DENIED

So its that time again, when I'm sending out denial letters for graduation. So far I have three, and I'm waiting a few days before sending out some more (giving them a chance to explain the discrepancies). This is the WORST part of my job, but it happens all the time.

Its the end of your last semester and you're so excited. Your family all gathers, gifts in hand, as you walk across that stage. Maybe you have a job offer, maybe you are going straight into grad school in a few months. It's an exciting time.

Until

I send you a letter that basically says "Well, you walked and you THOUGHT you graduated, but you didn't and here's why"

I cannot stress to you how important it is to make sure you have completed all of the coursework you need before applying to graduate. Even more important is passing those final classes. The people in my job at other departments and even other schools are not usually as nice as I am. I go the extra mile, doing your final grad checks AS SOON as I have the list (around the 3rd week of classes) and then EMAILING you about any discrepancies so you have the entire semester to fix it before I do final clearances after grades are posted. If you're a music major at FSU, you're in luck because I will do this for you until for some reason I don't work here anymore. However, if you're in a different dept or school, it is up to you to know up until the final day of finals week that you have done what you needed to do.

I don't want any of you to get these letters I am sending out. If you're at FSU and need a grad check that you can't get from your dept, ask me. I will never mind doing that for you.

A productive summer

Summer is painted as a relaxing carefree time of year when students can get as lazy and spontaneous as they want and have nothing to get in the way. While this is true, and it is usually an enormous amount of fun, there are better ways to spend the summer without losing any fun.

You can study abroad, take dance lessons, join a summer sports team, volunteer, and even earn a big chunk of money working. Some major perks of summer are the job opportunities like earning thousands of dollars as a camp counselor or lifeguard. Imagine spending every day in the summer sun, getting tan, and getting PAID.

I'm a dancer, this is no secret. many of the girls on my team spent their summers relaxing, taking a break, or going on various vacations. I'm sure they had a great time, but in reality they really missed out. Some of us have been taking class all summer, spending 3-5 days a week taking class and training for the upcoming competition season. Not only are we going to have a significant advantage when classes and rehearsals begin again in the Fall (imagine trying to stretch and do leaps after not stretching for 3 months ><), but we have maintained and even improved our techniques throughout the summer. Plus, those of us that were in class this summer will be performing more pieces than the others simply because we were there to learn them. A significant advantage over all.

The same applies to college. Just like muscles and tendons, the brain needs to stretch to stay in shape. By taking summer classes (even and especially in alternative formats such as transient coursework [taking class at a different college near home for the summer] and study abroad), students can ensure that they stay focused and prepared for the coming semester while getting ahead in their coursework. You'll not only do better in your classes, you'll graduate sooner in the end. Win + Win = Win.

So think about it when next summer rolls around. You could go home and party every night, and if that's your thing, that's fine. But if you think that could get boring after a few weeks, and I certainly do, try to fill your summer with adventures and learning experiences that will build lasting memories and give you a head start on the coming fall term.