I DID IT!

Today is it, I have one more final in 2 hours, then I hand in my take-home final for night class, and I'm done. Done? I don't know when it will sink in, but after tonight, I only have a trip to Hawaii standing between me and my Business Administration degree. I have so many emotions now, it is hard to explain them all, but most of all, I am extremely proud of myself. Many people doubted that I would be able to complete college in 3 years, while working almost full time off-campus, but those people have motivated me the most these last 3 years, because I wanted to prove them wrong; and I did. Yesterday was one of the proudest days of my life, because my professor was handing out our last few graded papers as we sat down for our final, and when he came over to hand me my paper, he smiled, and shook his head, and said,"I have no idea how you did it, but you did it, it's over," and one of my papers he handed me had a little note on top that read,"Excellent paper Emily, and you did great work this term. You did it somehow and I had my doubts, but you proved me wrong for sure. Hope term 3 is no stress."

I thought to myself, 'These are the feelings I have worked so hard for the last 3 years to have,' and I even teared up a little as I started the final, overwhelmed with pride and sense of accomplishment. These last 3 years have been one hell of a roller coaster ride, but do not regret anything, and I would not change a minute of it. To the current students at Elmira, and the incoming freshman, I would say, there are times when giving up is very easy and tempting, but the end reward is worth every sleepless night, every word on every paper, and minute of being homesick. In times when you feel overwhelmed and like your drowning in an ocean of work and papers, remember to relax, stay organized, and take it one assignment at a time. One of my life mentors once told me, "The world is full of people who will tell you no, can't, too hard, not possible, too complicated ect. You have to remember that anything is possible if you have the strong enough desire to make it happen."