On Graduating from College

I had originally planned to write up another post for my return to the blog (oh, how I’ve missed it!), but not writing about graduating from college would be such a shame. So, here we are. I’m curled up v cosily in a hotel in the snug little town of Scott’s Valley, and I’m ready to turn some thoughts into words. Follow along with me as I walk down the memory lane of my college career…

This month, just a couple short weeks ago, I officially completed my undergraduate work and have graduated from college. On May 13th, I had my degree conferral ceremony. On May 15th, I had commencement. In about a month or less, I will have my Bachelor’s of Science in History in my possession. A piece of paper, in a frame, to mark the 121 credit hours I fulfilled, the 39 classes I took, the 3 colleges I attended, and the shift from a major in English to History.

Freshman year: Autumn ’17–Spring ’18

It truly blows my mind how quickly the time has gone. How fondly do I remember the beginnings of college: my first grasps of adult autonomy, the long lunches I always managed to get, the food Natalie and I would eat at her house or at the food trucks on campus in between classes, the time I had to borrow a dollar from Eddie so I could print out my paper, etc, etc.

I can recall the first time I went out to a cafe to study for a test—it was Kuppa Joy, for Intro to Psych, and I had a blood orange iced tea (which was delicious). 

Making a really good friend my first Spring semester was a real gift, and it was in a class I enjoyed so much as well—there, I was forced to write poetry in a very literary-focused way, and I’m so grateful for that experience. (“Wonder” was written for that midterm!)

Sophomore year: Autumn ’18–Spring ’19

The Autumn semester that followed was also a wonderful time. I had just made my return to this space, so it was my first time juggling classes with this fulfilling, but time-consuming hobby :’) I remember writing blog posts in between classes, usually on that long lunch break I head, and I still can’t believe I did Blogmas that semester. (I also spent way too much time on my phone during this semester, LUL, and ever since, I have brought that WAY down.)

Lots of West Wing, a rewatch of PLL, and finally getting into country music, YEEHAW. 

Shoutout to the girls I took biology with—we had the best of times in a class that none of us were really excited to take. So. many. giggles. Lab was the best of times. 

My first real semester as a History student rather than an English student was truly quite enjoyable. This was also the semester that saw me writing a 20+ page paper on the Protestant Reformation. It remains the longest academic paper I have ever written, and finishing it was one of the most rewarding experiences in undergrad. I was so close to finishing it the night before Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t bear to leave it, so I stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning—and it was DONE. 

The final semester at community college was the breeziest. I had already finished up my general ed the semester before, so I was really just there to meet the CSU requirement of 60 credits to transfer. I took Symbolic Logic, which stressed me out midway, but which I ended up acing; Abnormal Psych—so interesting, would that I had had time to minor or double major in psych!; and Child Development. 

My day finished before noon, so I’d go over to my Tio’s, have lunch there, get some work in, take a nap, etc etc. It was the nicest thing that family lives so close. 

This was also when I decided to take this blog in the bookish direction, and as they say, the rest was history!

And then, my era at community was closed. Just like that, it was 2019, and I had my Associate’s.

Junior year: big girl era & zoom university, Autumn ’19–Spring ’20

Autumn 2019 (one of my favourites to date!) was big girl time. I was finally at a CSU, and it was a grand time. So much more to do!! Barnes & Noble in between class? Check. Starbucks on campus that took lots of my money? Check. The most fun creative writing class with the funniest people ever? Check. (I wrote “Autumn Child” then!) A fulfilling American Lit class? Check. 

American Lit was super fulfilling, enlightening, and just the right amount of challenge. There was a LOT of reading, but my professor was one of FSU’s finest, in my opinion. In typical Macey fashion, I procrastinated the term paper until about three days before it was due. Yet again, I was hit with the writer’s inspiration I have been blessed to have in my academic career, and I just couldn’t go to sleep. (The persuasive power of Federalist Paper X just hits different, okay!! :’)) So, I pulled my very first all-nighter, and I got that paper finished by Monday morning, around 5 a.m. I don’t know how I did it without coffee or a Redbull, but somehow I completed it, and it is another one of my favourite papers from undergrad. 

And then I WENT TO THE GYM THAT MORNING like a MANIAC. Grabbed coffee on the way back though—lol. graduating from college

the corona chronicles

Spring 2020 was… interesting. I had a couple of nice months—a new, earlier schedule, parking on a different part of campus, a wee bit too much procrastination (which always happens every Spring; it’s just that Summer is getting closer and closer!)—and then c*vid happened. But, without sounding callous, it was a blessing for me and my family. 

