Monday, April 15, 2013

{Last Quarter of College} Let's. Do. This.

*photo by Gem Photo

Today is the first day of my last quarter of college. So many emotions wrapped up into one single heart.
Excited
Overjoyed
Thankful
Scared 
Hopeful
Confident
Uneasy
Nervous beyond belief
Determined to use that nervous energy to succeed
Blessed
Finally. Relieved. Let's do this.

I honestly cannot believe it has been four years since I started college. It feels like yesterday I was graduating high school. To be honest with you, college wasn't my favorite thing ever (due to many circumstances, that maybe I'll share here one day!) There were moments I loved and wish I could go back to, but I'm more of a working gal and can't wait to find a job and get on with my career. 

However, this whole growing up and getting older thing...that's a whole other story.  It is the strangest of feelings, when you feel so young and so badly want to cling to your youth, but time is racing past you and you realize you really do have to grow up. I want to be done with school and start working in the field I genuinely love, but I'm also not quite ready to be a real grown up. I'm a fickle girl, let me tell you.

Alas, It's time to make things happen. It's time to trust in God, live fully and create pretty things for wonderful people all for the glory of God.  That's my mission.

Before I graduate in June, though, I have a hard 10 weeks in front of me. I'm a crazy head and decided to take both my residential and commercial thesis class in the same quarter. Though those are the only two classes I'm taking this quarter, they are six hour classes each and I'm probably going to drown in 40 hours of homework each week. In the event that I do go under, I may have to put this here blog on the back burner and be a good student. {I hope you're reading, mom!} I will still be posting and will try to return comments as much as possible, but if I don't, you know why:) As always, I will reply to emails!  

Here's to the next 10 weeks of my last quarter in college and here's to one excited young lady to do what she loves for the rest of her life!  Any tips for a soon to be college grad? Also, I'd love to hear where YOU went to college in the comments!

Happy Monday!
xoxo
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50 comments

  1. WOOOO Michaela! I am so happy for you (although I agree you are a little nutty for taking on both thesis courses this term). Regardless, you will rock it. I know you are going to be an amazing interior designer.

    I agree it's tough to grow up. Lucky me that after graduating from a 4 year program at University of Guelph, I decided to be a student for 3 more years with Interior Design! One day I'll join the ranks of adulthood with ya. xo

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    1. Thanks, girl! I'm so excited!! I'm totally nutty. Only 10 weeks (just have to keep telling my self that) I can do it!

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  2. yayay! so excited for you!!!!

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  3. Yayyyy!! Congrats girly!! So happy for you as you continue your journey :)

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    1. Thanks Kerri! Hope you're having a great Monday :)

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  4. You'll do great in this last quarter! You are really going places Michaela!

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  5. Yay!! So excited for you!! It's a crazy feeling, to be so close to finishing. (But it's also so nice to think that the days of homework are behind you haha) Praying for you as you enter this crazy quarter!! xo

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    1. That's right! No more homework soon! Just real life work...haha :)

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  6. Having just gotten Elie through that phase just a year ago, I can totally relate to your feelings. She's been working a year, been taking grad classes in another field, and is now going for a teaching certificate!

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    1. Oh goodness! Good for her! She will do great at that :)

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  7. I will never forget my last semester of college (University of San Francisco). It is such an exciting and scary time of life.

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  8. Congratulations and good luck for the last 10 weeks!!

    xoxo
    Stacey

    Five Minute Style 

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  9. So excited for you Michaela! Oh, how I remember sitting on the floor of our house in college with my roommate and us dreaming of having school behind us and not having to study anymore. I attended Texas A&M University, where I did a five year program to graduate with my Bachelors in Accounting and Masters in Finance. An internship was one sememester of the program, so upon graduating I already had a job at one of the "Big 4" accounting firms. Well, let me just say we then went on to start work and worked all hours of the day and well into the night for many months of the year. I was also taking my CPA exam. It was then that I was wishing to be back in college! hah Also, I had announced to my mom my graduate year of college that I decided I'd rather do interior design. hehe She said let's just get through this first and graduate and then we'll discuss, but I never did pursue that dream, and 8 years later I'm blogging and following other designers to live through them! :) Best wishes and I'm looking forward to seeing all that you do in the future!!

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    1. OH my! What a great school, too! Well I'm happy for you to live through me :)

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  10. Good luck in your last quarter of college!! I will definitely say that I have loved life post college, so you have a lot to look forward to :) But there's definitely something very special about those college years, so enjoy these last 10 weeks!

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    1. Thanks, Amy!! That's so encouraging. I will try to enjoy them!

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  11. Commercial AND Residential in the same quarter? You are going to be one busy lady!! But if anyone can rock it, you can! ;)

    Hope to see you around the building!

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  12. Congrats love!!! I am the exact same way, I love working and have done it ever since I was 16. I couldn't wait to graduate and get started on a career, and have that stability and a more regular schedule. Now, like Tara mentioned, I find myself missing college! If I have any advice, it's to take a day or two off class just "because". Have some "me" days. Once you get to working full time, those days don't exist anymore, and you can't just miss work because you want. I also wish I would have traveled right after graduation, because that's another thing that is hard to do when you start working! Good luck with all your studies, and when you get a chance to breathe let's get lunch! Or we will celebrate when you're done :). xo

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  13. Congratulations!! You're almost done! I just finished student teaching on Friday (I'm at the University of Georgia) so I guess that means I'm done with college. It's such a weird feeling but it's also such a feeling of accomplishment. Praying your last first day goes well!!

