Yesterday, I finished my last class of my undergraduate education. In exactly 2 weeks I will be graduating, with only 4 finals and a handful of projects/papers between me and my bachelors degree. It’s definitely a bittersweet time — I’ve enjoyed my time at USC so much that I’m sad to be leaving, but at the same time I’m excited about where I am headed and I’m ready to move on.
I have exactly one month off between graduation and the start of my job and I’m planning to enjoy my last summer break for a while. A few days after graduation, I’ll be taking off for Europe with my parents and brother. We will be exploring northern Spain and southern France, starting with one of my favorite cities, Barcelona. Last time I was in Barcelona it was on a weekend trip I took with friends from the Viterbi Overseas Program, so I’m looking forward to showing my parents and brother around, eating good paella, and enjoying churros con chocolate.
-
- Barcelona Market
-
- Churros con chocolate
-
- Paella!
-
- Sagrada Família
-
- Barcelona
-
- Spanish apartments
-
- The Barcelona beachfront
After I get home, I will have approximately 2 weeks to rest up in Los Angeles, get everything settled for my new job (read: learn how to dress like an adult instead of a college student) , and enjoy my last lazy days of freedom. Come June 11, I will be a real life civil engineer with KPFF Consulting Engineers in Los Angeles.
I know transitioning from college student to full-time working adult will come with its fair share of challenges, but I’m really excited for this new phase in my life. I’ve spent the last four years learning how to be an engineer, but I’m excited to start meeting with clients, designing real projects, and practicing everything I’ve been learning about. Between my experiences with group projects and my internship last summer, I’m feeling prepared for what I will encounter — not that I will know how to do everything (far from it), but that I will know how to learn how to do what I need to do. It’s also fun that I have quite a few friends who are staying in LA, so I will be able to stay in touch with them, while still meeting lots of new people.
I can’t believe that four years of college have flown by so quickly, but you know what they say — “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
