The Path to Graduation
Suddenly, I am a Senior, and I am left wondering how it happened so quickly.
My degree program is set up in such a way that certain classes are only offered in the spring and some only in the fall. Because of the way things worked out, I am on track to graduate next May (2008). After the summer semester, however, I will only have five classes left to split over two semesters (which is not ideal in the academic world). Because of the spring/fall thing, I had just resigned myself to that extra semester, and I had planned to just fill in the blanks with classes that I wouldn’t mind taking anyway, most likely ending up with a minor in Finance.
Then I saw that one of the classes I won’t be able to take until next spring (HCA445) is listed on the summer schedule, and if I could indeed take it this summer, that would leave me with just one (1) class preventing my December 07 graduation! This was too much to bear. Then I checked last fall’s schedule and found that the last class I needed (HCA448) had been offered, which was out of the norm. I just couldn’t help it. I began dreaming about graduation in December—that wonderful month of festive activities.
So I talked with certain key individuals about it the very next day, and as it turns out, Operation December Graduation is not going to happen after all. No, they will not be offering 448 in the fall as they did last year, and 445 is only being offered to certain individuals who have it as being their only class preventing graduation. Figures!
I just can’t help but be disappointed.
On the bright side, however, it seems I have been tossed a bone. Sometime in the past year—not exactly sure when—I decided to pursue my Masters degree, which means another 2 ½ years of school. I know, I know—sick, sick, sick of this college thing. But anyway… all my professors are strongly encouraging me in that direction, and I know that for what I want to be doing, I will have to have a Masters.
As my friend Johnny from my very first semester said, “I’ll be on Social Security by the time I graduate.”
So back to this bone I’ve been tossed… Because of the holes in my last semester, I can actually take up to two graduate-level classes before I graduate with a Bachelors, which means I won’t just be sitting there wasting my time on behalf of two classes. AND Dr. W said he might be able to get three classes approved because of my particularly unfortunate situation.
But first, I have to pass the GRE, which requires months of intensive preparatory study. And adding to the stress of the exam itself is the fact that they are changing the format of the test this coming September (longer, harder, and more expensive), which means I need to take it this summer.
And suddenly, I don’t have much time left to study anymore. Why, it’s practically summer already!
My degree program is set up in such a way that certain classes are only offered in the spring and some only in the fall. Because of the way things worked out, I am on track to graduate next May (2008). After the summer semester, however, I will only have five classes left to split over two semesters (which is not ideal in the academic world). Because of the spring/fall thing, I had just resigned myself to that extra semester, and I had planned to just fill in the blanks with classes that I wouldn’t mind taking anyway, most likely ending up with a minor in Finance.
Then I saw that one of the classes I won’t be able to take until next spring (HCA445) is listed on the summer schedule, and if I could indeed take it this summer, that would leave me with just one (1) class preventing my December 07 graduation! This was too much to bear. Then I checked last fall’s schedule and found that the last class I needed (HCA448) had been offered, which was out of the norm. I just couldn’t help it. I began dreaming about graduation in December—that wonderful month of festive activities.
So I talked with certain key individuals about it the very next day, and as it turns out, Operation December Graduation is not going to happen after all. No, they will not be offering 448 in the fall as they did last year, and 445 is only being offered to certain individuals who have it as being their only class preventing graduation. Figures!
I just can’t help but be disappointed.
On the bright side, however, it seems I have been tossed a bone. Sometime in the past year—not exactly sure when—I decided to pursue my Masters degree, which means another 2 ½ years of school. I know, I know—sick, sick, sick of this college thing. But anyway… all my professors are strongly encouraging me in that direction, and I know that for what I want to be doing, I will have to have a Masters.
As my friend Johnny from my very first semester said, “I’ll be on Social Security by the time I graduate.”
So back to this bone I’ve been tossed… Because of the holes in my last semester, I can actually take up to two graduate-level classes before I graduate with a Bachelors, which means I won’t just be sitting there wasting my time on behalf of two classes. AND Dr. W said he might be able to get three classes approved because of my particularly unfortunate situation.
But first, I have to pass the GRE, which requires months of intensive preparatory study. And adding to the stress of the exam itself is the fact that they are changing the format of the test this coming September (longer, harder, and more expensive), which means I need to take it this summer.
And suddenly, I don’t have much time left to study anymore. Why, it’s practically summer already!
posted by Kris at 2/11/2007 11:02:00 PM
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