My Graduation

My Graduation Wasn’t Like I Expected

Last week’s blog by Bella, made me reminisce about my not so smooth process of coming to study at Massey University. It also reminded me of and my looming non-existent graduation. 

Some people go to university to party, some go to get away from their parents, others go because that’s just what you do! I guess the latter is what happened to me, although it didn’t happen automatically.

When I first graduated from high school, one of the youngest in my year, I had the dream that I was going to join the New Zealand Broadcasting School. That didn’t happen.

After one terrible interview that I travelled 5 hours for, I clearly wasn’t prepared. I literally forgot the name to my favourite movie: ‘The Help’. To make matters worst, while trying to remember the title, I quoted perhaps the most inappropriate and hell, the best part of The Help,  “eat my shit”.  How’s that for interviewing skills!

I was pretty adamant that I wasn’t going to get to NZBS after that and I guess my gut was right. It was humiliating, my first failure. I had told everyone that I was going to do this and had all my sights set on it. Looking back the rejection was one of the best things to happen to me.

2016 Was Not My Year

Instead of giving up straight away [like I should have] and starting a new dream, I stupidly decided to try again next year. So to fill in my time for my next try at NZBS, I decided I was going to work at my home and then do Camp America.

Within a week of the first job, I managed to pull all the ligaments in my ankle while trying to ride a sheep. Yes, I realise how very ‘New Zealander’ that makes me sound. So yet again my dreams were ruined, stupid sheep.  2016 was not my year.

Instead, I worked in a small local cafe, barristering and waiting tables for the rest of the year. During this time I felt the harsh eyes of old teachers and pupils, who obviously thought ‘is that all your doing with yourself?’.  In that cafe, I worked harder than I ever did during university or now [sorry Lainey].

I wouldn’t trade that year for anything, I learnt what it was like to do hard work, work long hours for average pay, to commit to something and it helped me to see the true benefit of upskilling. I grew up hugely.

The second interview with NZBS was another flop, as I failed to prepare yet again. But this time plan B worked out, I got accepted to Massey’s Bachelor of Communications.

My Graduation

Compared to the one short year of commitment to NZBS, graduating from Massey University seemed light-years away. After three short years, and six months of re-employment reality, here we are, graduation day.

Unfortunately, I may never get to graduate traditionally, thanks COVID-19. But as my past shows, failures, plans changing and sheep riding, lead to weird and wonderful things, you’ve just got to trust in the process.

My graduation wasn’t what I expected. So instead of using my three years of study to walk across a stage and shake hands with a stranger, I’m using it to badly photoshop myself into a graduation gown. Now that’s a true reflection of my achievement, right?

Happy Graduation to all my fellow class mates and thank you to all my family, friends, lecatures and businesses like Rocket Fuel Design for all your engcoursgement and knowledge thoughout the years – Kate x