Let Summer school begin!

This post is a little different than my usual. It is school related, but I wanted to write about it to help anyone that might be a little unmotivated about school or has had an experience with others telling you that you can't do something. After writing a lengthy blog on the subject, I've decided to split this into two parts- so stay tuned for part two next week, which will focus more on how I have learned to overcome what people say about what I am studying, why I am moving, and saying graduating early is impossible.

The spring semester just came to a close last week, and I got a whopping three days of a break before my classes started back up again! I'm not complaining, I am excited to knock out these classes I need over the summer so that I am able to graduate a semester earlier than originally planned. I have 30 credits left until I can graduate with my Bachelor's degree in Communication. My academic plan was to graduate in the spring of 2016, but life happens and I am now determined to graduate this December, 2015. Without boring you to death about my life story, I am graduating early so that I can move down to San Diego in late December/ early January to be with my boyfriend who is in the Navy. It has been such a roller coaster of a process trying to "figure out my life", as us twenty-somethings like to say. For any of you who care to read about this roller coaster, here you go:

When we first discovered my boyfriend's ship date and a timeline of when he would be in San Diego, I jumped the gun and said, "Alright I will graduate early then!" Then I was planning my courses and figuring out the specifics, and thought "Crap, maybe this is impossible to do." I set up an appointment with my student advisor who ultimately told me that I was in over my head and that I wouldn't be able to graduate in December, because 12 or 15 credits in the summer was just an impossibly difficult course load to take on. And even if I did take that many credits over the summer, it still wouldn't work because some pre-req classes I would need to complete before my Fall courses weren't offered in the summer. I left his office that day in tears and walking across campus contemplating what in the hell I was going to do in school for another year while my other half was in sunny San Diego fulfilling his dreams. I was already so bummed about him leaving so soon and knowing that we wouldn't be able to live in the same state for another year was really disheartening. I was bummed out for a few days and then I did a little more research and double checked my advisor's calculations and realized he was wrong- I could graduate early. (He thought I had to take certain courses that I actually didn't need). I quickly let him know of his mistakes and was determined to prove him wrong!

Long story short, I am taking 12 credits (four classes) over the summer so that I can be a semester ahead to graduate this December. So yeah, summer courses are a bit of a bummer because they are hard work and don't leave much room for a break between the spring and fall semesters. But the fact that I will graduate and be able to move to beautiful San Diego within the next seven months is keeping me motivated! I am excited to take what I am studying and passionate about and applying that to a professional career.