I Quit My PhD, Game Studios, Star Wars & New Ho King Eatin'.
Updated: 6 days ago
Take A Sip Now. And May the Force ... aight aight aight. I won't repeat it.....
🦁Lioness-Heart🦁
STILL playing... "Praise Jah in the Moonlight." - YG Marley
Currently Obsessed With: Computational PhDs & the Wholesomeness of Threads.
Current Games: Super Smash Bros. I went to a friend's birthday party and of course...the community came together to throw hands. LOL
*Glossary & Note on How to Read This Blog*
Lioness-Heart - A snippet of something that moved me forward or gave me strength.
Gameplay - is a clip of a part of the game being played, not the whole game.
Playthrough - a piece or a whole game being played from beginning to end. It is different from walkthrough as its purpose is not to help other people play the game, and only to show the whole game to the viewers.
Walkthrough - is a video/script made solely to help other people get through difficult parts of the game or finish the game.
🕹️GamePlay🕹️
Life Updates
My Playstation is STILL broken! HELP!
I Quit My PhD Program this Week (Sent the formal letter) - Backlash Alert!
STAR WARS WEEKEND!!!!!
Received my FIRST affiliate link
Planning for Global Patch & Building the Community
Studying Gaming Studios and Finance Models
Writing a Book. 3 More Chapters to go!
Navigating Full-Time friends vs. Part-Time friends
Peloton...back to doing 20 mins with Tunde.
STILL Exploring Placemaking and Tribal Learning Practices
Starting A Product Business
Exploring the Science of Fragrance & Scents
Learning Blender ... Now on Thursdays
Getting my Bartending License & Studying Teas
Working on GP24
👾Playthrough👾
Alright... Life has Life-d! But it has done so in the most curious yet transformative ways.
I Quit My PhD... Program
So as you may have heard me say in my YouTube video, I have quit my program. Now the consequences of that was literally...nothing. I get into the nitty-gritty details of it in the video. But it is with so much relief!
Overall, you should feel that you are a right fit for the graduate program and that the program is a right fit for you. This includes progressing you forward towards your educational expectations and career outcomes. It can be a great program...just not for you. That's ok. Recognize that early and move on!
My research interest focuses on...
Games as a medium for educational learning specifically STEAM.
Marginalized communities' access and equity to STEAM Education and Careers
Disproportionate geographical communities' (rural and island) access and equity to STEAM Education, Careers, Infrasture, and Resources.
My state doesn't support my work or research. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging research and education are prohibited. This includes the loss of access to scholarships, fellowships, courses, conferences, programs, research, and assistance. Florida has anti-DEI policies right now. Learn more about that here: READ - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PASSES RULE TO PERMANENTLY PROHIBIT DEI IN THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM.
Also, you want to be surrounded by faculty and staff that believe in the program. Current staff and faculty who publicly don't believe in your program are a big red flag. Speaking of red flags...
"RED SIGNS & FLAGS 🚩🚩🚩"
Just like bad relationships, schools, and education have red flags. It doesn't mean that the school or program is bad BUT that the leadership, program, or institution doesn't serve you. An example below is a red flag for me about this program.
They couldn't even be bothered to spell my name correctly and there wasn't any follow-up. As someone who worked in higher education admissions and student affairs programming, great educational programs either follow up with a survey or a conversation to understand your departure so they can learn to mitigate that for attrition and retention purposes. In other words..."What can we do better so that this doesn't either happen again or so that we can learn for future reference?"
There were just so many red flags and as time progressed, it became obvious...this is not for me. Questions you should ask to avoid this situation before or during your first year of the program.
🚩🚩🚩If you are in the second semester of your grad program and you have no positive responses to these questions...you may want to reflect expeditiously.
List of Questions to Ask Your School
Is this program allowing me to do the work/research that I want to do? Why or Why not?
Does my advisor, leadership, and institution support and champion my research? Publicly and privately. (My state is going through an anti-DEI policy change and it's revealing who cares and who doesn't. Who talks about it and who does the work.)
Does leadership not respect your scholarship or fellowship opportunities? Do they even provide them for you as a full-time researcher? Do they make false promises about resource obtainment?
Is this program providing resources and support for the work that I want to do?
Is the leadership and faculty sending messaging that is now contradictory to their admissions messaging? (keep your email receipts!)
Is this program teaching me to write well for publishing?
When do you start writing academic papers? What term? Who is teaching that class or workshop? When was the last academic writing they published? (They should provide this course, workshop, or access to a resource like a writing lab within the first semester if not the first second semester. Because how are you writing papers correctly?)
Is this program organized?
Is leadership respected? (Dean, Director, Advisor, etc.)
Do you have an advisor? Have you reached out to the advisor? Does your advisor know that you even exist? Has your advisor looked at your research goals and wants?
Do faculty and staff speak well of the program? Why or Why Not?
What do students have to say who are currently in the program?
Remember you are a student! Their target customer! Your participation and dollars are what keep the educational institution alive. Do not take their excuses or let these BUSINESSES push you around. You have options!
I chose that university for the reasons discussed in the video. It was sound. It made sense. But then my experience proved that this didn't work for me.
So we are DONE with THIS Ph.D. program. I am dating other universities and schools.
Some choices are...
MIT (USA)
Stanford
San Diego University
University of Hawaii
Georgia Tech
What university should I go to for my PhD?
