It was a bittersweet experience watching my former roommate/one of my best friends graduate from university. I am, of course, incredibly proud and happy for her. After seeing how hard she worked during the brief time I lived with her, seeing her hard work pay off was exciting. I couldn’t help but tear up watching her walk across the stage. On the flip side, seeing her accomplishments made me really reflect on my progress in university.
After graduating in 2020, in the midst of quarantine, I decided it would be best to hold off on post-secondary school. The pandemic was the first and most obvious reason; I wasn’t confident in online classes so I didn’t think I would do very well. This is the reason I tell most people who ask why I’m only in my second year at 21. The second reason was because I had truly no idea what I wanted to do in the future and if I’m being honest, I still don’t know. At the time, I was convinced none of my interests could be translated into school courses and then into a career. School felt pointless. And lastly, due to the pandemic and a number of other personal issues, my mental health had plummeted. I had absolutely no motivation to get out of bed, let alone focus on school. After a year and a half of working, I had finally reached a place where I felt confident in applying to school. So, at 20 years old, I started my first year of university. 20 isn’t very old but compared to the 18-year-olds starting school straight out of high school, I felt incredibly behind. While my friends my age were starting the second half of their degree, I was just starting my first year.
In January of 2023, the second semester of my first year, I decided that commuting for school every day was taking away from my ability to really focus on and enjoy school. So, after taking a leap of faith on Facebook marketplace, I moved into a basement apartment with two other students and a cat named Taco. The first two days were incredibly awkward, at least for me. I had never had roommates, and I really struggled with making friends. But after a week and a planned ‘family dinner,’ we all became good friends and today I can truly call them some of my best friends. Eight months and countless family dinners later, one of my roommates had finished her university journey and would be moving out after our summer semester finished. Of course, we all knew it was bound to happen, but that didn’t make it any easier. All three of us are still just as close. My remaining roommate and I complain about how much we miss her almost daily. I’m so glad to have been lucky enough to meet them and wouldn’t change that for anything.
Watching her graduate made me think of where I’m “supposed to be” and that I was supposed to graduate soon too. It’s been a struggle to remind myself that everyone has a different timeline, that I’m not “two years behind,” I’m just not the same age as everyone else. I was thinking of my well-being first by putting university off by two years. At the same time though, watching her reach her goal really cemented that I also wanted to walk across that stage and finish my degree. I was and still am filled with love and pride for her, and she will continue to be a role-model for me. Regardless of my feelings on graduating at (likely) 25, I know my friends and family are proud of how far I’ve gotten and how far I will go.
Much love,
Evelyn<3
P.S. Congratulations Julianna