My college life

Nearly four years ago now I was preparing to graduate high school, planning a wedding, packing, preparing to move to a new place, trying to find a new place and pretty much having my entire life altered. At the time I had no idea how much was fixing to change.

If someone had told me then that I would be graduating with this chosen career path, have a very successful husband, own a house (ahem, two houses) and still be child free...I would probably have scoffed at them. Thank God for Cory. He is a very grounded person and is very responsible with making decisions. He is always one step ahead, planning for the 'bigger picture.'

At the time I may have been too young for the wedding, it was a lot for me to deal with. However, I was not too young for the marriage. Marrying Cory when I did is something I have never for a fraction of a second regretted. He is my rock. I could not have done everything I have without his constant support and encouragement. Especially in the way of my schooling.

Being married did not take anything away from my college experience. It added to it greatly. I actually feel sorry for the people who walked in other shoes. Nearly everyone my age was fresh out of mommy and daddy's house, finally 'free.' They drink too young, party too much, are incredibly immature and bounce from friendship to friendship and relationship to relationship. Not all, of course. However, I'm willing to bet that much, much more than half of everyone I encountered fell into at least one of those categories [please note that I'm not placing every college student in this category, just the ones that I encountered]. In fact, I guess I only made a handful of 'college friends.' And only one of which I actually hang out with outside of class and she was a semester ahead of me so I didn't even get to graduate with her. Half of the other people I'm close with here I have just worked with instead of had class with.

I always got along with everyone fine, just none of those friendships were lasting ones.

My first year and a half of college was misery. I was an education major and hated it. More than words could ever describe. I seriously considered not doing the whole college thing. However, Cory would have never let that happen. He forced me to sit down think about what I wanted to do and why and then find a major that would match that. I stumbled into the child development program and it was a perfect fit, then into the family studies and it was also a good match. Though the careers that I'm more interested in aren't high in job turnover, it doesn't lessen the desire I have for them. The only regret I have with this degree is that I know it will be hard to get into a job I want. However, I also know that when I finally get there it will at least be doing what I really have a passion for.

Once declaring my new major and getting away from the yucky education major (my opinion, it was just definitely not for me) I had an amazing college experience. I love, love, love my adviser. He is a great man that is so intelligent about this field of study. Without him, I wouldn't have got an internship of a lifetime; I wouldn't have all the great connections that I have with the area of work that I want to enter; and I wouldn't have gotten as much real work experience (he let me substitute 2 lecture classes for independent internships!). He is an amazing reference and the relationship I have with him is golden. He thinks I'm amazing at what I do. He is actually who helped me get the new job - more or less.

All of my instructors were really good. I honestly don't have many complaints about my department professors. They were all pretty laid-back and genuinely interested in you learning and for the most part would go above and beyond to make sure you were learning it if you went to them with help. I had two professors completely shock me with the amount of time they spent helping me when I asked them for it.

Overall, a good time.

I think I will miss it. Some. I won't miss homework and huge, pointless projects. I won't miss teachers wasting my time on lame class activities. I won't miss finals week. But...I will miss having downtown. I will miss my adviser and several of my other professors. I will miss a handful of girls that I truly enjoyed having class with, but know that I won't keep in touch with. I will miss that last shred of excuse for me to still be...a kid.

Now, I'm pushed out into big girl world trying to find a full-time job that actually requires my degree. I really do not want just some random job. I don't want to be disrespectful to my hubs though. Even if he's well aware of the 'I will not do a job I don't want to' and he seems fine with it. I suppose by the end of summer if I haven't found anything...I may have to consider doing something I'm not thrilled about doing for a while. For now, let's think positive though! I will be getting a good job sometime very soon! I totally speak that into existence ;)