Last Thursday morning, I had the last class of my academic career. It’s still sinking in. Thirty minutes ago, I submitted my last assignment. That feels equally weird. Earlier this morning, I started the annual move out of the dorm, which I have gotten used to thanks to my co-ops (it’s still no less of a pain in the ass though). Maybe I’ll really believe it when I’m walking at graduation on Saturday, but it feels very weird to say I’m done at Drexel, let alone that I’m an alum.
I guess this is really the start of life in the “real world” then. And it starts with continuing to look for a job. Where will I end up? I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind staying in Philly, but I wouldn’t mind getting to explore a new city too. International would even be fine by me. As for what I want to do, while system administration still interests me, I think I’ve shifted more towards favoring web development. That’s not something I would’ve expected I’d say five years ago. When I started at Drexel, I envisioned myself working at a data center after graduation. While that remains an option on the table, I don’t know that it would be my first preference anymore.
The IT industry is tricky like that. I would say that a fast-moving industry is fun to be in, but that does lead to some uncertainty about the future. I can guarantee what I learned Freshmen year at Drexel is now obsolete. Do I think my first job out of Drexel will be my job for life. Maybe. But I’d lean towards no. My last couple of terms here at Drexel, I spent more time in the Close School of Entrepreneurship than the College of Computing and Informatics, and it was an environment I very much enjoyed. An Entrepreneurship minor is absolutely something I would have pursued if I had the time (it unfortunately became available too late in to my studies.)
It’s remarkable what can change in five years. I would have to say that my time in Australia and these last couple terms with the Close School were the highlights of my time here at Drexel. They absolutely changed my views on some topics. I’ve seen incredible changes in Philly, in Drexel, and in some of my classmates over these last five years. Would I do it over again? With a couple changes, absolutely.
