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Endeth this chapter of my life
I dunno. I'm sort of in shock. It's done. It's over. I am no longer an undergraduate. I've graduated.
Wow.
I'm sort of still in shock. This is very amusing to me.
Everyone around me is thrilled and proud. My family, my friends, my professors.
I'm just glad that it's over, that I made it!
Then again, I'm also stuck with the major feeling that everything has changed and yet nothing has changed.
After all, I may be a graduate, but I still have to go to school Monday to work on the thesis.
While I'm thinking about it, some of you have questions as to what I've graduated from. So let me try to explain. The Environmental Engineering major is brand new. I'm of the first class. The major isn't even ABET accredited yet. As it is new, there were still two courses that were first offered this last year: Environmental Engineering Practicum and Capstone Design. Except for those *2* courses, I was complete. So Jean, Samuela and I, the three of us who were going to be grad schools got into grad school without our undergrad degree.
So, yes, I HAVE been a grad student and taken graduate level courses, but I only graduated undergraduate today.
Next year, I graduate again, but with a Masters of Science in Civil Engineering.
Next year, I expect to see some of y'all there. Cause after next year, I'm no longer a student!
Anyways, I've come to the conclusion that the ceremony is less for us graduates and more for the family and friends of the graduates, to help them feel proud of their little graduate. Much like y'all feel proud of me.
My day started pretty good. Woke up earlier than I'd have liked, went downstairs to check email and stuff and wrote my LJ entry. Called Marc to remind him to be here on time so that everyone can get to the gym on time. Around 11:00, I got a call from Marc. I still might kill him for this.
I'm not sure what brought this on. He must have called my other set of grandparents.
To put it succinctly, I don't talk to them. If I don't like dad, I really don't like them. They've occasionally sent money and I always send a thank you note, but that's the extent of our relationship.
So imagine my surprise when Marc says they want to talk to me and congratulate me...
And 10 minutes later, I'm on a three-way talk with them and Marc. They congratulate me, which I smiled and whatever. Then I started to get in an argument with my grandfather who thinks I'll come out making 50 thou (It depends on what state and where, but my estimates are closer to 40 or 45 thou) and then, out of the Blue, Marc's like "Hey, Howard's on the internet all the time. Why don't you give him your email?" So they did. This is why I may kill him.
Don't try to talk to me about how important family is. My family.. the few people I consider family ARE important to me.. my mother, Josh and grandmother... my uncles and aunt and cousins...
Marc isn't. Dad certainly isn't and Dad's extended family in NO WAY is.
Nyargh.
I dunno what to do. On one hand, all they asked for is a picture and an email, so I'm thinking I might, but in no way do I want to get in an extended conversation with them.
So, I tell them I had to get ready (which I did), Got into my nice shirt and tie and got my robe and cap out, let mom take pictures of me so she can beam proudly and give them out to whomever and drive to the gym. Finally find where I'm supposed to be and everyone finally congregates in front of our sign.. all 6 of us. When we finally all get there, Dr. Jensen, responsible for officially showing us from our seats to the stage, explains the directions. By this time, it's practically 1:00 and time to start.
We walk in behind the Electrical Engineers, sit down in our seats and go through the long and, may I add, extremely boring, at times, ceremony. I don't remember the details of the ceremony. Honestly, I don't think they matter. Finally, it was time to bestow upon us our confirmations. By this time, poor Samuela next to me is practically hyperventilating and I'm feeling nervous. Two reasons... 1) I'd decided that no one would see my jeans and sneakers under my robe. I was WRONG! and no one else had worn either. 2) This may sound dumb, but I didn't want to trip on the stage.
So, let me give you an idea of what was going on, in general, to contrast to. Dr. Weber was in front of the stage, letting people on only when they were called (and not before). Then the Dean and the Assistant Dean shook the student's hand and the Assistant Dean was giving out pins (which I didn't know until I got up there). Then they went down the stage and shook hands with whatever of the faculty came to see the graduation. Nowhere in this did we actually get the diplomas. They'll be sent in the mail. When I finally get mine, mom's going to get it matted and framed for me.
