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Two-Player Tuesday: Graduation

March 29, 2011
By Maddie Leznoff

 

While many fourth–years I know are dreading flying the coop, I’m feeling more like a caged bird ready to fly.

Yes, it’s sad that we might be leaving both the comfort of the Western bubble and the student lifestyle we’ve grown accustomed to, but it’s time to take that next step and join the real world.

Graduating is exciting. For many of us, the door is completely open for the first time in our lives. There’s a progression of education that we’ve followed — from elementary school to high school, and high school to university — but now we finally have options and hopefully the freedom to choose our own path. We can choose to go to grad school or a post-grad program, get a job or an internship, travel or volunteer. The opportunities are endless, and there’s no right answer for whatever step we take.

Many people are already getting nostalgic over every last essay and exam. They’re glossing over the frustration and stress of schoolwork with the sadness of endings.

Personally, I’m not going to think twice about handing in my last paper. I’m not going to forget how much I hated pulling all-nighters, doing research or constructing a thesis. Maybe if I find myself in a 9 to 5 daily grind in a few years I’ll look back with fondness at my school assignments, but right now it’s good riddance to Weldon and WebCT.

It’s easy to dwell on the fact that graduation is scary and on the possibility of no plans and the likelihood that you’ll end up living with your parents again — but that’s just fear of the unknown. I might get a little teary-eyed when I put on my cap and gown, but they’ll be tears of joy for the future, not for the glory of the past.

— Maddie Leznoff

Maddie may feel like a caged bird, but I feel more like a cat clinging to whatever it can as it’s pushed into a bath.

My threat to “run away forever” might become increasingly serious with each passing numerical analysis lab report, but I still really enjoy learning. And despite having spent more time in a classroom than I would care to calculate, I still feel like my spongy brain is capable of soaking up much more soggy knowledge.

I may fear a lot of things — needles, open water, the inescapable touch of death’s indifferent fingers — but I don’t think I’m afraid to graduate out into the real world. What I’m afraid of is calling it a day and giving up on the pursuit of knowledge.

Armed with only an undergraduate degree, I don’t feel as though I’m an expert in anything. The gaps in my knowledge will always be an itch I’ll want to scratch, but I might have to give up on learning the moment I leave these concrete gates.

It’s nice having a single goal to strive for, and the ability to get drunk on a Wednesday. But what’s even nicer is being planted in an environment where new knowledge is always threatening to spring up, and every day is a chance to better myself in some way.

The real world doesn’t necessarily offer that. I’m hesitant to graduate because I’m worried about becoming mentally stagnant.

I’d prefer to get not only a decent-paying job, but a job where I can let my creativity flourish and learn something new each day.

What I’m really scared of is not finding that job outside of this school, and resigning myself to a life of just trying to outrun the Grim Reaper as comfortably as I can.

— Jesse Tahirali

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