Annnnnd that's a wrap: I graduated!

Four years ago I clutched my Leaving Certificate results in my hand, hoping and praying all my hard work had paid off.

I desperately wanted to study Journalism and New Media in Limerick but, with the points set to increase, I had an agonising wait to see if I had got it or not. A few days later I happily clicked ‘accept’ on my CAO form. I was officially Limerick bound!

Officially a qualified journalist.

Four years later and it’s hard to believe my college experience is over. As cliché and all as it sounds, time really does fly and last week I graduated!

I spent a lot of time in fourth year wishing the year would hurry up and end. I couldn’t wait to be finished my final year project, assignments, exams and all the stress that goes hand in hand with it. I was more than ready for the stress of college life to be over. I was ready to go out into the real world and be an adult.

But the night before my graduation, with the big day literally only a few hours away, I had a scary thought. I suddenly realised there was just one small problem with my single-mindedness. Once I donned my cap and gown that was it; the safety net of education, which I have known for the last 18 years, would suddenly be gone.

And with the economy still looking more like a rollercoaster and less like smooth sailing it’s no wonder I’m slightly anxious. I have nothing concrete lined up. I’m all dressed up with no place to go. No place to interview.

Every so often I find myself thinking these negative thoughts, which are made all the worse by people constantly asking me what exactly I’m doing with my life and when am I going to get a real job and stop working part-time pulling 99’s. The truth is I don’t know. I’m really not sure. I’m still figuring this whole life thing out.

When the not-so-positive thoughts don’t creep in I’m confident. Confident I’ll get a job in my chosen field and confident that things will work themselves out. I’m pretty sure something will come up. In some shape or form. I’m just not sure how long it will take…

Waving goodbye after four great years.

The President of UL, Professor Don Barry, reminded me of all this during his speech at the graduation. He reminded us how proud we should be for getting this far and achieving a third level qualification and, more importantly perhaps for those of us with nothing solid lined up, reminded us that things always have a way of working themselves out. He said we must “never, ever let anyone tarnish our spark”. Wise words from a wise man.

So, with that in mind, I’m not so much nervous about the future as I am curious.

College life was (so far!) the best four years of my life, but I’m ready for the next chapter now.

All I can say is bring it on!