I guess I've been thinking of graduation as a major end point. My friends are moving away, I'm going to wander in foreign places for a bit, and I don't really know where we'll all end up. I won't be able to walk in the office anymore and hear Lauren talking about bodily functions, Wikky downing orange pop, or Amanda painting her nails. Luke won't be an –aging editor anymore.
But that's okay, because I can honestly say that writing for The Spectrum was one of the most enjoyable things I've done in college. Same for the Student Association – the people you meet are irreplaceable. I'm really bad at staying in touch, but somehow I don't think that will matter.
I fell into most things in college. I'm a biomedical sciences major, so how I ended up editing at The Spectrum is probably because I was 1) willing and 2) speak English. How I ended up working for the Student Association is solely because Amanda was a delegate and she forced me to apply. My job was originally "assistant community service director," a position that needn't really exist in the first place, but I eventually rose up the ranks and made some friends that I don't intend on forgetting any time soon.
I hope the rest of my life falls into place like that, too. I have a general plan for the future, but I intend on figuring it out as I go. I'm traveling, but I can't tell you where, when, or for how long. I'm hopefully going to get into medical school, but please don't ask me where or what type of doctor I want to be.
The most important thing that four years of a rigid science curriculum has taught me is to just go with what happens. Have a plan, but expect it to change. Keep your focus, but don't be blinded when something else comes your way. It also taught me that Dr. Seuss always did know best:
"You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left. And will you succeed? ?Yes! You will, indeed!? (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) ?Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting.? So…get on your way!"
I'm not the only one who is leaving college with some uncertainties. However, that's exactly the way I entered college and I wouldn't change a thing about my time here. If that continues to hold true, I think I, and anyone in a circumstance similar to mine, will be fine.
Welp! Here goes nothing.
Email: jennifer.harb@ubspectrum.com
