Waiting for the End

Four days and three exams separate me from the summer (and what I termed as freedom, while counting down the days). And happy as I am that the school work will finally be over for a few months, on the one hand, I also find myself somewhat sad and pensive. I am left with thoughts about a few things:
1) How quickly the year flew by - it seems like yesterday that I first arrived, cliche or not. Did I make optimal use of my time here? Probably not, especially this semester, which was spent mostly "putting out fires" instead of looking ahead. Hope to be better about this next year.
2) How I will miss people that I have gotten to know here especially those I may not see at all next year (because they will be taking a year out to work). I guess, this has happened at every place and every stage of my education, but it's great to feel like you have a circle of friends you can lean on in both good and bad times.
3) That I have learned quite a bit, although I am still not certain as to exactly what I want to do after graduating (thankfully, still a year away). The coursework and conversations with people have opened my eyes to many more interesting opportunities, which of course comes with the burden of trying to narrow them down. Yes, the frequently present burden of choice in this day and age...But that is also what the summer is for. More exploration in a professional setting. Can't wait!
4) That I have gotten to know my strengths and weaknesses even better and was somewhat surprised by some of the findings. By far, I guess I learned that strengths and weaknesses evolve over time and what I used to be strong (or weak) at isn't necessarily the case any longer. Why? I am still to ponder that fact.

Waiting for the end or waiting for the beginning? I guess they often are the same thing.