On Saturday I wore a black and white academic gown and I crossed the stage and got my diploma.

I think a big “huzzah” is in order, so: HUZZAH!!!

Two years ago I decided to return to school and work towards this goal. Slowly but surely the time passed and the work got done, and here we are.

I’ve learned so, so much in the past two years, and when I compare “me now” with “me then”, it feels like I’ve grown so much. It’s hard to boil it down to just five things I’ve learned, but I’ll try anyway! (The first post in this series on my blog is here.)

1. People are everything. The people you are in school with, the friends you make, the way you treat each other, it’s so big. Our class made time to share food together at potlucks, we always tried to have fun and to laugh, and we all became friends. Having that group to support each other and cheer each other on made all the hard days seem not-so-hard. I think it doesn’t matter what the task is, if you’re working on it with people you get along with, or at least that you are making an effort to be nice to, it can be enjoyable.

2. I can do this. When I left university in 2007, in my third year of a BA, due to health reasons, I felt ashamed that I hadn’t finished. And it made me wonder if I could in the future finish a diploma of some kind. So, holding this paper in my hands is a huge deal for me: it’s proof that I’ve got what it takes.

3. The power of “just sticking with it” is amazing. Sure, stuff got hard! There were so many tasks and assignments and chores I didn’t want to do. I got grumpy and I complained. But man oh man, just doing it taught me so much. Cut the complaining and just do it, and then it’s done. I learned the power of this, over and over and over. (And over!) (Oh wait, I’m still learning this.)

4. Show UP. Be there. Every day. Don’t cut class. Write down the rambling lectures that might not make a lot of sense. Write down the bits of brilliance too. Do the exercises, even the ones where you think “I already know this,” or “Why am I doing this?” That is seriously 90% of success right there, just showing up. There were lots of days I was tempted to stay home and do the work from there. But I think that being in class shows yourself, shows your teachers and your classmates, that you’re totally serious about this and willing to do whatever it takes to reach your goal.

5. Have faith that you CAN do it. (“It”= Going back to school, getting the diploma, taking on a big project, or just learning all that you need to learn to reach a goal.) Have faith that even though you don’t know what it will all look like when you’re done, that even if it seems impossible right now, saying “Well, to hell with it! I might as well try!” is a huge demonstration of faith in yourself. And faith in yourself doesn’t mean already knowing the answer or the end goal. It just means that you trust your own ability enough, to give that something a try.

Bonus #6: CMD + Z (or CTRL + Z on a PC) is your best friend.

Have a great Monday, everyone! Enjoy that sunshine.