Praise Allen, recent law graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria shares how she copes with the euphoria and the boredom of finally graduating.
It has been almost a month since I wrote my last paper as a student, and been almost two weeks I rounded off my long essay required to complete my Bachelor’s Degree. But for reasons peculiar to me, it has been a numbing experience. In summary, it will most definitely not be the same for you. Also, I was definitely not ready for this day to come.
First off, I must say, my school really did show me shege. However, beyond this experience, I just wasn’t ready for the end. The certainty of an end really just gave me a headache. But the end came and I kept thinking, is this it? Well, I can break this down into three stages.
The euphoria stage: I was definitely high on the thought that I never have to prepare for any IFELAW exam ever again. It was always a nerve-wracking experience and I was glad to be rid of it. The finality of that part brought out strong feelings I rode out for about two weeks.
The blind stage: this was the craze of project and assignments. My project supervisor decided to push forward with a deadline that coincided with assignments that needed to be submitted. It was a crazy time, and all I could think of was, just do it one last time. That was the adrenaline I needed to stay sleep deprived and incredibly sick for four days straight. Well, I cannot say it didn’t pay off (winking in A, lol).
And finally, the numb stage. This is the stage where I just wanted to disappear without any trace. It is like starting life all over again, without the paparazzi of the previous version of you. Now, if you know me, as much I saw shege in this school, I also did A LOT. To be honest, that leaves some sort of wear and tear on you, and for me, it just made me want to disappear. I understood the fact that there was a transition but there were still a million questions to answer. Especially the most asked, WHAT NEXT?
Well, I just began this new journey, but then, I never write without something to glean from. While your experiences may be different from me, I learned one very important thing, ENJOY THE BORING STUFF.
As an undergraduate, it was all about trying everything. I always kept busy with things that kept me curious. It is why I would always cherish the Twenties community; they keep me connected to my environment and the real-time experiences that come from there.
But then, this numbing stage made me appreciate the boring stuff, cooking, cleaning and even, having a simple conversation with God more than just asking for stuff. I started revisiting my decisions, and while I am still figuring things out, just weathering the boring stuff is opening my eyes to the things that make me who I am and what I want. Sometimes, all the adventure you need is in the boring stuff… reading a book, not leaving your house in a week, going offline for a full day, etc. At the end, you have to pace yourself. I want to pursue real-time growth, that reflect the qualities that God put in me that makes me unique.
Honestly, I am really proud of the things my friends are already doing. It just proves that we all are capable of great things and I am excited to witness it. For me, now is all about re-evaluating my quality of life and still exploring these interests. I am still as curious as ever, but this time, I understand that my choices put me where I am. While it seemed imperfect at the beginning, I also realise that these choices will further determine the way my future looks, so I would rather focus on that. Step by step is my daily reminder now. Well, this is my take of life after school, ask me again after one year, it would definitely be different.
Till then. Take care or like in my head, toodaloo!
