Well, the time is almost here… I’m two weeks away from graduating from college! I am super excited but super stressed at the same time…
I won’t lie, I’ve enjoyed my senior year, but I am extremely stressed about everything coming together (and the things that still haven’t come together yet). As of today, I have 16 days till graduation which is close enough to say I have two weeks left of school before graduating and moving on to a full time job and living on my own… sort of.
Let me explain…
As of right now, my homework consists:
- Finishing and turning in my internship hours
- Finishing my senior research paper (that probably should have been done back in March)
- Write my Deaf Culture Paper
- View and comment on my classmates’ Deaf Topic presentations
- Create, present, and write a report on the work I have done with my group for Poweshiek County Conservation
- Create and produce the Farewell Liveshow for True Blue Studio with my whole team
I also have to…
- Sort through everything I have in my apartment
- Determine what will go to my parents house and what will stay with me in Des Moines
- Pack EVERYTHING
- Deep clean my car
- Donate unused food and clothes that don’t fit
It may not seem like very much, but my weekly schedule is stacked, and I don’t spend a whole lot of time at home right now. My only day off from class or work during the week is Friday, which is usually spent running errands, going to meetings for the Iowa Bird Rehab, or working on homework. To put it into perspective, I have spent this entire semester running off of this schedule:
Monday/Wednesday: Internship 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Work 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (One hour to eat and shower with a 20-minute drive to work)
Tuesday/Thursday: Work 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM, Class 12:30 PM – 2:20 PM, Work 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Saturday/Sunday: Work at Zoo 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
I know some people will think “Welcome to Adulting” and I agree with that, however the stress about keeping up with homework while trying to work on a nearly “full-time” schedule has stressed me out to the point of almost hitting burnout. I haven’t been this stressed since I first went off to college four years ago. Could it be a transitional stress reaction? Maybe! I don’t know what it would be, but I am thankful that we are getting near the end!
Once regular classes end, I will have a few extra days to pack my apartment without having to worry about needing to go somewhere. I also have the ability to work from home, which can also help me to take out travel time to the office and spend more time getting office work done. As much as the world is cramming in around me, I wouldn’t change a thing about what’s going on. Yes, I could have planned things a little bit better, but it really isn’t all that bad compared to what it could be. I am still learning valuable lessons every day!