“That’s it! No more JMU. I have graduated!”

Potomac Hall, September 20, 2003It’s official! I have graduated! I received my degree in the mail on January 30, marking my completion of JMU’s program of studies. Good. Now I can relax. No more classes, no more books, no more professors’ dirty looks (I couldn’t resist saying it). I just can’t believe that my formal education is now complete. And I managed to graduate on my own terms. As I mentioned about a month and a half ago, I am not big on ceremonies. I’m also a bit of a cheapskate. And as such, I did NOT “walk” in a graduation ceremony. And as such, I did NOT have to go through the hassle of purchasing graduation invitations, mailing graduation invitations, purchasing a cap and gown, and then sitting through a big long ceremony. Instead, I did it my way. The way I see it, I came onto the scene quietly as a freshman fresh out of high school in 1999, and now I’ll just simply quietly fade off the scene. But now the fun part of life begins. I am armed with a college degree in Public Administration. That’s scary. Of course, a degree in Public Administration will open the door to a lot of jobs. My father is always saying now, “You should see if Metro is hiring,” a not-so-subtle hint of his that he wants me to move out while also recognizing that I am a major DC Metrorail fan. Still, my time at JMU as a student is now over, as I now am considered “alumni”, which is one of those things I had never thought about before. Scary. But nonetheless, I’m out of college, ready for that big place we call the “real world”…


Date posted: February 2, 2004

Notes: I found the quote not to be a fitting place to discuss this, but another thing I'm glad about is not having to deal with the poor customer service that some aspects of JMU provide. I would certainly recommend not going to JMU's bookstore if you can pull it off, going instead to Outpost, the off-campus store. I'd also recommend not banking at Commonwealth One Federal Credit Union. And lastly, I'd recommend staying as far away from the Office of Residence Life as you can. Trust me. On the other hand, some places with excellent customer service are Card Services and Dining Services. I'd happily fork out money to either one of those areas any day.