Today, I have been a graduand.
I have the dress. I need the shoes. I have the haircut booked and the gown ordered.
This year has been tough, but also, terrific. The points at which I’ve felt most attractive have frequently combined with the points at which the academic side has suffered the most. I’ve no doubt that those two aspects are somewhat related, but I’m also confident that correlation does not directly imply causation and that many other factors contributed to the scholarly mess and social success that was my final year of university.
Never mind. Next week, I graduate as a Master in Science and that’s all that matters in the end. Obviously, not all that matters in the grand scheme of things. I have my health, I have my family and friends and I am ostensibly happy. Therefore, if - and this is not a far-away wistful what if, but a very real possibility were there one or two minor alternative outcomes - if I had ended up with a lower or higher class, it wouldn’t have been the most significant thing in the world, because I am not defined by my degree.
There is more to me than chemistry.
Such as, writing. I like writing and for that reason, among others, I like blogging. It helps to focus my feelings when I am annoyed, upset or just plain contemplative about life, love, the universe and everything. As I said in my very first entry, I started a blog for two main reasons: a release for myself and an insight for you, and those still stand. I think reading someone’s story on screen gives an enhanced understanding of people in general, as well as clarifying your own thought processes about similar situations.
Such as, writing. I like writing and for that reason, among others, I like blogging. It helps to focus my feelings when I am annoyed, upset or just plain contemplative about life, love, the universe and everything. As I said in my very first entry, I started a blog for two main reasons: a release for myself and an insight for you, and those still stand. I think reading someone’s story on screen gives an enhanced understanding of people in general, as well as clarifying your own thought processes about similar situations.
So, I like blogging. Also, I like having an anonymous blog as it protects privacy and enables words to flow more freely than if I were restricted by the knowledge of who reads it and what they might already know or believe about me. Equally, I quite like having separate identities and this is just as much a part of me as any other part of the trinity: three names; three faces; one person. I am me, and that's all I can be.
Hurrah you little graduand!! (Where does that word come from by the way? I didn't hear it until my graduation and spent most of the ceremony going "Wait, so what's the difference between a graduand and a graduate?!")
ReplyDeleteAnd also does this mean a return to the blogosphere? Yes? Maybe? Perhaps?
(Like the new layout muchly)
Do you have some big grand place that you graduate in? I was in a massive cathedral and the atmosphere was something special.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your big day, clever lady xx
@The Girl: I first heard the term when we received emails addressed to "Graduands", a rather fancy way of saying "I'm not an undergrad, not yet a graduate..." (sung in the style of Britney Spears <3)
ReplyDelete@teacherface: The big place that I graduate in is, alas, not so grand...none other than...the university sports hall. I first went there for registration, then for exams, and now, to graduate (avoiding its principle purpose entirely in all my time there...) I am envious of your cathedral celebration!
In my city there are two universities - an old redbrick, at which I study, and an ex-poly. The ex-poly graduates graduate from the City Hall, which is all victoriana, plush carpeting and Doric columns... we graduate from some 80s brick horror with shocking acoustics and pull-out raked plastic seating. Baaaaaaaaaaaah.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely not a snob.
Meanwhile - congratulations :) xxx
Also, did you make that cake in the photo? Looks divine!
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, your graduation place has a lot of memories, kind of fitting you should end it there where it all began :-)
I graduated yesterday too. The ceremony was here, and we had a reception thing just for engineers at City Hall afterwards. Was pretty fun :)
ReplyDeleteAlas, I did not make that particular cake. It did taste divine though! Maple and Pecan :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I suppose the fact that mine is a campus rather than city university means that it would be weird to have the graduation not on campus. Plus, it's the 50th anniversary of my department, so there'll be some fun celebrations for that afterwards too, hurrah (who needs City Hall when you have the chemistry building!? :P)
I'm looking forward to it.
Ah, people graduating. *sigh*
ReplyDeletesrsly tho, congratulations all. I trust it is good to be done!
When is the big day? Are you looking forward to it? Seems a silly question but I known some who dreaded it simply because they felt they'd trip up during their 'big' moment ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's on Monday. I have the shoes. I have less hair. I have had dreams that the gown slid off my shoulders on stage and the boys sank my spirit into the ground with their cutting words.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to the apres-ceremony, where I hopefully will not have fallen over/gotten naked and any encounter I have with unpleasant faces will result in me coming out with the perfect lines to make them look like the idiots that they are.
Failing that, I just hope I look stunning enough to not need words, and to leave them equally speechless. :P
Where do I get tickets for this?
ReplyDeleteOh 'dream'? I thought you said 'flash-forward'.
Also, are you really graduating or are you in an American coming of age movie?
You want to see me make a fool of myself? (Incidentally, I just typo'd food. Freudian?) Thanks :P
ReplyDeleteOh, my life is an American coming of age movie: boys, moral dilemmas, boys, inappropriate conduct and boys. In this scene, I play the part of Pretty Ugly Girl who slightly alters her appearance (loses the labcoat and glasses) to become instantly drop dead gorgeous :- /