Graduation

Standing in line to rent my cap and gown for graduation, a business major told me how unmoved he was by the upcoming ceremony.

I can in no way agree with the man.

It is true the ceremony itself seems a bit slipshod, there are no assigned seats for the graduating students, no rehearsals and my name will not be called until I hand the speaker a card stating who I am.

More effort was made by my high school, which didn’t have 35,000 students but it didn’t leave me thousands in debt either.

Still, given all that, it seems absurd to say graduation means nothing.

There is worry.

I’m a bit worried about finding a job after graduation. The economy may have added 290,000 jobs in April but the unemployment is still just a hair under 10 percent.

On top of that is a fair amount of debt that I’ll have to start repaying six months after graduation. Thinking back now, I might not have needed the new clothes and laptop as much as I believed at the time. It is a nice laptop, though.

There are the memories I accumulated at the school. Getting a nice buzz before class at the campus pub. An “A” in Media Law, the Philosophy of Religion teacher who practiced improv comedy, even simply sitting at the tables behind the Sierra building reading before a 7:00 p.m. class, these will all be missed. A whole class of memories and way of living that will be put to an end at graduation.

A good part of me, though, is relieved to be graduating.

After years of working toward some goal that was always in the far-off future, I’ve finally arrived at my reward for all the stress and hard work.

Those friends who chose not to go to college, telling me it was a waste of time and that I didn’t have the stamina to graduate can finally be shut up.

My own doubts that I’d ever finish can finally be shut up.

Finally, there’s excitement. I’m excited to receive the praise of my family. I’m definitely excited to receive the gifts, which had better include an iPad, and I’m going to Disneyland the day after.

Even if there are no gifts, though, there’s no way I could truthfully say graduation means nothing to me. It’s the end of one life and the start of another.