2 years later

For those of you who have been reading my blog, you'd have notice that I have had one or two entries venting out at my missed opportunity of having my graduation ceremony. I finished my final exams in June 2007 and got my results in September the same year. By right, in October or November of that year, I should have been worn my graduation robe and celebrated with my friends, our success at having survived the gruelling three years of law school. Instead, we were "asked" to wait for our juniors and that we would have a combined graduation ceremony the following year, for the simple reason that my graduating class was too small.

One year later and we were still waiting. Even the juniors started wondering whether they would have their ceremony. And as expected, there was no ceremony or even news about it. Weeks passed, months passed and soon it was 2009. All that time, I was e-mailing my ex-lecturers, asking them about our ceremony. I think my "questioning" bordered on harassment!!

My ex-classmates (now close friends) told me to forget about it coz the college was obviously not going to grant us one. But I felt cheated. I mean, when it came to paying our fees, they were so insistent and strict, to the point that they would hold on to our results until we made a complete payment. But now that we have paid our fees in full and have actually finished our course, they cheat us out of a well-deserved, well-earned graduation ceremony. Having a photo with me wearing a robe and the mortar board is no big deal; but then again, I want to have that picture!!

I could not let it go. My friends went on to do the CLP and with that, they got to have some sort of graduation, complete with wearing the robe and taking pics. I did not have that opportunity, so I wanted my ceremony! It came to a point when I almost gave up. But I decided to try one final time. I asked my mum to call the college and talk to the principal. She was assured that there would be some sort of "gathering" for the graduates to "acknowledge" us, sometime around June. The call was made in January or February, I can't remember.

June came and went. And I too gave up! Heck, I actually forgot about it being so involved and busy with work. Until I got a call from an ex-lecturer yesterday afternoon, informing me of the "good news"!! Imagine my surprise and excitement!! I was told that it would be in the next 2-3 weeks at one of the hotels and that currently, the college is doing a headcount to determine the number of attendees. I of course immediately contacted my friends (who told me it was no big deal). But then again, it is a big deal to me! I've had almost two years of answering queries as to why I have not had a graduation and how come I do not have a picture!! Well...come August, I will no longer have to answer them. I can just show them the pictures!! :-)

I'm so excited! Finally...I get to wear the robe and mortar board, have a belated celebration with my friends and finally put it all behind me!!