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Ordinarily, I guess graduating an undergrad isn't a big deal. For some people, they can just fly through four years with no problem.

For me, though, it's been an ongoing struggle. I had official first year of university in 1997, shortly after graduating High School. I finished that year but dropped out around November the following year. Part of this was because I had no bloody clue what I wanted to do. From there, I struggled with depression, moved several times, attempted wrestling school and had a major nervous breakdown (the lowest point in my life where once a year, on the date, I'll celebrate it; this year was my 11th anniversary).

But after a few years, I returned to school as a mature student. I declared English Literature as my major. And I loved it. God, I loved it. I went from being the quiet kid in the back of the class, barely paying attention and reading comics...to being the keener in the front row going, "Ooh! Ooh! I know!"

But after the second year of that, depression hit me hard again. I dropped out a second time. For the next few years, I worked pretty much full-time at Blockbuster and doing very little else. Finally, a friend of mine convinced me to move to Toronto. I did, tried wrestling school again which didn't work (long story). After a year of that, I went back to school in Toronto (York).

And now? After 14 years of struggles? I'm now nearly done. I've seen three sets of friends graduate (High School, the friends I met in '97 and the ones I met about 2003 when I returned). April 5 is the last day of classes. My last exam is on the 10th. I've spoken with someone in the English department and all the degree requirements will be fullfilled. I've written three out of four final essays and have three exams (two take-home, one regular) to write.

My parents and other members of my direct family are coming up to see my graduation ceremony in June.

And...goddamn, I don't even know how to feel. It's surreal. It's this one thing I've struggled with for near half my life. There's a light at the end of a long, depressing tunnel.

That's awesome Nick. Congratulations

Congrats! I wish some of my students appreciated it as much as you do now!

Congratulations!! Happy that you were able to find time to go back and finish!

Dude! Major congrats.

Whoo-hoo! You rock!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *high five*

Congratulations! From someone else who did school in a few rounds, I salute you sir!

Congratulations as well! Sometimes it just takes how long it needs to take.

Thanks everyone.

Son, I am not disappoint.

Congrats, man!

High five and I'm proud of you, man! That avatar has never been more appropriate for you than now.

Yesterday afternoon, I e-mailed my final essay to my African Drama professor. That was the final piece of work left for my academic year.

I don't think it's fully hit me yet that I'm now done my English undergrad after so long. There's a graduation ceremony in June. My parents and at least one of my sisters are coming up for it. Several of my friends want to go, but it's limited seating (3 at the most from what I've heard).

But the fact that I don't have to pick new courses or think about any more papers for English? Yeah, the surreal feeling is still settling in.

In the meantime, I have two immediate plans:
1) Find a second job, since Blockbuster ain't giving me many shifts (and there's that whole "will the store even be around in another year" thing).
2) Finish writing my novel. I wrote near 4,000 words just today. Total word count as of this writing? 44,500. It's tracking at 97 pages, single spaced, font size 12. I don't know how that translates to novel-sized pages. A friend of mine said something around 111 so far.

Congratulations!

Nice job! I feel you on the long route to college. It took me 9 years to get my diploma (a year of that just jumping through administrative hurdles so that I could finally get my degree). It was rough and a struggle of perseverance. However, I finally graduated with a degree that I love (Political Science) doing a job that I enjoy (VOIP Engineer).

Yeah, don't ask how I got from PS to being an Engineer. It is just proof that you can do anything with a PoliSci degree.

TheBrew said:

Nice job! I feel you on the long route to college. It took me 9 years to get my diploma (a year of that just jumping through administrative hurdles so that I could finally get my degree). It was rough and a struggle of perseverance. However, I finally graduated with a degree that I love (Political Science) doing a job that I enjoy (VOIP Engineer).

Yeah, don't ask how I got from PS to being an Engineer. It is just proof that you can do anything with a PoliSci degree.

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True, but those of us with English degrees can very eloquently ask if they want fries with that. Which does nothing to explain how I became a network engineer. On the bright side I can translate from geek to English quite well!

Congratulations again Nick! Enjoy not having to choose courses, good luck on the job front.

Many congrats!

Welp! Today's the day. I'm going to my graduation ceremony today and getting my diploma.

Nourah took the pic.

You have it!

Now you can keep your home planet from exploding!

Congrats, man!

After hearing about TNG's long struggle to get through school and seeing it first hand in the last couple of years.... This is quite the accomplishment for him!!! During TNG's grad ceremony you couldn't find a single parent that was more proud of their child then that of Nick's parents. I'm sure they were tearing up as well, but I couldn't tell (yes I was tearing up from how happy I was for him). I was also bursting with how proud of him I was at that moment and still am! His parents were EXTREMELY proud of Nick as well. They both couldn't stop beaming up at him as he crossed the stage. Plus you never heard parents hoot and holler at their child up on stage getting their diploma the way his parents did. CONGRATULATIONS NICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great job, Nick! Congratulations!

I disappointed in you Nick. Really disappointed. You were supposed to be naked under your gown, and flash the crowd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mathias said:

I disappointed in you Nick. Really disappointed. You were supposed to be naked under your gown, and flash the crowd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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My original plan was, when I got my diploma, to hold it up high and shout "BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!"

Sadly, for whatever bullshit reason, we didn't even get our diplomas when we walked up onto the stage. We had to get them after we handed back our robes. So, the whole ceremony was us walking across the stage to shake hands with people.

He did manage to get the graduate to do the wave a couple of times while we were waiting for the ceremony to begin. It was quite entertaining.

Congratulations Nick. I'm sure that you will be a fine example to others.

http://www.yorku.ca/mygraduation/archives/webcasts/june2011.htm

There's an archived copy of the video here. It skips the whole pre-ceremony stuff with the grads goofing off (and doing the wave, as Nourah said, which I got started ). But if you skip to near the end of the video, my name and stage walk pops up.

Congrats, sir