i know it's a bit late, but i finally got to check out the photos that the hubby took from my graduation day (june 9th) and i was very pleased. the memories came flooding back and i just knew that i had to share. it's been a long journey for sure. i got it done in 4 years which i was very happy with but the courseload was immense. my degree was the most stressful experience of my life but it's also been one of the most rewarding (my marriage taking top spot in the "rewarding" category ;))
i remember my first day of university. i was so scared. i ran into someone i knew right away so that was nice but alone in my first class, i was so nervous that my voice quivered even when i said "excuse me" to get to my seat. i gradually got used to everything but was still struggling with whether or not i should take political science as my major. i finally switched my concentration after my first sociology class. i found it perfect in every way for what i wanted to get out of my university career. as for a minor, i was stumped. i was only taking spanish as my LOE (language other than english) credits and because i thought it would be easy since i'd taken it in high school. however, i found university spanish more daunting and was really considering dropping it and taking something like sign language instead where no one could hear my poorly conjugated verbs but, a persistent friend of mine inspired me to continue with it and, though it was a more time-consuming minor, i'm very glad i took it and completed the required courses.
the university path was also difficult in that i really did feel like i didn't experience anything except school for 4 years. i can honestly say that i couldn't do a single thing without guilt (as in, i couldn't enjoy myself or go out cause i REALLY should be studying) and i don't believe that i even allowed myself to listen to a full new musical album because the guilt would consume me.
but ignoring all else, i studied away and found that i was reconsidering things i had always considered "facts" in a whole new way. i learned so much in those 4 years and realized things that i never really considered before: that my opinion matters, that i can think for myself, that i should challenge things i do and don't believe, that just because i don't understand it doesn't mean it's not worth trying to understand. i will always keep these valuable lessons with me.
however, regardless of how great school was, i was still looking forward to being done and the day i finished my last final, i was on cloud nine. i burst out of the doors and my sheer happiness and joy would have been enough to clear the skies of the rain and gloomy weather that day. i swear to you, it was one of the best days of my life. i'm so happy now that i'm done and have a degree. i feel like i have more opportunities and that my mind has become more open. i'm grateful for all my great professors who passed their knowledge on to me. some i will never forget-especially those who challenged me to think outside the proverbial box and to discover things for myself. also, special thanks to coffee, espresso, energy drinks of all kinds and cookies by george, and of course to my patient and understanding family and friends. oh, and to student loans whom i will be continuing to "thank" for, most likely, the next 5-10 years. awesome.
here are some more shots from the big day:
a silly graduate!
me and mama-i love her so much!
mom and dad-i'm so proud of them!
my greatest encouragement and the best person i know
and a mandatory "throwing-of-the-cap" photo (an extremely difficult act to accomplish without looking lame)
oh! and we had lunch at the Hotel MacDonald beforehand where they brought me this special dessert: mmm...
scrumptious!
we went to the ceremony promptly after lunch and, though quite long, was still exciting as i got to see over 600 fellow graduates receive their degrees. coincidentally, our guest speaker was none other than Albert Bandura! i was so excited about this as any student with an arts degree can tell you, the man is extremely intelligent and super influential in the field of Psychology. he is the 4th most quoted psychologist of all time after Freud, Jung and Skinner. i was on the edge of my seat listening to every word of his speech. the total nerd came out in me again and i was in my glory. i was very pleased that my class scored such a cool speaker.
so there's the story of my graduation. thanks to everyone who helped me along the way and aided me in becoming the person i am today. much love
xo
I went to hotel mac too and got that same dessert!!
Yay for graduating! Those photos are great by the way. I'm still waiting for my grad photos to arrive.
Posted by: Clockwork Lemon | 2010.10.02 at 09:48 AM