This time of year I am seeing pictures of graduation ceremonies, graduates in gowns, diplomas in hand, celebration parties and more from those graduating college and university.
It’s an exciting time for them – to complete their studies and dream about what their next steps are. This year I am feeling more introspective about the graduation pictures I’m seeing and I finally figured out why. It was 10 years ago that I was standing at my own ceremony.
“10 years?!” Was my first reaction. “How have ten years passed?!”. But they have, despite my disbelief.
I went to the University of Ottawa in 1999 to study criminology. Since the time I was 11 I was determined I was going to be a lawyer. My obsession with crime shows, mystery novels (Agatha Christie all the way) and Matlock helped shape this decision. When I was in high school, I attended a week long workshop/camp at the university regarding law. I even participated in a mock trial. I researched the Young Offender Act in my spare time. I figured my future held for me was either criminal prosecution, or to become a lawyer on Bay street for some huge financial firm. I really imagined myself working 80 hours a week, in high heels and carrying a brief case, fueled by coffee and inter-office love affairs. My 18 year old self was interesting.
I enjoyed my criminology courses, but I was supplementing them with History and English courses. By the end of my first year, I decided that I wasn’t sure that I really wanted to become a lawyer, and instead thought I would teach. I switched majors to History, with a minor in English. This was easy to do because I was already taking those as my electives.
I focused on classical Greek history, excelled in Art History and hated English. But the writing was good for me, even if the teacher in the class where we learned Doctor Faustus was terrible.
Into the program, while working 25-30 hours a week at a local bank, I figured that since I was working anyway, a co-op program would be good for me. I was excepted into a charitable program for my first co-op term, and a government position for my second. The government one was related to education so it seemed to be a good fit.
I continued working, my studies and somewhere in the second year, I met Andy. My grades dipped a little in the first semester we were together, but I managed to pull myself together from then onward. I’ll live it at that.
Fourth year was the most eye opening thing for me. I was already well versed in the working world, but the small class sizes and in depth conversations that the fourth year offered me made me wish my entire university experience was like that. I was pretty well determined that I wasn’t going to be a teacher any more, and while my career path didn’t have a title, I was confident in finding work.
As I approached my final days of school, I remember looking far too ahead of myself. I wanted to be done and should have enjoyed the freedom that school afforded me. Learning was interesting and fun, given the right circumstances. The schedule was flexible and there was still that sense that I wasn’t fully a grown up yet. But a job awaited me, offered after my co-op term ended and the government department wanted to keep me on. I was entering a pretty comfortable job at the age of 23.
My last semester was spent working and preparing for my wedding plus finishing off my papers and school work.
I gave myself a full 3 days off between my last days of school and starting my full time job. I was a fool. I should have spent more time just relaxing. Rewarding myself with something more.
While I felt a little flippant about my graduation ceremony, as though I didn’t care if I went or not, I do remember feeling proud while I was sitting there and was happy that I went. 4 years of hard work were coming to an end. I was graduating with an Honours Degree in History, Cum Laude.
Now, 10 years later, I am using my education each and every day, or at least my experiences have shaped me. There are times when I would suggest that maybe I should have done more hands-on courses or some of the certificates offered at the college rather than university, but frankly, the skills I learned have always been applicable. The writing, the research, the communication. I can’t dismiss those. But while I look back fondly on university, I always approached it as a means to an end, perhaps wrongly.
It’s exciting to see so many people celebrating their graduations – whether they are first time grads or adult grads, these are huge accomplishments.
Congratulations recent grads! You deserve it! Your hard work has finally paid off. But please, take some time off before heading to work. Trust me 😉
