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The New Social Worker is the quarterly magazine for social work students and recent graduates, focusing on social work careers for those new to the profession. This blog is a companion to the free online magazine at http://www.socialworker.com.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Graduation Day: One Week From Today


AS I TYPE at 9:27 a.m., it occurs to me that on this day, at this time next week, my classmates and I will be preparing to walk across the stage to get our diplomas.

After that, we will go our separate ways--some of us may celebrate together--but for the most part, we will head off with our families and friends to eat, drink and make merry.

It's heady stuff, these endings and beginnings. I ticked off my assignments, papers, presentations, and exams last week, knowing each one signified the end of this adventure. It was not lost on me that as much as I stressed over the workload, I had also taken a great deal of comfort in the academia track I was on.

It's over. No more pencils, no more books ... you know the rhyme. I am relieved; I am ecstatic; I am filled with gratitude; and I am sad.

As I walk through the next days preparing the house for guests and planning for graduation day, I will allow myself to take it all in: the joy, the light, the love, and the change.

~Ms. T. J.

7 comments:

  1. Congrats T.J.!!! Embrace this week, even if it gets crazy. I guess it is kind of like the week of your wedding. ya know? Something that you have worked so hard for, thought about, and then it comes and goes so quickly!! Thinking of you this week!!!

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  2. I graduate next Saturday with my MSW too and am feeling the same emotions. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. Funny you would say that.  I was thinking the very same thing! It IS a lot like the wedding week ... I'll get my hair and nails done, my mother-in-law is coming to town, I'm ordering a cake, I bought a new dress, we have a caterer (a gracious friend who is also a professional caterer offered us a deal we couldn't pass up), I am boarding the dog, I splurged on a house-cleaner, and I am trying not to gain any weight before the BIG day.

    It's zany!
    ~Ms. T. J.

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  4. Thank YOU for sharing. And, congratulations!
    ~Ms. T. J.

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  5. Congratulations!! I'm happy for you!! I'm presently working on my finals - it's not easy. I'm burning the candle at both ends so I can get very good grades....however, I'm almost there!!!  I'm in the process of deciding if I should start my Master's in the Fall or begin in the Spring.  For now...I need a break.

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  6. <span><span>All the best to you, Elaine, as you plough through your finals.  It feels so intense when you are in it, I know. You will come out the other end of it before you know it.  Breathe deeply, rest a lot, and then celebrate when you finish!  
    ~Ms. T. J.</span></span>

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