"The Last One"

Had I thought of it sooner, I would have mimicked the titles of Friends episodes for my blog post subjects from the beginning, but sadly I wasn't. When I woke up this morning (and remembered I still needed to blog) a few things came to mind; this is my last Monday at ONU and then I started thinking about the other "lasts" from the past week and the ones that are rapidly approaching. Last Monday and Tuesday were the last final papers and presentations I'll ever have to give, Thursday was my last Comm Arts banquet and Friday was my last day of college classes ever. Wednesday and Thursday of this week will be the last two final exams I ever have to take and this weekend will be the last one I spend at Northern, at least as a student.

The best way for me to describe it is that I'm both excited and a little nervous. I guess that probably has something to do with the fact my life after graduation isn't completely set in stone yet. Instead of moving on, I'm kind of going back to the "this is only for the summer" state of mind as far as working goes and it will be because I know if I keep doing what I have been then something will come out of it sooner than later. About two weeks ago I knew I was excited to be graduating and going back home but as those two weeks passed I realized I was excited to be graduating (because who isn't?) but I was more excited to be done with school, not the leaving part. Like I wrote in a previous post, I've grown closer to everyone in the PRSSA chapter and I'll be sad to be leaving those who have a year or two left and just as sad that us seniors are parting ways for a while, but just as much as I want to stick around for them I want to do the same for all of my other friends who are coincidentally mostly Pharmacy majors.

That was something else that seems slightly surreal to me, the fact a good portion of the people I have been friends with since my freshman year are leaving too, but for them it's just another summer. My roommate from the last two years and two of my best friends from home are among them and they've told me the whole graduation thing is just as weird to them because next year the only people they will have to hang out with are other Pharmacy kids. Yeah, I know, what would they do without us? Even though I haven't put on my cap and gown and walked across that stage yet, I already have people telling me I need to come back next year, as if it was even a question. Of course I'm leaving ONU but it's not forever and when I do come back, whether it's for Homecoming or just to visit the friends who still have two years to go, it won't be as a student but as one of the very cool PR alumni that have passed through campus as well.