I had some time during this week of spring break to do some thinking about what being done with Case would mean. I expected myself to have mixed feelings about this, but I really don't - I'm ready to be done with school for a number of reasons:
- I am really looking forward to being a full-time SJM employee. :-D It's funny - Craig once said that he could totally see me driving around in a suit, multitasking on a cell-phone or PDA, living that fast-paced life. And you know what - that is a precise description of my life starting in June. (The company is assisting in this by providing the PDA and a whole load of other stuff.) And I can't wait. Hey, I know this job will involve a lot of hard work and time, but it will be worth it.
- 90% of my classmates make my life miserable on a daily basis. Yes, you heard me. I won't go into their specific offenses (if I did that, I would end up rewriting War and Peace), but it's been a regression of the worst kind in terms of social interactions. It's like I am reliving my middle school years again. You know, when they would make fun of smart people? Yeah... that and other stupid things. I am constantly taken advantage of because I have a brain and I use it. (Remind me again why this is unacceptable??) How is it that I am one of two responsible people in my class?? (For the record, the other responsible person has expressed the same sentiment.) I put a stop to it during one group activity and my teammates almost died because they had to think on their own. It's sad that I have to handle it in this way, but whatever. These blasted classmates have also been affecting my health... I got migraines for the first time, thanks to them. Apparently I clench my teeth while at the computer and in my sleep due to the emotional stress and voila! A migraine is induced. And because of these timehogs I haven't even been able to go to church here since October, which is totally absurd for those of you who know me. So getting out of school will allow me to get my life back, both physically and emotionally.
- I have spent a quarter of my life here. Yeah - six years at Case. Unbelievable. Don't get me wrong - I don't regret any of my decisions to come here or stay here for that long. But you know what? I used to belong here, and I don't anymore. I TAed a class this fall and I realized just how the younger generation of BMEs think - some of them impress me, some of them appall me. The faculty is completely different - I don't even know some of them. I have even had to explain who Vasu was to people who see his name only as the title of a TBP faculty award. That hurts more than anything else: when you want to tell someone about the flood of memories in your mind of your friend at Case and how he contributed so much, and all they want you to do is shut up and give them the correct pronounciation and spelling of your friend's name. That's been the reality check for me, and the constant reminder that I need to leave this school.
- I want to enjoy Cleveland as Cleveland. Having lived in different cities during my co-ops and all, there are some things I wish this city did better. I certainly don't want to live the rest of my life here based on what I've seen, but I am trying to stay open-minded about it. I will be "based" in Cleveland for SJM probably until December or so, and even though I am already scheduled to do a lot of travelling I am making a promise to myself to enjoy the city once school is finished. Cleveland Orchestra concerts, Cavs games, Indians games... all the stuff I wanted to do during school but couldn't due to the load that school adds to your time.
No comments:
Post a Comment