Finally Graduating – I’m Done

The day has finally come. Well, it’s tomorrow, but you know what I mean. I am done, done, done, done, done! Words cannot express the joy and elation I feel right now. Throughout the semester I knew this day was coming. I mean, how could I not graduate. But there were just things that made it rather difficult to be happy about. Every time I mention graduation to someone we have the same conversation:

• Person: So you’re graduating in December?
• Me: Yep.
• Person: So you must be really excited, huh?
• Me: I guess so.
• Person: So what are you going to do afterwards?
• Me (Thinking): How the hell should I know? Do you have a rich uncle that owns a company and is willing to give me a job? Because I sure haven’t been successful on the millions of interviews I’ve gone to. Shoot, I guess I’m going to end up working in the mall selling women’s shoes or something.
• Me (Actual response): I’m not sure. I guess try to find a job.

Not to mention I’m trying to scrape through the semester and just finish. In my entire college career, this semester should have been my easiest. I was only taking five courses, one of which was a Walking Aerobics class. Another one involved C# Programming, which after having background in C++, came rather easily. So technically, it was only supposed to be two real classes. Algebraic Structures: Oh My God. This was the worst experience of my life. Just saying the name of the course brings back scary memories. In a nutshell, I sometimes wondered if I would ever pass this class.

Another one of my classes was Software Engineering. This should have been a walk in the park. Except for one thing, we were required to present a group project at the end of the semester. Sounds simple enough, but groups suck. People drop out, people don’t do what they’re supposed to do, etc, etc. I was in a group of three (3), which turned into a group of two where one guy sat on his ass and I did the entire project by myself. I was scared that I wouldn’t pull through.

All these uncertainties made it hard to get excited about graduation. But bit by bit, with a lot of hard work and a lot of prayer, things began falling into place. After about a month of waiting on of my interviews I got a call back, which resulted in another call and eventually a job offer. Not a bad start I must say. Somehow I got that A in Software Engineering and that C in Algebraic Structures and I’m done. Computer Science and Mathematics double major, class of December 2006. It feels good.

So congratulations to myself, congratulations to my fellow graduates, congratulations everyone else who is graduating in December across the country, and to everyone else have a Merry Christmas!