Saturday was the day that I made the officially official switch from Undergraduate to Graduate. I walked across a stage to show the world that I have endured 4 years of hellish group projects, all-night study sessions, and shaking hands as I clicked submit on a paper with roughly ten seconds left until it would be counted as late, and I survived. Yes, I emerged from the world of higher education the victor, leaving $250 textbooks and monster assignments trembling in my wake. That which seemed so mysterious and utterly unattainable just four years ago is now mine - a Bachelor's Degree. I now have those ever-coveted letters to follow my name when I sign official documents or send emails: BSW.
Now with all of that grandeur and exciting build up, I'm sure you're assuming that I'm done forever, never again to grace the hallowed halls of historic academia with my underwhelming presence ever again, or at least until my little sister has her turn to cross the stage...but alas, you're wrong. That's right - I'm going back for more. Saturday, I graduated. Monday, today, Graduate School begins.
Aside from being the natural swing of things for me, a chronic overachiever with a need to do all the right things right, grad school is a must for my indecisive life. After 4 years of education, 2 years of strictly Social Work courses, I still have roughly 50% of an idea of what I want to do, speaking career mindedly. I need more time to think! When my practicum began to wind down, my instructor hit me with a curve ball question: "If you weren't going to grad school, if it was time to enter the field, would you be ready?"
Naturally, my answer was yes. What would she have said if it wasn't?! But it was and I feel confident in that - I know my education has been sufficient enough for me to be an efficient social worker, even if it takes a couple of months worth of practice; I've grasped all the necessary concepts. I could do it, I am certain of that. But, holy smokes, while my mouth was saying yes my mind was saying thank GOODNESS for grad school because that sounds absolutely terrifying! How strange is it to think that the same institution of higher learning that 4 years ago seemed so vast, scary, and overwhelming has now totally become my comfort zone and leaving it has taken it's place in the vast & scary category??
But I'm warming up to it. As I bask in the afterglow of my name being called out as a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, being a real live Social Worker seems a little more plausible. And this is it - today begins my last hurrah, my last chance to soak up all of the in-class learning that I possibly can because next May I will be tossed out into it all to fend for myself, Master's Degree in hand as my only defense. And as legitimately petrifying as that sounds, I am so excited. I can barely sit still in anticipation of my first MSW class tonight; when my first graduate level textbook arrived in the mail last week I couldn't give myself enough time to locate the scissors before I had already torn the envelope open with my fingers! It's like freshman year all over again just minus the terror of not knowing where to park or how to find my way to the library. And that makes it all the more exciting!
If you so choose, this blog will be your place to follow along on the exciting journey to a Master's Degree that starts NOW! Oh yes, I will post complaints, and ramblings, and probably some death wishes once I start to work on grad level assignments, but I am excited and thankful, I promise!
You remember that. And I'll try to as well.
