Another post in a day because I’m in Tumblr mode.

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I technically graduated in May 2013.

I had one incomplete course, which I finished in December.

I’ve been waiting for my diploma, and finally about a week ago I emailed the registrar to ask where my diploma was.

Turns out they hadn’t realized I was finished with my diploma, they thought I was just asking about my incomplete the last time I emailed them.

So I’ll get my diploma in a week or two hopefully.

But let’s talk about Graduation.

It was almost a year ago, but I do remember some of it.

My grandfather came all the way from California to see me graduate.

It was crazy nice of him.

I got my cap and gown the week of graduation, and had finished all the necessary stuff except for check out, which I did an hour or so before I had to be on campus..

Graduation was on a Saturday.

My alma mater has so many graduates every year and not enough space that they split everyone into three (or is it four?) time slots, based on your major.

I was in the last one of the day, at about 4pm.

I knew from high school graduation that the majority of the graduation ceremony would be us not doing much of anything.

We lined up in the gym a half hour to an hour before we were to walk in.

Most of us just kind of milled around, even after being told our locations in the line.

We knew where we belonged in line, so we could wander a little and then get back into our right spots when it was time to walk.

We walked down to a specific place right near the chapel space in our lines and waited for like ten minutes or something.

That was when the “leader” of our line finally showed up. She hadn’t shown up to line up, but she got there and it was a rush of her putting on her gown and whatnot right before we walked in. Oops.

It was weird to walk into the chapel and see our professors on the stage, even though I’d seen that on the first day of chapel.

We sat through a presentation by an alum who had written a book, and he shared a couple of relevant points from his book, and then it was time to stand as the school president said his bit about us being graduates (with some confusion from a few people in my group on when to stand because there were two groups graduating, technically), and walk.

That part was row by row and it was a little weird because there were the Science grads (Nursing, etc) and then there was the rest of us.

But anyway, the Nursing and whatever students went first, and then the rest of us.

And I shook the president’s hand and got my diploma.

Except I didn’t really because I had an incomplete and had to finish that before I’d get my diploma.

BEFORE Graduation time for me, I had to clean up and check out of my apartment.

My family was there and helped with the clean up a little, and we took a break for lunch.

We went to Panera for lunch, and we mentioned to the manager when he stopped to ask how our meal was that it was my graduation day, and he said congrats.

And then I went outside with Grandpa while my parents went to get bagels.

They came out and said the manager had given us our bagels for free as a graduation gift!!

And then we went back to school so I could finish cleaning up and do my check out and head to campus. And we kind of gave Grandpa the tour of the campus.

We wandered around campus for a while and took some pictures and my mom and I were cranky at each other and then I went to line up.

And I saw my mom a little bit later outside the gym asking a question.

Turns out they couldn’t find my name in the program and she wanted to make sure.

It was there, they were just divided by ceremony time and major.

Then the ceremony (4ish), and then a reception (5:30ish), and then I said goodbye to a couple people, and we went home.

And that was that.

And now it’s almost a year later and I don’t have a super-steady job yet.

But I’m working on it! Applying to lots, and sending my resume to some places that could help me find jobs. I just turned one in yesterday for a part time job that sounds like something I’d be good at.

Hopefully something comes up soon!!