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Signing Off

painted rocks on the lakefill

Some graduates paint rocks on the lakefill to commemorate their graduation from Northwestern.

It’s getting to be about that time. The end of the 2015 program year is imminent. My time as a MSC student is ending soon, and it seems fitting to conclude my blog posts as well to make room for the transitions and experiences to come.

About six months ago I emailed MSC administration with a small series of posts I wrote for this blog. I have always been interested in documenting aspects of student or work life for the benefit of those who may be coming up behind me, and I saw an opportunity to do that here regarding a few issues. I expected my contributions to be reviewed, perhaps edited and posted under my byline, and that would be the end of it.

Instead, I was pronounced an approved blogger and given instructions to post the information myself. After my initial surprise, I immediately felt inspired to contribute in other ways. I knew my drafts would be better suited to the end of the school year when more incoming students might see them. I filed them away and began to write about other things I was thinking about or feeling as I went through the program. I was never interested in covering MSC events or courses; I always figured someone else would do that (although as it turns out I was usually wrong). I wanted to offer my unique perspective on the exquisite experience.

Over time the intensity of my inspiration waned, and I began to turn my attention back to practical advice. I also knew I needed to come back to my original posts, which were waiting in my files for their moment. That objective is officially complete now, and barring some catastrophe I’ll be graduating soon.

I’m sure many of my pieces (including this one) were too long. I didn’t care. I felt I had something to say and I ran with it. I worried at times my sincerity would be jarring compared to more general observations about the program. My expressions were of course my own and not reflective of any other individual or institution.

I am grateful to have partaken in the opportunity. Blogging here offered a serious, introverted thinker like me an unexpected and unique chance to have a voice via a legitimate medium. I was always genuinely surprised when people occasionally said to me, “Hey, great post!” I didn’t know if anyone was reading them, and I genuinely enjoyed doing it. Thank you to all who noticed, read, and/or commented.

Overall, I hope my writing here has offered insight or advice that has been of some benefit to the people reading it. Having the information disappear into the internet would be the worst outcome to me, but that is obviously not under my control. New voices and perspectives are beckoning, and I’m officially signing off. Good luck, sayonara, and let’s keep in touch.