An Open Letter To All I Know Who Are Graduating This Semester

Took a break from packing and cleaning and wrote this open letter to my friends who are graduating college this year.



Dear Friends, Romans, countrymen, colleagues, and other random people:

Congratulations!  Soon, very soon, you will be walking across the stage as your name is called to acknowledge that you have graduated from college.  In the long run it doesn't matter how long it took you to complete your degree, that point is that you actually did complete your degree.  All that work has culminated in this moment of joy, a feeling of satisfaction.  You did it!


Now, despite this being my 4th year at Ball State, I will not be graduating this year.  I still have at least one semester left, so if all goes well (barring a monumental screw up) I too will be following in the footsteps of all those before me and be walking across that stage as my name is called.  Does it bug me that I won't be graduating on time?  Honestly, not really.  Sure I'm not a fan of the whole "being behind in school" aspect of it and knowing many people who are graduation this year doesn't help that at all, but an extra semester is not uncommon.  It won't matter how long it takes, what matters is I finish (except for why I changed my major, but that's a post for a different day).

But enough about me, the end of this semester it's all about you all fulfilling your dreams of completing your major and now venturing off to pursue your other dreams, whether they be going to grad school, moving far away, simply going back home and getting a job, settling down, military service, etc.  And I am happy for each and everyone of you that is graduating college this year.  We've had some fun times together, but more fun times lie ahead in whatever your path may be. 

To conclude, I won't say 'Good Bye', but rather the German 'Auf Wiedersehen'.  Sure it can also mean 'Good Bye' but it also means 'Until We Meet Again'.  Such terms like 'Good Bye' and 'Farewell' are awfully definitive, acting more as a term when you are closing a chapter in your life and starting a new one.  Never going back to the previous chapter and continuing on in the story of your life.  Sure that can be applied to your undergraduate academic career, but friendships don't necessarily end when you receive your diploma and move on to other things.  Some of you I probably will never see again, but that's not the intention.  Life just gets in the way.  But I would like to see you all hopefully at some point in the future, whether it's just passing by, grabbing a beer, hanging out, or whatever.  I'll still be in Muncie for at least the fall.  Visitors are always welcome lol.  Hence that is why I will close this with Auf Wiedersehen instead of Good Bye.  I wish you all good luck in all of your future endeavors. 

Auf Wiedersehen my friends,
Jacob A. Ware
"Jake"