For the past six weeks, I’ve been telling everyone I know that I’m ready to be done with school. I’m over professors, papers, exams, labs, and the annoying non-traditional students who ask too many questions. I complained about spending my weekends working and studying instead of partying. I’m ready for the real world. But as graduation gets closer, I realize that I’m really going to miss CMU.

I still vividly remember my first weekend here at Mesa State College. My parents helped me unpack all of my things, took me out to lunch, and then dropped me off in the parking lot. It was there that I started crying. I didn’t stop that first week. I cried when I couldn’t find my first class on the first day. I cried every time I talked to my mom, which was about three times a day. I remember crying in class when I got a D on my first quiz. I hated this town and this school. Everyone was out to get me, and there was no way I was going to stay.

During the second week of school, I decided to transfer. I planned on moving home, enrolling at Metro State College, something I often made fun of other kids from my high school doing. I had been accepted, and couldn’t wait to leave this town.

However, I didn’t want to admit defeat. I wanted to prove to the people in my dorm, my friends, and my family, that I could hack it in college. I knew I would regret giving up the typical college experience to go to Metro and spend my Friday nights playing with my dog rather than going out with friends. So I stayed. I finally started to enjoy this town, and I made friends. I got involved in my dorm and started to take classes that pertained to my major. I realized that even though I could find everything to hate about Grand Junction and this school, I could also find everything to love about it.

Over the course of four years, I have learned a lot from CMU. However, I didn’t learn it from my classes. Sure, I can now identify every bone and major muscle in the body, and I can find the standard deviation of a set of numbers (a skill I’m sure I’ll use all the time in my adult life), but I also learned that the effort put forth equals the outcome – so starting to memorize the muscles of the leg the night before the exam won’t get you an A. I learned that it doesn’t matter if you only parked in a campus parking lot for five minutes, you’ll still get a ticket. I learned that underage drinking can get you fired even if you’re in another state on a camping trip. I learned that actually going to campus events and getting involved will help you more than sitting alone in your room crying every night.

I’ve had a blast writing this column every week, even though I’m sure many of you disagree about my thoughts on Tim Tebow and Tom Brady, and I’m sure the Rec Center won’t miss my rants about Zumba classes and availability for actual students. I now get to go join the real world, where I’ll have to worry about benefits and retirement plans, and won’t get student discounts anymore.

As much as I complain about the monotony of college, I know once I get to graduate school I’ll be wishing for these days to come back. I’ll miss CMU, and all of the experiences I’ve had here.

I’m “outta here.”