Memoirs Of A Graduate

So, it's official. I graduated yesterday and am officially no longer a student. It's kind of daunting I guess, I've been so used to giving myself that label, hell I've spent the past fourteen years as a student so the transition out of educaton is a little scary. But saying that, I love my new job. I love the nine to five routine, doing stuff that’s actually productive. I love knowing I’ve made a difference with my day that something I've worked on has contributed to something, somewhere. I like being the one to come home to Jake and having missed him.  I like knowing I actually have an income. Sure the time thing is taking some getting used to, but it's helping me be more diligent because I'm appreciating my free-time more.

Overall the transition is a good one.

Graduation itself was overall a nice day. Tiring, and a little dull in some parts, but nice. I was up early to go get my hair done, which was long overdue anwyay. I wasn't brave enough to get it cut super short like I've been thinking about lately - but I got it done so its a little more exciting.

Then was the process of getting my gown - which involved a lot of safety pins and kirby grips to keep the damn thing on me. Then pictures, lots of pictures. Followed by the actual ceremony - two hours of sitting crammed in a small space with 600 other 'graduands' waiting to go up on stage and shake a couple of peoples hands. Like I say, that part was a little dull  - but still nice. It was as I was standing in the queue to go on stage, amongst course mates I'd spent the last three years with; that it all really hit me. It seemed like yesterday we were meeting for the first time, enjoying freshers week, pissing about in lectures, late night revision sessions, working on coursework together. Suddenly we were there, waiting to get our diplomas - it was all over - in the space of 50 seconds walking across a stage, I was a student no more.

The ceremony ended with a procession of students through the cathedral. I say procession, that implies more order. 600 boiling hot, sweaty cloaked people cramming into an ailse rushing to get out into fresh air. In honesty it must have looked hilarious.

Following this more pictures, the cliche throw the hat, and then everyone split off with families for a meal. I had a lovely meal; Il Forno restaurant with my parents, Jake and my brother Tim - the meal was gorgeous, and just the general evening was nice. Everyone got on, it wasn't arkward like I'd been worrying.

Overall it was a nice day - not perfect and some things have left me a little 'meh'. But familial wise I'm really happy. I have a very generous family, got some lovely things, gorgeous earrings, a DSLR camera, and a lot of money. It's certainly lifted some of my worries about finances.

So I'm facing the future with positivity. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, no longer as a student, but as a graduate. It's scary as hell, but over the past three years I've become more grounded. I've got my good friends around me to keep me calm, and most importantly, the one constant in my life these past three years, and the person I've always been able to turn to.

So keep reading... and hopefully my memoirs as a graduate will be as good a read as memoirs of a student, if not more :)