So close...yet so far!!!

The end of my academic career is drawing to a close, but I still am having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. For the past two weeks it has felt like it's been just...out...of....reeeeeaaaaccchhh.

BUT.

It WILL be over soon. I just have to stay focused. I will have my oral defense in 3 (!!!) days, and assuming I pass, I will only have to think about one big paper, one small paper, and one written final exam. And for my bragging rights of the day, I got through all of my written comprehensive exams with NO rewrites! It seems most people have to rewrite one or two, but I passed them all on the first try! I think it's the perfectionist in me, and the slightly obsessive-when-studying personality that did it. But I don't feel relieved yet, because of my oral defense, for which I am terrified. And everyone who has done theirs so far has said it's really not that bad, and you don't need to worry, but that's what I do best. As my adviser has frequently told me, I am probably just "Pulling an Erika."

I hopefully will get a job not too long after I graduate, but I am SO looking forward to not having to think about homework and or having to do work on the weekends. I plan on reading the Hunger Games series, the Harry Potter series again, some Jodi Picoult books, and maybe some other recent best-sellers or recommendations (put any book suggestions as a comment!). I also want to pick up my violin and bust out some tunes again. Poor thing, it's probably so out of tune right now. Maybe I will also make a bunch of gel candles. I bought a big bucket of candle gel months ago but haven't made any in a long time. Maybe I'll sell some! Because the last thing I need is to light the apartment on fire because I've made too many candles and feel the need to burn them all.

I also have mixed feelings about this chapter of my life coming to a close. While I am definitely ready to say good riddance with all the homework and paper writing and stress over exams, I will actually miss being in the classroom. I will miss learning really great things from my brilliant professors. And I will really, really miss the friends I've made in the program and department. I don't want to say bye to them!