Invalid characterset or character set not supported I Now Have My Associate's Degree





I Now Have My Associate's Degree
June 11, 2016

The picture accompanying this post tells the story: I just graduated from the local community college with my Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree, which means I'm now cleared to continue my education at any four-year college in the state. I'll actually be attending an out-of-state college online, to get my Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. So that means plenty more studying and complaining, but yesterday was still a big deal.

When I graduated from high school in 1998, I knew that my next step was an Associate's degree. I wanted to teach high school English, and I still do. But then I got married a year later (to the lovely lass pictured in the photograph), and finances were very tight indeed. They still are, for that matter. I also started obsessing over building a web site now known as HonestGamers, and for years that's all I did with any time I had that wasn't spent working a variety of crappy jobs.

So yes, it took me 18 years to earn a 2-year degree. With any luck, it won't take me another 18 years to finally snag my 4-year degree. I'm hopeful that it will only take another 2 or 3.

Anyway, my parents are in the area to celebrate. We had a nice meal out at a local restaurant called Georgie's last night, and today we will hopefully get together and maybe do some walking on the beach. I don't see my parents nearly as often as I would like, since we live across the state from each other, so this is an especially awesome weekend for me.

But don't think that I have forgotten about the site. Today, we just saw our first post go live from a PR representative, which is a new feature I introduced a week or so ago that I would really like to see take off in a big way. And when that individual asked me how to update the blog avatar, I realized that the process was needlessly complicated for newcomers. So I've made it simpler. Now, you can head to your Settings page on your blog and submit any avatar you like from right there. It should be 100x100, of course, and it will be stored on the site so you don't have to worry about hosting it elsewhere and seeing broken image links.

By default, your avatar image will show whatever you are using on the main site. That way, older blogs from users who don't come around these days will still display the image they selected when last they visited, rather than the bowl of Cheetos. I'm not sure how many people will care to use this new feature, but the time felt right to implement it.

And... that's all I have to say about that.

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dementedhut dementedhut - June 11, 2016 (01:01 PM)
I'm literally heading out to work right now, but I just wanted to say congratulations. The important thing is that you never gave up, and because of that, you still managed to achieve your goal.
Nightfire Nightfire - June 11, 2016 (11:45 PM)
Congrats, Jason. A step forward in life is always worth being proud of!

I also just graduated from my certificate program last week, too. Took a full year of hard work but I am finally certified to work in my field. Lotsa life changes happening for everybody, it seems.

Don't worry about how long it took. It took me 6 years to get my art degree, and then another 5 years afterward before I got my real career path on track. But life isn't a race and everybody's situation is different, so don't let them tell you otherwise.
honestgamer honestgamer - June 12, 2016 (12:29 AM)
Thanks, pickhut and Nightfire. And I also found a coding error, Nightfire, since your avatar isn't displaying properly since the update. Try submitting again and that should work. If you do try and it still doesn't work, let me know (after you submit the avatar and it takes, you may have to refresh the page once). Any time I make a major tweak, I have to adjust numerous pages around the site to reflect the changes properly...
joseph_valencia joseph_valencia - June 12, 2016 (11:49 AM)
Welcome to the club! I'm also hoping to (finally) get my Bachelor's degree in the new few years. It's never too late to finish college.
honestgamer honestgamer - June 12, 2016 (02:58 PM)
Yes, but I would LIKE to have my degree before I turn 40 so I can work 25 years or so and then retire in my mid-60s. I'm quickly running out of time to execute that plan.
Nightfire Nightfire - June 12, 2016 (03:46 PM)
I resubmitted my avatar and it works now. Thanks for the fix!
Never3ndr Never3ndr - June 12, 2016 (06:26 PM)
Hey man that is great news! I kinda know how ya feel myself...I'm 31 and still working on my bachelor's after years and years of mishaps. Anyways, there is no expiration date on that degree so feel great and keep going!

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