May 14. Most of the high school graduates of 2012 will be graduating from UW-L that day. Their parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members will come from out of town to see them walk across the stage in the La Crosse Center and take their "empty" diplomas. They will scream out their names when the announcer calls them to the stage. The band will continue to play "Pomp and Circumstance" over and over--maybe about a hundred times. They will shake Joe Gow's hand which will probably be the first time they meet him. They will wave to their families or fist pump in the air once they grasp their diplomas. They are finally done. Done with 7:45 classes. Done with essays. Done with multiple choice exams. Done with extra credit. Done with their bachelors degrees.
The whole time during the ceremony they will be thinking about their summer plans and their future careers. if they don't have a job lined up, they will be stressing about finding one. Other thoughts may be: "Where am I going to live? Should I move back to my parents? I hope I get that job. I wish I could have sat by my friends. I think this kid sitting next to me was in my Communications class freshman year. I wish this was over already." And so on. Some will be moving to a different city, state, or even other country.
While I am a senior here at UW-L, I will not be graduating until December 18, so I have time to figure out my plans after graduation. Most people change their majors or add majors and minors; therefore, it is common for students to take 4 and a half to 5 years in college. Now, I still have time to do the things I want to do before entering the unknown.
To those who are scared to enter to the known. Take a breath. It will all turn out eventually. You will figure it all out.
Cue the Huggies commercial--"I'm a big kid now." Yes, the graduates will be the "big kids." They will enter the real world--scared, happy, excited, or even sad. Their life will change. Hopefully for the better. They will move on to bigger and better things. Take risks and go on new adventures. Good luck, graduates!
