With the click of a seat belt, and the turn of a car key, I remember driving away from my family home to begin the next chapter of my life almost four years ago.
Where has the time gone? It felt like just yesterday I was driving to the University with my parents in August 2008.
I clearly remember how nervous and excited I was the day I moved to the University.
Would I make friends? Would I be happy here? Would I excel in my classes?
The same “butterfly in your stomach” feeling I had then is the same feeling I have now when I think about graduating on Saturday.
My upcoming graduation from the University has given me the opportunity to reflect on the time I have spent here.
During the past four years, I was able to grow in many ways.
During my time at the University, I was able to grow academically.
I understand that homework, tests, projects and going to class can sometimes seem boring or mundane, but after completing all of the required coursework, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and feel prepared to enter a job in my field. Through my hard work over the years, I have finally earned my degree.
I believe I have become a more critical, open-minded thinker about subjects I encounter, and I feel that is a skill I will carry into the future. My advice to current and future students: Keep pushing yourself past your limits and continue to strive for excellence, because it will be worth it on graduation day.
I also believe I was able to grow socially while attending the University.
I look back on my first day and laugh a little about how nervous I was about meeting new people and making friends.
Throughout my years, I have been involved in many campus organizations and musical ensembles.
Getting involved immediately during my first year was the one of the best college decisions I made.
I was able to meet so many great people and build life-long friendships and contacts.
To current and future students: Get involved.
It will add so much more to your overall college experience and will give you opportunities to excel outside of the classroom.
While growing socially and academically, I feel I was able to mature in ways that would prepare me to succeed in college and prepare me for the upcoming endeavors in my life.
I learned the value of a dollar, how to budget, how to pay bills, how to go without, how to manage my time successfully and much more. The skills I learned in terms of maturity during college are things parents always tell their kids that if they don’t learn it now, they will have to learn it the hard way in the “real world.”
Oh, the “real world.” I remember my parents always made this world sound like an awful place.
It seemed like it was a place where no one had any money and they were starving, wandering the streets looking for work and shelter.
That was the image I had in my head when I was a kid, but it’s not like that, and our parents made it seem tough because they wanted us to be aware that life isn’t always easy, and you have to work hard to be successful.
When I graduate from the University on Saturday, I feel prepared to enter the “real world.”
I believe the academic and social skills I have attained during college will benefit me when I begin a career.
I also feel I have matured greatly during school, and this will also serve as an asset to me as I begin the next chapter in my life.
To the graduating seniors: I don’t know what each of your individual college experiences were like, but I am sure we shared some similar experiences along the way.
I wish all of you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and hope you will cherish the memories you have from your undergraduate experience.
Roll Along!
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