Graduation is coming up.
I can’t believe I’m actually done with college. The best and worst years of my life are coming to an end. I don’t know how I should feel about this. Some days I’m happy, other days I’m sad; it’s just very overwhelming.
Growing up, my parents always told me I would be their first child to get a college degree because they always saw my drive and love for school. They were right. I have two older brothers who started college before me. One dropped out and the other one is still in the works of getting his bachelors after taking several breaks from school.
St. John’s University was not my first choice at all and I would be lying if I sat here and told you guys why I chose to come here. I honestly do not know, or maybe I just don’t remember, but I can say that I do not regret the decision I made to come here. This University is so dynamic and diverse. I love it.
Being in college made me venture out on my own and helped me decide what I really wanted to do in life. It was a crazy time of discovery and I know I will never get to repeat it.
These are some things I will miss most about college.
Never having free time- I am going to have to get used to working and not having endless amounts of homework to do on top of it. During the week, I would go to class, then go to my internship, to find myself sleeping on top of all my papers in the library. On the weekends, I go to work and make time to have some kind of fun with friends. I really don’t know how to appreciate downtime.
Studying Abroad- I studied abroad in the spring of 2015. Discover the World was honestly the best thing I have ever done in my whole entire life and it was my mom’s idea. I got to travel all over Europe, spending five weeks each studying in Rome, Seville and Paris. I also made my way to other cities like Venice, Tivoli, Naples, Capri, Pompeii, Sorrento, Morocco and London. Those five months were full of adventures, good times and challenges. Challenges include moving from one dorm to another, and from one hostel to another, trying to adjust to the time zones and the different cultures and foods. All the people I met from this array of cultures taught me that the way I experience the world through the lens of mass media is not the same way everyone else does. I am so grateful for everyone I met abroad.
My Professors- I am a journalism major so I will most definitely miss all of my journalism professors and everything they have taught me. My favorite journalism professor of all time is Clare Trapasso. I’ve had her as a professor my junior and senior year. She taught me so much about journalism, people, ethics, having a boss, completing projects, meeting deadlines, having too much to do and handling stress.
My Friends- Because I was a commuter from Brooklyn and so focused on getting good grades in my classes, I didn’t really have time to make friends in college until my junior year. That’s when I finally got a car and my commute went from two hours to 20 mins. The point is, I started getting involved by joining a few organizations on campus and met some incredible people. I honestly wished I got more involved on campus sooner. I will miss all my brothers from my fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, all the people I met during my years dancing with Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society Dance Concert, everyone on my dance team L.I.V.E Dance Crew and, of course, the people I met during my time study abroad.
Coming to the close of this experience is bittersweet. I’m grateful for all of these memories. I am ready to be an official adult. I am more than prepared to make my way out into the real world. I will be graduating with my Bachelors degree in Journalism hoping to become a broadcast journalist.