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  14. Congrats Michaela!! Being almost finished is so bitter sweet! I'm on the same boat as you, so excited, anxious and nervous all at once! Make these last 10 weeks count! I'm sure you will do great! :)

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    1. Thank you Meghan! Woohoo to both of us and our last few weeks :)

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  15. so exciting! are you going to be staying in LA after graduation? we never got to have cupcakes!

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    1. Thanks girl! I'm moving home to the Bay Area actually! I'm excited about it!!

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  16. You can do it! You can do it. So proud of you. Home stretch. Do what it takes to do your very best and know the end is near!

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  17. YOU can do it! Lots of praying that you don't go crazy is key! I survived buying a house, planning a wedding, tax season, and graduate school all last year between January and April. It can happen! (Melt downs are totally normal :))

    Praying for you, pretty friend! You're so close!!

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    1. Haha!! Exactly. LOTS of praying for that ;) Wow! You sure did it all :) If I have a meltdown (I'm sure there will be a few) I'l remember you said it's okay :)

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  18. good luck pretty lady! itll be awesome!

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  19. Good luck with your finals semester. You'll do awesome! What an exciting time. Enjoy it. Try to live in the moment while looking excitedly towards your bright future.

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    1. Aw, thank you Lauren! SUCH a great reminder!

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  20. Good luck with your final semester!! :) I went to Grove City College in a little town in PA... and I have to say there is nothing better than waking up knowing you LOVE your job!! :) While I'm a SAHM now (which I also love), I do still teach a few piano lessons and it's never work for me - just FUN!

    Enjoy these last few weeks!! :)

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    1. Thank you so much!! That's so encouraging to hear!

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  21. Enjoy your final semester and finish strong! I finished my AA at a two year college away from home then moved home to get married and finished my bachelors in Education. I've always wanted to get my masters but now that I'm blogging that's been put on the back burner. Maybe one day :)

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    1. Thanks, girl!! You don't need a masters if you blog! hehe :)

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  22. YAY! Exciting times ahead! Very happy for you. Don't forget to enjoy it and I'm positive you'll do an amazing job!!

    I studied Anthropology at University of Iceland through correspondence, which was amazing and so fun, but so hard to find it in myself to be disciplined enough to do my school work, when having a job and friends is much more fun! And Anthropology, try and get a job with just a BA, there is the real challenge. Going to do my Masters in Environment and natural resource management so I can work in a field I truly love, environmental human rights.

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  23. ME TOO!!! Ah I am so excited yet so scared all in one!

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  24. Yay! How exciting! No matter how busy you are here at the end make sure you really take the time to enjoy these last few weeks of college. Do things you've wanted to do but haven't yet! Work hard, but also play hard and make lasting memories. College really is a once in a lifetime experience so make sure you soak up every minute.

    I went to Liberty University and made so many great friends, I really miss the carefree days of hanging out with them on campus between classes.

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  25. I'm so excited for you! You'll look at those years (of college) like they flew by (I sound so old). You'll be excited to go and sometimes miss it all in the same breath. Not sure if I'd already told you, but I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, it was my first choice and I don't regret the experience and opportunities that I had there, never mind that bangin' BFA in Fine Arts that I worked my butt off for!! lol

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  26. Good luck!! I am an Art Institute alumn - BFA in Graphic Design. The design world is fierce and I know it will be so lucky to get a grad like you!!!

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  27. Congrats!!! You are going to do so well. It took me about 2 years post graduation to find a job that I really love, but they hired me because of my blog! So I'm thinking since you have a very successful blog, you will be successful in the job market too. Either way, you can still keep doing the things you love even if you don't get paid for it!

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  28. I cannot wait to see where you end up! I know you will be doing big things, that's for sure! And just so you feel better, I still don't feel grown up all the time... and that says a lot coming from an almost-thirty-year-old lawyer with a baby and a husband! You just have to be a kid at heart and, really, age ain't nothing but a number : )

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  29. It's amazing that coming out of college (even before then, really) that you have a mission. You will be amazing, and all your blog readers are behind you 100% :)

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  30. College of Charleston. I absolutely loved every second of it. All four + years (sorry mom and dad). I had no clue who I was or what I wanted to be so I wasted my time going to parties and the beach. Whoops. My best advice is to set your sights where you want to be and you will get there. And you're older self will thank you more than you could imagine. You're already doing that my dear so my other piece of advice would be to enjoy the moment. This season in your life is so new and exciting and don't rush through it too much.

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  31. YAY!!!!!!!!! Time to graduate and then move to Louisiana!! Right??? Isn't that the plan?! Or at least Texas?? : )

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Thank you for stopping by! If you have a specific question, please email me at hello@michaelanoelledesigns.com. I always reply to emails! Have a blessed day! xoxo

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