A full year has passed since I graduated from my undergraduate in upstate New York. I have had my first taste of a graduate career, and so far, it is quite the ride. I’ve gotten to experience research, design, learning, failure, and new people all in one quick year. The past two semesters have flown, but I’ve gotten some takeaways.

*Always keep pushing forward. Even if there have been many different failures or roadblocks along the way, and even if no one is smiling around you to keep you moving, one has to keep pressing forward. This is one of the harder lessons, as I am used to getting some feedback about my progress.

* Fending for oneself – the whole rent, utilities, and groceries concept – is a lot tougher than what I originally thought or expected. Even without a car, I have still found a way to get these done, and still talk to some people at the same time.

* My peers are the most critical bunch I have been around. Throughout my schooling, I usually have been around a passive set of people or a group of people that care to a point about certain things. In graduate school, everyone enrolled is quite tough and critical each other, and I have had to step up my game to impress everyone.

* The road ahead is surrounded in fog. I don’t know if I am going to the workforce or towards even higher education. But whichever of the two it ends up being, it’ll be fun and definitely worth it. Also depends on the economy and also if I get accepted into any PhD programs.

And to think that this time last year I graduated and thought graduate school was going to be around the same level of difficulty as my undergrad. Here’s hoping the next year is just as good as this one.