm last night, I get a notification.... it needs revisions. I start freaking out a bit, then I look and the revision was miniscule and honestly quite pedantic. So I went and made the change, re-submitted and waited. 

I got this text message this morning...

That was the last task of my last class... I almost didn't believe it at first. Sure, it's "only" a Bachelors degree, but it represents, to me anyway, 20 years of working towards it. Giving up, starting again, and then finally powering through over the last two years. 

Now I'll take six months or so off and start applying for Masters programs. 

Congrats bro good job. Thanks for sharing your positive work. What r u gonna do for 6 months, Hawaii?

[bornontheblue]

Great way to start the year! Congratulations to you ! 

[DestinFlPackfan]

9 hours ago, retrofade said:

I just got some of the best news to start out 2020 earlier this morning. 

As I've mentioned here before, I've been working for the last two years on finishing my Bachelors degree. I've hit some personal speed bumps with my mental and physical health over the last year, so it's taken me longer to finish out my last term than it should have. My final class was a capstone project... one proposal, one project proposal, and a project review. The proposal ended up being 70+ pages, and the review clocked in at 30. My term ended at 2am EDT this morning. I passed the project proposal earlier in the week, and powered through all day Monday and yesterday to finish the review and submitted it.

930pm last night, I get a notification.... it needs revisions. I start freaking out a bit, then I look and the revision was miniscule and honestly quite pedantic. So I went and made the change, re-submitted and waited. 

I got this text message this morning...

That was the last task of my last class... I almost didn't believe it at first. Sure, it's "only" a Bachelors degree, but it represents, to me anyway, 20 years of working towards it. Giving up, starting again, and then finally powering through over the last two years. 

Now I'll take six months or so off and start applying for Masters programs. 

Good job. I've got an Associate Degree in Business  management,  a diploma in Communications, numerous certifications and a Masters degree in life experience. I have a great job ...work for a very giving organization. Still, at age 52, I'm pursuing a degree in Emergency Management. Doesn't matter how long it takes or the 'degree title' but the fact you want to stay engaged.

[retrofade]

19 hours ago, Rocket said:

Congrats bro good job. Thanks for sharing your positive work. What r u gonna do for 6 months, Hawaii?

Well, six months off from school anyway.  

[Broncomare]

Congrats!!  My daughter has every required class for her hydrology degree but she needs to go to field camp before she receives her degree.  The only problem, it's about $6,000.00 for six weeks, right in the middle of summer, which is when she is working as a wildland firefighter.  What's really frustrating, is a few years back we had a big fire outside of Boise and she had the unique opportunity to work on the BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) project.  There were a lot of animal critical areas that needed to rehabilitated after the fire.  She worked on that and then put together all of the results, maps, etc. for presentation to Washington on what the project completed.  Her adviser even said that was way above field camp but they couldn't make an exception for her......  she's really frustrated and right now doesn't give two craps about finishing.

[modestobulldog]

16 minutes ago, Broncomare said:

Congrats!!  My daughter has every required class for her hydrology degree but she needs to go to field camp before she receives her degree.  The only problem, it's about $6,000.00 for six weeks, right in the middle of summer, which is when she is working as a wildland firefighter.  What's really frustrating, is a few years back we had a big fire outside of Boise and she had the unique opportunity to work on the BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) project.  There were a lot of animal critical areas that needed to rehabilitated after the fire.  She worked on that and then put together all of the results, maps, etc. for presentation to Washington on what the project completed.  Her adviser even said that was way above field camp but they couldn't make an exception for her......  she's really frustrated and right now doesn't give two craps about finishing.

Paying dues is rarely fun.  Best wishes for her as she crosses the finish line.

[Rocket]

12 hours ago, retrofade said:

Well, six months off from school anyway.  

Time to just go brain dead and celebrate then 

[SleepingGiantFan]

12 hours ago, modestobulldog said:

Paying dues is rarely fun. 

True. However, things given to you are never appreciated as much as things one earns.

Muchos kudos for your determination, retrofade.

[retrofade]

@TheSanDiegan

I just got home from buying a bottle of Glenmorangie Signet to celebrate with.

[TheSanDiegan]

5 minutes ago, retrofade said:

@TheSanDiegan

I just got home from buying a bottle of Glenmorangie Signet to celebrate with.

Congratulations my man on a well-deserved accomplishment and on a fine bottle of whisky. May you enjoy one to no end and may the other's dividends never end. What a great start to the New Year. 

[retrofade]

47 minutes ago, TheSanDiegan said:

Congratulations my man on a well-deserved accomplishment and on a fine bottle of whisky. May you enjoy one to no end and may the other's dividends never end. What a great start to the New Year. 

Thanks... and dude, if you haven't tried Signet before, do it. This shit is so different from any other scotch I've ever had in my life. I could nitpick it for not being x or y, but the fact remains that it's +++++ing delicious.

[smltwnrckr]

On 1/1/2020 at 9:18 AM, retrofade said:

I just got some of the best news to start out 2020 earlier this morning. 

As I've mentioned here before, I've been working for the last two years on finishing my Bachelors degree. I've hit some personal speed bumps with my mental and physical health over the last year, so it's taken me longer to finish out my last term than it should have. My final class was a capstone project... one proposal, one project proposal, and a project review. The proposal ended up being 70+ pages, and the review clocked in at 30. My term ended at 2am EDT this morning. I passed the project proposal earlier in the week, and powered through all day Monday and yesterday to finish the review and submitted it.

930pm last night, I get a notification.... it needs revisions. I start freaking out a bit, then I look and the revision was miniscule and honestly quite pedantic. So I went and made the change, re-submitted and waited. 

I got this text message this morning...

That was the last task of my last class... I almost didn't believe it at first. Sure, it's "only" a Bachelors degree, but it represents, to me anyway, 20 years of working towards it. Giving up, starting again, and then finally powering through over the last two years. 

Now I'll take six months or so off and start applying for Masters programs. 

A belated congrats!

These moments matter. Revel in them.

[retrofade]

17 hours ago, smltwnrckr said:

A belated congrats!

These moments matter. Revel in them.

Thanks for the reminder that it does matter. Right now I'm just impatiently waiting for my grad application to be completed. 

I'm sorry that toolsy had to shit all over your thread... but I'm glad that he isn't around to shit on mine.  

[smltwnrckr]

3 hours ago, retrofade said:

Thanks for the reminder that it does matter. Right now I'm just impatiently waiting for my grad application to be completed. 

I'm sorry that toolsy had to shit all over your thread... but I'm glad that he isn't around to shit on mine.  

LOL, I almost feel bad that he didn't take a dump on yours! What is a nice moment shared on this board if not belittled by toolsy?!

Let us know how the grad ap goes. 

[retrofade]

My graduation date ended up officially as 1/7/2020. It's been insane the number of interview requests that I've received since finishing my degree program.