So they call the Environmental Engineers. Dr. Jensen walks up towards us and we start to follow in procession behind him. I was so nervous and watching the guy up front, that I had to get poked in the side to start walking. We get to the stage and Dr. Weber shakes our hands. We go up and shake the hands of the Dean and the Assistant Dean. The Assistant Dean gives me a little pin saying "UB Engineer" and we move on. I was so nervous and so fixed with getting the action of shaking hands and NOT tripping that I didn't hear Marc screaming my name (pity), but I came off the stage and there, lined up, were ALL the environmental engineering professors (excepting Dr. Tsai). I was shocked and thrilled to shake all their hands.
Finally, we sat down and watched other people get their degrees and sat through the rest of the ceremony.
I get out of the ceremony and head to where all the people are heading and wait, looking for mom and grandma. Nothing. Still nothing, More nothing. I head to the other side, nothing, back to the first side, nothing. Car, nothing. Finally, at 4:00, with people filtering in to the next ceremony, I head home and find a note on my car that they'd left. Nyerrr..
So I get home, and we wait for Josh to go and have an early dinner. My choice. So I suggest Olive Garden (which i love but never get to go to cause it's ALWAYS busy!) and we get there and there's an hour and a half wait! Nyerr!
So we settle for Homestyle Buffet, which was good, if not my first choice.
Head home, I take a small nap and then we go see Spiderman (second time for me. Woo! Great movie! :) )
And now it's 2:30 and I still can't sleep, maybe because of the nap, maybe because of a whirling mind, maybe simple Insomnia.
Tommorow.. today... I'll wake up, hang out for a while, do.. whatever. I imagine that tommorow will just be.. blah. The shock will finally wear off and I'll have to go in Monday to work on my thesis and go back to the gym.
Because while I DID pass a major milestone, there's still a few to go.
I really can't think of anything more that needs to be said.
So I'll try to go back and do the sleep thing. And see y'all later!
Wow.
I'm sort of still in shock. This is very amusing to me.
Everyone around me is thrilled and proud. My family, my friends, my professors.
I'm just glad that it's over, that I made it!
Then again, I'm also stuck with the major feeling that everything has changed and yet nothing has changed.
After all, I may be a graduate, but I still have to go to school Monday to work on the thesis.
While I'm thinking about it, some of you have questions as to what I've graduated from. So let me try to explain. The Environmental Engineering major is brand new. I'm of the first class. The major isn't even ABET accredited yet. As it is new, there were still two courses that were first offered this last year: Environmental Engineering Practicum and Capstone Design. Except for those *2* courses, I was complete. So Jean, Samuela and I, the three of us who were going to be grad schools got into grad school without our undergrad degree.
So, yes, I HAVE been a grad student and taken graduate level courses, but I only graduated undergraduate today.
Next year, I graduate again, but with a Masters of Science in Civil Engineering.
Next year, I expect to see some of y'all there. Cause after next year, I'm no longer a student!
Anyways, I've come to the conclusion that the ceremony is less for us graduates and more for the family and friends of the graduates, to help them feel proud of their little graduate. Much like y'all feel proud of me.
My day started pretty good. Woke up earlier than I'd have liked, went downstairs to check email and stuff and wrote my LJ entry. Called Marc to remind him to be here on time so that everyone can get to the gym on time. Around 11:00, I got a call from Marc. I still might kill him for this.
I'm not sure what brought this on. He must have called my other set of grandparents.
To put it succinctly, I don't talk to them. If I don't like dad, I really don't like them. They've occasionally sent money and I always send a thank you note, but that's the extent of our relationship.
So imagine my surprise when Marc says they want to talk to me and congratulate me...
