How Does It Feel?

Probably one of the most common questions anyone who's fresh off of graduation receives is "How does it feel?" While it's an odd question at times, it's mostly a very valid one. So, I decided that maybe my perspective on how it feels might be a worthy one to share.

You see, there are three main factors that influence my answer:

I love school. My parents often joke that I was born a Ph.D. I've always oved the concept of learning, and writing papers and reading. I'm also increasingly grateful for the struggles that I had early into my college career. Though they weren't directly related to academics, my studies took a hard hit for the things that I endured personally. It was an experience that was challenging at the  time, but I look back on it grateful for the character that it built and the lessons that I learned. 

I love the constant interaction. In college, everything you do requires constant interaction. If you need to order textbooks, you must communicate with the bookstore to find out the books that are needed for particular courses. Having difficulty with an assignment nearly always constitutes a visit to a professor's office during office hours, and those communications may turn into amazing relationships and camaraderie when you need it most. More on that later, though. Even with my friends, we text messaged throughout the day to form study groups and to figure out dinner plans for the evening. I'm probably one of the few that enjoys how connected modern technology allows an individual to remain with the surrounding world, and college taught me the principles of constant contact and communication.

I love the freedom. College allowed me to go places and do things that I wouldn't be able to do anywhere else. My college town is very historic, and some of the buildings and structures that are part of our campus are things that people who've shaped our state's history have developed. It is a special place, and I will always be grateful for all that it taught me, good and bad. 

Given these components, my answer is that I'm still numb to the fact that I've graduated. A week ago today, I crossed the stage with an invaluable mentor, and I can't fathom the fact that I'll never go back to that quaint central Georgia town as a student. I'm a nerd, and I love it.