Everyone Has a Box

I’m starting to pick up on little things that remind me of my status as an alumnus. People waiting for online classes to start, posts on websites or social networks about homework assignments, driving through campus to go out to eat… it’s definitely strange. I just wish I had more to show for it.

So, the degree is completed. Last week marked my first week of “freedom” from school for the first time since… who knows when? I would be a liar if I said it wasn’t weird or even boring at times. I would wake up on the days when I wasn’t working at the pharmacy and just have no idea how to properly spend my day. I might have plans for lunch, but nothing afterward. I spent probably a bit more time than I’d care to admit playing my PS3 or sleeping in instead of waking up early to go for a walk/ jog around the block. But, I daresay I’d earned such tomfoolery.

Enter this current week. Everything has been… fantastic. I had an amazing weekend (which includes the end of last week, but whatever) which I spent with some of my favorite people. I got to go to Frankfort for the first time, see one of my best friends (and an old friend I hadn’t seen in years) at a graduation party, I’ve seen The Avengers 3 times within a week…

But even more importantly, my grades came in. I was REALLY pushing for a 4.0, and I just barely missed it. I am still beyond proud of myself, though. 3.75 is not only a great GPA, it’s also the highest I ever achieved in college. That’s right… I literally saved the best for last. Not only that, but the capstone course that I took for my own enjoyment- yeah, a 500-level class was for my enjoyment- was one of the classes I received an A in, AND the teacher appreciated my input during discussions so much that he made a point to thank me for it. He is also more than willing to write a letter of recommendation for me if I need it.

The icing on this awesome cake, though, is my research. Today was my first meeting with one of the graduate students in my lab, with whom I will volunteer throughout the summer on some pretty awesome research. He really liked the ideas I brought to the table, which is an amazing feeling to have. Not only that, but, assuming everything goes according to plan, we could start writing up our findings within a few weeks and hopefully even get published after that. Me. An almost-22-year-old recent college graduate… could possibly be a published researcher.

Life is good.

People keep wondering why I didn’t go to my graduation. It’s a valid question, of course. I slaved for 4 years and I’ve earned recognition, right? But I imagine my weekend would have been filled with random family members, scrambling to get ready and downtown… not to mention the cost of the cap and gown.

This weekend, I saw an awesome movie (twice), took my beautiful girlfriend out for a date, and spent time with some other friends who I love and would do anything for. Slept in some, went to church… I wouldn’t trade this weekend for anything.

I’m done. As of about 12:45pm on Friday, 4/27/12, I have turned in everything necessary regarding my degree. It’s really surreal to think that, at least for now, I have no more classes to worry about. Tomorrow is Monday. All semester, I was up at like 7am to get to my research studies and classes… and tomorrow, I can wake up and go for a walk/ jog. I can take care of pointless errands. I can meet my friend for lunch on my own time, because I HAVE ZERO OBLIGATION.

In december of 2008, I’d hit a major low point in my life. I’d gone into college not knowing what I wanted out of life and having no study habits whatsoever. My grades reflected both of those, and I wound up with a fist-sized dent in the wall and a 1.6 GPA which, for those keeping score at home, landed me on academic probation. I thought for sure that I’d be in college for an extra semester or two to make up for this pathetic attempt at higher education.

But I didn’t need extra time. I doubled my GPA to 3.2 for the following 2 semesters. I was on the Dean’s List at the beginning of my Junior year, and it looks like I will be on there again for my final semester. On the last day of my last psychology class, my friend’s dad was a guest speaker. As a “final thought”, he said that perseverance is key to success. I told the class how much I agreed because I initially failed, but am now graduating on time… and they clapped for me. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so proud of myself in my entire life.

I put “insert metaphor” as the title for this because, really, there aren’t many sentiments I could express that encompass everything without sounding like it came from a feel-good movie script. It has been the best time of my life, it was a long, strange trip, I overcame a lot, and I now have the rest of my life ahead of me. I’m still not “there” mentally that it’s all come to a close (for now), but I know I’ve grown a lot in the last 4 years. So, cheers to the rest of my life, and to those I love as well. Could never have done this without them.

WHEN YOUR PHONE SENDS THE RIGHT FREAKING TEXT TO THE RIGHT FREAKING PERSON I AM ABOUT TO THROW THIS PIECE OF JUNK ACROSS THE ROOM, BREAK IT INTO 1,000 PIECES, THEN BURN MY HOUSE DOWN ON TOP OF IT YOU USELESS HUNK OF PLASTIC AND WIRES

While my other Facebook account is deleting, I went ahead and started a completely different one. Yay, I guess.