And 10 minutes later, I'm on a three-way talk with them and Marc. They congratulate me, which I smiled and whatever. Then I started to get in an argument with my grandfather who thinks I'll come out making 50 thou (It depends on what state and where, but my estimates are closer to 40 or 45 thou) and then, out of the Blue, Marc's like "Hey, Howard's on the internet all the time. Why don't you give him your email?" So they did. This is why I may kill him.
Don't try to talk to me about how important family is. My family.. the few people I consider family ARE important to me.. my mother, Josh and grandmother... my uncles and aunt and cousins...
Marc isn't. Dad certainly isn't and Dad's extended family in NO WAY is.
Nyargh.
I dunno what to do. On one hand, all they asked for is a picture and an email, so I'm thinking I might, but in no way do I want to get in an extended conversation with them.
So, I tell them I had to get ready (which I did), Got into my nice shirt and tie and got my robe and cap out, let mom take pictures of me so she can beam proudly and give them out to whomever and drive to the gym. Finally find where I'm supposed to be and everyone finally congregates in front of our sign.. all 6 of us. When we finally all get there, Dr. Jensen, responsible for officially showing us from our seats to the stage, explains the directions. By this time, it's practically 1:00 and time to start.
We walk in behind the Electrical Engineers, sit down in our seats and go through the long and, may I add, extremely boring, at times, ceremony. I don't remember the details of the ceremony. Honestly, I don't think they matter. Finally, it was time to bestow upon us our confirmations. By this time, poor Samuela next to me is practically hyperventilating and I'm feeling nervous. Two reasons... 1) I'd decided that no one would see my jeans and sneakers under my robe. I was WRONG! and no one else had worn either. 2) This may sound dumb, but I didn't want to trip on the stage.
So, let me give you an idea of what was going on, in general, to contrast to. Dr. Weber was in front of the stage, letting people on only when they were called (and not before). Then the Dean and the Assistant Dean shook the student's hand and the Assistant Dean was giving out pins (which I didn't know until I got up there). Then they went down the stage and shook hands with whatever of the faculty came to see the graduation. Nowhere in this did we actually get the diplomas. They'll be sent in the mail. When I finally get mine, mom's going to get it matted and framed for me.
So they call the Environmental Engineers. Dr. Jensen walks up towards us and we start to follow in procession behind him. I was so nervous and watching the guy up front, that I had to get poked in the side to start walking. We get to the stage and Dr. Weber shakes our hands. We go up and shake the hands of the Dean and the Assistant Dean. The Assistant Dean gives me a little pin saying "UB Engineer" and we move on. I was so nervous and so fixed with getting the action of shaking hands and NOT tripping that I didn't hear Marc screaming my name (pity), but I came off the stage and there, lined up, were ALL the environmental engineering professors (excepting Dr. Tsai). I was shocked and thrilled to shake all their hands.
Finally, we sat down and watched other people get their degrees and sat through the rest of the ceremony.
I get out of the ceremony and head to where all the people are heading and wait, looking for mom and grandma. Nothing. Still nothing, More nothing. I head to the other side, nothing, back to the first side, nothing. Car, nothing. Finally, at 4:00, with people filtering in to the next ceremony, I head home and find a note on my car that they'd left. Nyerrr..
So I get home, and we wait for Josh to go and have an early dinner. My choice. So I suggest Olive Garden (which i love but never get to go to cause it's ALWAYS busy!) and we get there and there's an hour and a half wait! Nyerr!
So we settle for Homestyle Buffet, which was good, if not my first choice.
Head home, I take a small nap and then we go see Spiderman (second time for me. Woo! Great movie! :) )
And now it's 2:30 and I still can't sleep, maybe because of the nap, maybe because of a whirling mind, maybe simple Insomnia.
Tommorow.. today... I'll wake up, hang out for a while, do.. whatever. I imagine that tommorow will just be.. blah. The shock will finally wear off and I'll have to go in Monday to work on my thesis and go back to the gym.
Because while I DID pass a major milestone, there's still a few to go.
I really can't think of anything more that needs to be said.
So I'll try to go back and do the sleep thing. And see y'all later!