Mornings together—breakfast, coffee brewing, a Bible study before staring the day, dalgona coffee made in a hurry before zoom university kicked into high gear—lovely.

Afternoons together—usually myself, Melody, and Dad heading to the track for our run. Melody & I sunbathing and/or weight lifting outside.  graduating from college

Evenings together—dinner that my Mama made, board games, and watching the old family videos that brought tears of laughter to our eyes. 

Facetiming Natalie, so we could take our Anthro exams together; that class was HELL, but we did it together yet again, ily Nat. 

And I got a new laptop!! Bless!!!  graduating from college

seriously i loved writing these papers

And two more of my favourite papers. (Can you tell that I generally enjoyed writing academically??!) 

Armenian history was more than interesting. It furnished so much depth to what my dad has told me about the Armenian people growing up. I wrote a research paper on the responses of the United States and Great Britain to the genocide. 

My class on historiography allowed me to write about whatever I wanted—I LOVE WHEN THAT HAPPENS—so I elected to write about the miracle at Dunkirk. (My major resource was the book I wrote my first book review of, actually!) THIS paper, this is THE ONE. It remains my darling, out of all the papers I have ever written. 

I used Notion to organise and plan these two papers, so I went HAM on paper prep. Whole days were spent researching, more days analysing my primary & secondary sources, and of course, further days writing both papers. I fondly remember the late nights going over notes for the Dunkirk paper in particular—the annotations of my sources crack me up to this day. 

The close of this semester was a book review which I submitted within an hour of its due date/time. How fitting for this book blogger! graduating from college

Senior year: the final chapter, Autumn ’20–Spring ’21

And now we come to the final chapter of undergrad, senior year, the last. I transferred to Liberty Uni online because I was dissatisfied with the course selection and offerings at CSUF. I want to teach American history, so naturally, I wanted to take loads of classes on the subject. LUO offered me that, so I was really happy with that shift. 

Classes I LOVED. My top two from the penultimate semester were the ones on American Federalism & the Reagan era. The Reagan one gave me the chance to, you guessed it, write another paper I loved. This one explored the transformation of American conservatism under Reagan’s influence. I also waited until the last FREAKIN DAY to write this one, but my fantastic professor gave everyone a one-day extension, so I was fine.  graduating from college

I wrote that one at both of my grandmother’s houses. At my Nana’s, in the bedroom Melody & I sleep in when we’re over, with lots of snacks and lots of water. At my Abuela’s, at the kitchen table, while tortillas, empanadas, and sweet bread were being made with great gusto. MEMORABLE, to say the least :’) Once that paper was done, it was Christmas break!!

how did i survive this senioritis man

Historical Methodology, Survey of the Old & New Testament, and the Senior Capstone Seminar were my favourites. The latter, again, granted me freedom to write about whatever I wanted. I chose the Gestapo, and how this organization transformed the police state in Germany, as well as its influence on Europe’s police state. (My major resource was the second book I wrote a review for, as well :’))

This was my final undergrad paper, and possibly the last I will ever write under the historical path. I waited until the last couple of days to actually write it, mostly NOT by choice, because I did want to repeat last Spring’s experience. I did get to organize my sources in Notion and get some analysis in there, but ultimately, it was a more hurried escapade :’)

In any case, I enjoyed every last second of that paper. The matcha latte I got (ie the last Starbucks put towards my undergrad), & the two cold brews w oat milk that I downed on May 14th fuelled me. The writing in general!! <333 I finished that paper around 2 in the afternoon, and in that very anticlimactic fashion, my Bachelor’s degree was complete at my desk in my own room. 

Thus far, my college journey has been mostly satisfactory, sometimes stressful, way easier than I thought, and full of personal, academic, and even spiritual growth. 

Gratitude

I am so thankful for my parents, who supported the shifts in my college career. They have been my biggest encouragers, and without their genetics, I wouldn’t have the brains I have!! :’) I am grateful to my Daddy, who taught me how to read and write when I was young, thus planting the seeds for those two loves which I hold so dear today. I am grateful to my Mama, who homeschooled me from kindergarten to 6th grade, and gave me the best of her time and attention, caring for me as the best of mothers have cared for their children.

In closing…

Thank you for reading all of this, if you did. And to all of you lovely people who have been here since my sophomore year of college, when I relaunched this space: thank you. Thank you for all the words of encouragement—the tweets, the DMs, the comments—I am truly appreciative of all of you.

Here’s to graduating from college, the future, & whatever God has planned for me!!