So if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m a bit of an organizational freak. I like order, neatness, alphabetizing things by last name and putting things in chronological order. I don’t like messes and I don’t like excess (unless we’re talking about clothes), so needless to say, spring cleaning is one of my favorite pastimes.

But this year I won’t just be doing the regular kind of spring cleaning, I’ll be spring cleaning my entire college life.  I’m not really a pack rat but I do like to be prepared, so I haven’t thrown much away over the past four years. And no, I’m not talking old magazines and candy wrappers that would make me the perfect candidate for Hoarders, I’m talking hard copies of papers, and notes from my freshman year classes. But as binder after binder and book after book take up more space than I’d like, I’ve found it’s time to finally clean it all out.

So I did. I went through four years worth of college classes in one day, getting rid of the stuff I will never use again, like the notes from my microbiology class last semester, and hanging onto the stuff I may actually want to peruse again, like a book of Carson McCullers short stories, feminist fairy tales, and obscure post colonial novels that I just can’t get enough of. I tossed the astronomy notes, and the ancient philosophy and the anthropology, but I did keep the literary theory book if only because I’m still using it this semester and because I do plan on burning it once this course is over. Parts of it were cathartic, parts of it were said, but mostly, it was nostalgic.

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Four years ago, I started the crazy journey that is college. Though it doesn’t seem like four years ago; the entire experience flew by. It felt like just yesterday that I stepped foot onto Penn State’s main campus and now I’m packing up my apartment and heading off into some crazy unknown direction, also known as the casa de mama and papa.

Sitting at our graduation, I remember thinking, ‘how is this end?’ It just doesn’t feel real. I’m still waiting to wake up in my old dorm room, 4 years ago.  I feel like I should still be attending classes, where I stopped going to learn the material, but more to hang out with the friends I’ve developed along the way.  I feel like I should still be partying it up with my crazy friends who have made this one of the best experiences ever. I will never forget all our numerous inside jokes, and to be honest, I am petrified of a life without them.  I know graduation changes friendships and it sucks.

College has been a great time and I’m by no means ready to say goodbye, or even see ya later.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is I’m not all that excited about having graduated. Yes, it’s exciting to have accomplished a major milestone, but it’s also a big life change that scares the living crap out of me.  And to be honest, graduating didn’t help me in my book of life.  Young freshman me thought by this time I would have such a clear understanding of “who I am.” And although it’s challenged me, at times I feel like I’ve only learned little tiny bits (like I actually do like wings, I’m a terrible beer drinker but awesome pong player…), if anything. Read More »

I, too, will probably be this drunk at commencement.

I’ve lost track of the days and I no longer can distinguish between night and day. We drink round the clock now anyways so there doesn’t seem to be a reason for me to try to figure any of this out. But there are still a few things that I must get done before doomsday (known to my parents as commencement ceremonies).

TRY ON MY CAP AND GOWN
I thought it would be hilarious and trendsetting if I got a 4’11 gown for my 5’7 self. There’s a strong chance I will regret that decision when I’m the only one crossing the stage with bare legs. There’s a stronger chance that my family will be embarrassed. And there’s the strongest chance that cutting the top in a v-neck (they’re very in right now) will look more Salvation Army than American Apparel.

THROW EVERYTHING OUT
I have problems throwing things out. Especially if I got it for free. Because of this issue of mine (un-webmd-able…I’ve looked) I have quite the collection of heinously ugly Syracuse water bottles, fairy wings, and soy sauce packets. I never even once dreamed of dressing up like a fairy, but because I found the wings laying on a street on a rainy Halloween circa 2007 I kept them. I don’t know what I planned to do with them over the past three years, but I kept telling myself you never know when you might need them. Turns out I never did.

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