After conquering finals around 3 weeks ago where not only was I focusing on academics, but also in my last extra-curricular involvement, and finally celebrating the end of the week by attending the Year End Concert of the Company of Ateneo Dancers followed by 16 hours of glorious sleep… I find myself now ecstatic for the coming days.

Today we just had our only graduation rehearsal which didn’t go as exciting as expected. It was quite delightful to see everyone from JGSOM today even if I don’t know probably half or 1/3 of the batch. These are the people who also experienced Accounting, Finance, Leadership and Strategy, Marketing, Operations Management, Statistics, and Law (except for the ME majors). Some might have enjoyed the experience of being able to balance a workbook as much as I enjoyed making marketing presentations; some might have a pleasant LS experience specially in Senior year when most of the batch tried their hand in being entrepreneurs as much as I was reconnected to my love for MS Excel with OpMan and Statistics (I allow you to judge me because of this).

I may not be marching with honors but I am happy for my friends who will be graduating as the program awardee of their respective undergraduate degree programs, or magna cum laude, cum laude and the honorable mention ones as well. I am really happy and excited for everyone in the batch. After four years of taking up more than 100 units worth of major and core courses as well as electives, we will finally be marching and receiving our diplomas on Friday/Saturday (depends which school you belong to). Thrilling. Exciting.

After our graduation rehearsal, we received the invitations for the Baccalaureate Mass and the Graduation.

And we also received our togas and cords.

I tried on the toga when I arrived home and I’m quite bothered by the placement of the Ateneo seal. It seems that maybe my toga isn’t of the right size… hoping that it’s just styled that way or else I’ll look quite unique. I guess that’s not so bad…

Graduation is just around the corner and probably by that time I would be listening to Taylor Swift’s “Long Live” (or maybe I’ll be singing it in my head) and I would probably be crying, I’d be nostalgic and I’d be telling my friends “let’s still catch up even after graduation okay?” while shedding some tears and smiling. But before graduation takes place, two more big events to go; the Baccalaureate Mass that will take place on Friday, which will be presided by Cardinal Tagle, and one of the events that Ateneans look forward to…the Blue Roast, on Wednesday.