It's About to Fall

This Tuesday will be the beginning of my last fall semester of graduate school. I am excited and a little sad (the "last" anything just seems so sad! What if I miss it?), but mostly excited. Fall has always been my favorite semester. Allergy season is over, holiday season is beginning, the cool, windy weather replaces the hot, stifling summer, and ASLAN IS ON THE MOVE (okay, except not really, since he's supposed to come in the spring). But it isn't really until fall that I start getting excited about Christmas and the passing of time and all the good things to look forward to in the coming years. This year, I am excited about graduating, finishing with school, and moving out of our apartment next year to Orem so Matthew can finish his degree. Big changes for the Covingtons next year, is what I'm saying, and this girl is READY! 

While I'm trying to savor and relish the days as they come, reminding myself that this part of my life is a big deal and won't come again, mostly I am just impatient to get it over with and can't wait until next year to have my fall free from the stresses and pressure of schoolwork. I haven't had a college-free fall since 2004, which was a looooooooooooong time ago. What's that, you say? You want evidence?

My bunny and me, 2004

Not-my bunnies and me, 2013

When I reflect about my overall college experience, I am of two minds. Firstly (and loudly and insistently), college is exhausting and stressful and tough and I just want to be DONE with it. I'm sick of dealing with all the deadlines and writer's block and insane amounts of reading and grading and writing and argument. Every semester I get bored, frustrated, anxious, upset, tired, overwhelmed, panicked, and depressed. I look forward to the end of the semester the way a prisoner looks forward to the end of his (or her) sentence.

But then, mostly when I look back at old semesters that I've over-romanticized, I remember how much fun certain classes were and am impressed with how much I learned and was able to accomplish. I particularly enjoy looking back at the semesters where I discovered that something other people found boring was exciting to me (English Grammar and Civil War, hello!), or that something that was hard and tedious for other people was thrilling and enjoyable for me (Cormac McCarthy? T. S. Eliot? Writing papers about foreign films? Yay!). I liked discovering that I was good at certain things and passionate about others. And I do think I'll miss that part of college. It's really too bad I can't just continue to audit classes for free, because that would be awesome. There's so much more I'd like to learn (and not just the scholarly-type stuff. I wish I could take all the fun classes, like kayaking and acting and underwater cooking) (Okay, just kidding about the last one). Maybe I'll figure out a way to keep coming back for more. Maybe I'll go to a community college class or two. Maybe I'll have a fit of madness and decide to go for a PhD. Maybe I'll find a magical object that makes me invisible and then I can sneak into whatever classes I want (sorry, too much Fablehaven). But for now I am grateful that I decided to get my master's degree and I am confident in saying that I have enjoyed and made the most of my experience thus far. I would do it again. Or maybe I wouldn't do it again (ask me after I finish my thesis).

Happy Fall Semester, everyone!