Things I Learned in Seven Years of College

I did something similar to this when I finished my two semesters of Spanish and I was surprised by the long list.  So here goes. 

Things I learned in seven years of college:

There is a huge difference between the two-year and four-year schools.  Not just in classes, but in students and teachers.  I really enjoyed being at UW Sheboygan, but not so much at UWM.  I made friends at UWM, and I liked most of my classes, but it was more exhausting and emotionally draining. 

There is never enough time to study.

I hate carrying backpacks.

I really do love libraries.

Test anxiety sucks.

Older younglings don't like cookies as much as the younger younglings, but when they think no one is watching they will wolf down a half-dozen cookies without blinking an eye.

I have favorite teachers that I'll miss seeing, and feel a bit sad that I can't be friends with them.  Time, distance, circumstances all get in the way.

I don't mind writing papers.  Guess being an English major was a good choice.

I still suck at Spanish and am thankful that I took it at UW Sheboygan (Thank you Kyle).  I don't think I would have made it through at UWM.

I actually kinda like Shakespeare (Thank you Mark).

I really liked writing creative non-fiction (Thank you Carolyn).

I have found a new well of motivation I didn't realize I had.  Not to mention finally... finally being able to put to rest dropping out of college.  Not only will I graduate, but I will graduate with Commencement Honors and Honors in the Major.  Take that 1986 self.

Seven years is a long time.  I may be seven years older, and seven years grayer, but I'm so glad I stuck with it.  In re-reading some of my blogs about not continuing on after UW Sheboygan, I'm so glad that I didn't give in to the exhaustion of the moment.  I still have three large projects to finish yet, but then that's it.  I'm done.  And that, my friends, is all she wrote.

The Last Two Weeks

It is the last two weeks of school.  I'm anxious for it to be over and not as sad as I thought I was going to be.  My perspective is very different from the younglings who are graduating, but I'm looking forward to just working an 8 hour day and then having some time to concentrate on my home, our possible building a new home, and all the crap that goes with building and moving.  No lot yet, but we are still going back and forth with offers and counter-offers. 

I have two massive projects I need to finish for school yet.  Fifteen pages for my fiction class, and the comprehensive editing project for tech editing.  And, I have no motivation to finish either one.  But, I will, I always do, and it is part of being an adult.  You finish what you start.  I ended up not liking the fiction class as much as I thought I was going to.  I know now that type of writing is not what I want to do and that I really do have a talent for creative non-fiction.  I'll stick with that.  And, even though I will use my editing skills in all my future work, I really don't want to be an editor, either.  I'm very thankful that I have a job I like, and I've come to realize that I really don't want to leave pharmacy. 

I'm writing stuff for the department now because our accreditation for Joint Commission requires us to write EVERYTHING down.  That's going to take some time and then it has to be updated continually.  I will inherit that job because it seems a natural fit.  I don't mind.

Scott and I have decided to have a combined graduation/anniversary party on June 6th.  It seemed silly to have two parties and invite the same people again.  So, I'm calling it the granniversary party and it will be my graduation and our 25th wedding anniversary party.  We are having it in a park and I hope it doesn't rain.  Should be fun and even though it will be a lot of work, I'm really looking forward to it. 

Well, that's enough of my boring blog.  I really need to get to writing my story for Eng 415.  I just need a big burst of motivation and that will be that.  After seven years of high motivation, it gets more difficult to dig that deep.  Two weeks...  Two weeks.