It is less than 24 hours away from the last day of my final semester. I just submitted my ADA final and Capstone paper. Sense of relief? Yes. Do I feel lighter? Not yet. Grades are not posted. It has been quite an emotional journey from August 2021 to now (August 2023). I had the enthusiasm and anxiety of a freshman on their first day of school. I was unsure what to expect, but I was eager to impress and engage, except this time, I was older. I was 39 when I started the program with two young kids (4 and 2) working full-time. Some days felt light and I thought I had everything under control, and it felt manageable, and then BAM! I'd get smacked in the face with sick kids, working remotely while caring for them, and falling behind in school because it was simply maddening trying to juggle the demands of working parenthood and being a grad student. Fast forward, I survived, and so did my family. This journey and degree is as much theirs as it is mine. Ultimately, my tip for students early in the program is to make sure you have a support system cheering harder for you than you are cheering for yourself. There will be hard days, and you will need that cheerleader to help you power through. The best life partner cheerleader award goes to my husband, Kris.
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