MIT
San Diego University
Stanford University
University of Hawaii
So know that this isn't the end. This is just the beginning of something bigger and better. I will be documenting my journey to my new program.
But this degree will be obtained.
Education will be gathered.
Fun will be had.
I'm ready!
Studios, Gaming Careers and Education
For those of you reading this, YES you can get careers and education in video games, esports, digital media and production, etc. There are career pathways in these fields that can lead to high salaries and even entrepreneurship. For example, video games are created by game developers who have some kind of technology and 3D modeling technical skills. Also, engineering is a requirement. These jobs pay hefty.
Also, if you want to go in games and NOT be an engineer. There are options too. Games and Esports and Digital Production require lawyers, administrators, accountants, human resource personnel, designers, educators, marketers, sales, etc. If you want to work in games....you can work in games.
Understand the differences however in publishers and studios. They are not the same. I am now researching to learn about studios and entrepreneurship. While there is massive layoffs at large publishers and some studios closing out, I strongly believe in educating the masses on how to start their own studios and financing. Everyone can eat...we just need to know how to do it. Also, I'm researching looking at different co-op models for this lovely group of developers I'm in. I want us all to win and to do it on our terms. We can make great games while paying our bills.
Enough Gate Keeping!
That's why I am proud to say that I will be doing a workshop and teaching at WasabiCon 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida this year. We are going to discuss all things gaming, esports, cosplay and how to make a liveable wage off the things we love. We will do this all celebrating anime, cosplay, gaming, streaming, esports, etc.! Let's remove the gatekeeping!
To get your Tickets and Full Access: Visit https://www.tixr.com/pr/pinkcaddy/86407
Fragrance, Intersectionality, and Euphoria
People are so amazed when they see that I have cerated something and continue to do so. Or when I win awards for things they didn't know that I was doing. I am proud to say that I was not raised by a people pleaser. That was not a trait that was given to me. (There are other Insidious traits the force has provided)
But I'm proud to say that I will explore my options and play. I love to create and write and draw. I like brainstorming and trying new things. And so it has allowed me to start and fail and start again effortlessly.
Carolina Wanga talks about this super power of learning how to fail and bounce back. Something I see within this whole rap beef between Drake and Kendrick. (If one can call it that. 😏) Careers have surged. Businesses have boomed. Simply from being brought into this public spectacle of poetry wars. It brings to mind of how easily things can be destroyed and how hard it can be to build or rebuild from nothing.
But then you have opportunity.
I have been provided my first affiliate link. And I am excited and terrified. I was never even looking for it. Nor did I want to do that type of work. One time, I wanted to get into making content for the sake of making content but I just fell off in all honesty. But here I was minding my business AND working on my businesses and that happened. And now I have 2 affiliate links in the span of 1 month of each other. Crazy.
But Opportunity can change things. Rather its given or you create it for yourself. I believe that is one of this biggest gifts we can give to ourselves. To just move. And in movement we bring awareness. And in awareness we create opportunity. Through opportunity the force will free us...Oops....
Sorry... let me peel that back some.
Anyway...I'm learning new things. Listening to no ideas. Trying new passions. And building things to move my life forward. While making money on the side. Creating and building a new life and path for myself. A life that I want. In games, education, and lifestyle. That isn't dependent upon somebody else.
True Freedom. And below are some things that are helping me and that will help you.
👾Walkthrough👾
1. Investigate Everything
Ask questions about everything. Truly investigate and look at everything on the table. Just because it may seem impossible or ridiculous, put it on the table. Then research how to get it or go after whatever it is. You will be surprised about the options and the resources available for you. Or you will know without a doubt what isn't available. And yu can move on with your life and make peace knowing you exhausted ALL options. Just don't take no for an immediate answer.
2. EXP: ⭐ Linkedin & Threads
I am learning so much from people who have either done what I want to do or are also investigating the same thing I'm into. Don't get me wrong, LinkedIn is cringe sometimes. It seems like a never ending thread of people pleasers and thought leaders. (who are they leading?) IDK!
But for my career and education interests, I have found people that I have met with or scheduled time with to learn from them or learn their journey. Also, they have shared resources and grants with me that have been so helpful! Also, you can easily tell on this platform who is trying to help vs. who is trying to gate keep OR suck you into paying a subscription fee for a Kajabi workshop.
Threads! So wholesome. I have found and are building a community on threads. It is a great place to find and build community that hasn't become toxic or destroyed yet. Search for people talking about the thing you enjoy or want to do. Talk to those people. Start a thread. Ask questions. You will be amazed the abundance that comes from this.
3. Light Sabers, Cheat Codes, Blaster Upgrades:
Video Games & Esports
How to Start an Indie Game Studio - https://www.linkedin.com/indiegamestudio
Video Game Studio Women's Fellowship - thegamehers.com/gamechangehers
Video Game Resources - https://www.globalpatchgaming.com
Beginner Blender Tutorials - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoXOplUvAw
Pushing Through and Creating Opportunity
Anatomy of a Breakthrough Book - Amazon Purchase Book Link:
🤩Bonus Material🤩
1. My Joy - Stars Wars Celebration Month #starwars #maytheforce #maythe4th #starwarsweekend
1. Meme or Threads of the Moment - #drakevskendrick #hamilton #meme
See you next time....
