lauryns's blog

It all boils down to this: every test I took, every paper I wrote, every class I showed up late to. It all comes to my alleged 'developed critical thinking skills' and 'ability to communicate effectively, both orally and written.' That's right, these last four years are culminating into the scariest thing I can imagine: not going to school.

As I am writing this, it's really sinking in... I just had my last summer as a student. Ever. Well, maybe not ever, but at least for the foreseeable future. I began my last first day of school a week ago today. With a looming December graduation date and four months of growing list of ambitious goals (apply for Teach for America, take GRE, do well in school, finish internship, get hired by internship- fingers crossed- or else look for other jobs), I looked around at the freshman on campus and felt something odd. I felt jealous! I saw them making friends in the line for the C4C dining hall.

CU is a quirky school-- its idiosyncracies make it all the more loveable. Here are a few I could think up off the top of my head:

May is the most challenging month for CU students. Their final papers, final projects, and final exams intertwine with one another in what can be a menacing way for procrastinators (read: most of the student population). All of the sudden, students confine themselves to the twenty-four hour section of Norlin Library, frantically trying to squeeze everything in. Though this isn’t so different from finals in December, the real challenge is in being forced to stay inside, deprivied of the ability to enjoy the day.

This summer is approaching at a rapid speed—I can’t believe tomorrow is going to be the first of May! The best part, for me at least, is all the exciting things I have going on this summer.

Can it be? Is it really so? You want my permanent address so you can... gasp... send me my diploma?

WHOO!!! The day has come! After five weeks of being confined to a cast around my wrist, the doctors finally sawed that baby off. It was the most liberating feeling, even though my ligaments and muscles are still pretty tight. Now I can ride my bike again, I can open doors again, I can put on socks again, and I can use a can opener! It’s really amazing to realize the simple tasks that are actually quite difficult to do when you don’t have access to both of your hands.

Spring break is the perfect respite between the semester—it falls right after mid terms are over and reenergizes you for the last push of the semester. This year, I went to Costa Rica with my family for one last family trip. Though I had broken my wrist a few weeks before, I came equipped with a water proof cast, plenty of sun screen, and a thirst for some adventure!

A few days before Spring Break, the anticipation regarding my plans was getting unbearable. Either I was going to be taking a trip to Costa Rica with my family—enjoying the sun, checking out the rain forest, seeing wildlife and learning to surf—or getting surgery on my fractured wrist. I was definitely hoping for the first option since, as my last spring break ever, I really wanted to spend some quality time with my mom and my sister.

Spring crept around the corner a bit early in Boulder last week—as evidenced by this slightly late blog post. I, along with practically every other student at CU, became infected with spring fever as the warm Colorado sun beckoned Boulder to enjoy its rays. People donned shorts and flip-flops, and breaks between classes were spent napping on the quad.