OMG! Is this really almost over?!?!?!

My Internship is Complete!

Did you hear the unmistakable shout of joy sometime this afternoon? In case you were unable to hear my gleeful whoops, today I passed the 600 total hours mark! I did a happy dance. I clicked my heels. I giggled uncontrollably. I double high fived my fellow intern, Beth. There was much rejoicing.

But wait...there's more! I still need to attend 3 more Pro-Sem sessions and present one more case presentation in order to be totally squared away with all requirements to graduate. Yes, there are these still hanging requirements that cast a shadow.

I received yesterday the official letter of "things you need to know about your upcoming graduation ceremony". I pick up my gown on December 3rd. The rehearsal for graduation is just a couple of hours before the ceremony--probably done that way because they only expect the ceremony to take an hour. It's not the big fanfare of the June ceremony, and fewer of us to present with faux diplomas. I've always thought the cap and gown ensemble of the master's degree student is much more stylish because it has a hood. I don't know what color the hood will be as I'm not sure what field of study they actually consider Applied Behavioral Science.

Soon I'll be able to use the letters "M.A." after my name--well, at least on clinical documents.

Side note of interest: John has completed his master's degree and has yet to receive his diploma. It seems to always take a very long while for the actual piece of paper to arrive once it gets posted to the transcript. In that official letter I received it said that my diploma won't be mailed out until March! You'd think for the $200 fee I paid to graduate and participate in the ceremony that they could get the diploma out a lot quicker than 3 months--perhaps there is a special process I'm unaware of?

My academic life hasn't reached its end, even though it feels darn good to be done with this degree for now. I still want to go to the next level and get my PhD. It's just for now I'd like to spend time working in the field, gain clinical experience--see about opening up my own private practice.

Somebody pinch me now so I'll wake up from this dream. It's starting to settle in that I've really done this! I've really made it all the way to the end!