Countdown to Graduation

I never thought I would see the day when I would face an overabundance of free time and absolutely no idea what to do with it. But here I am, sprawled on my bed with nothing to do. There's nothing to study for, no television shows to catch up on, no parties to attend, and nowhere to go. It's a strange feeling. A tinge of boredom and uneasiness is already starting to creep up on me and I feel like I'm toying with a lethal combination of boredom, laziness, and gluttony.

Every dental student that I've talked to have imparted on me one golden piece of advice - "savor the last summer before dental school; get all of the wanderlust and partying out of your system". This is the LAST summer of my life that will be unbound from the chains of adult responsibilities. Yet when something is labeled so definitively as the "last", my expectations for it increase exponentially. Though I have a few travel plans here and there throughout the summer, I'm constantly scared that my summer plans will fall short of my expectations.

Meanwhile, my roommate has been toiling over her valedictory speech the entire day. So much for post-final celebrations. Though it's a great honor and a spectacular last hoorah, being valedictorian is hard work. I spent the afternoon pouring through Google, YouTube, and TedX as a source of inspiration to help her write her valedictory speech. It was a stressful affair and I wasn't even the one composing or presenting the speech. How in the world are you supposed to be original, creative, inspirational, funny, and reflective at the same time?

I wanted to be at my roommate's graduation to listen to her speech, to cheer for her, and gain a little notoriety by establishing myself as the "valedictorian's roommate". Unfortunately, the science majors in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences are graduating at the same time as Viterbi. Even worse, we are graduating in the parking lot next to the math and engineering buildings. Lot 6, to be exact...

I still don't understand why Marshall business majors graduate in the Galen Center, the International Relations/History/Political Science majors graduate at the Shrine Auditorium, Annenberg majors graduate at McCarthy Quad, and the science majors are relegated to a parking lot on the outskirts of campus. I feel slightly jilted here...

(I'm also raising an eyebrow at the fact that they have the Ostrow dental students graduating on the McAllister Soccer Field, which is a few blocks away from campus. Not to mention that it is a soccer field.)

I'm excited for graduation tomorrow though for me, it doesn't really feel like the end. I attribute it to the fact that I'm going to be back on this campus come August. Somehow, it feels like a continuation of a really long USC saga for me, a story that will get better with each coming year.

Fight on!

Song of the Day

Love Interruption - Jack White