The Awkward Life of a December Grad

December graduations are as awkward as waving to that person you kind-of sort-of know in McLennan, but then having them ignore you. As awkward as screenshotting a text to send to your best friend, but then accidentally sending it back to the person you screenshotted. As awkward as someone leaving you hanging on a high-five. As awkward as… okay you get the point. Graduating in December is really freakin’ awkward because, no matter how many people finish at this time of year, it never feels like graduation. Only people who receive their degrees in December can relate to how weird it really is.

1) Trying to find a four-month lease

Turns out these don’t actually exist because, while people run away from Montreal’s brutal winters, not many people are trying to miss out on the reminants of Montreal summer and OAP. Finding a lease or sublet for September to December is virtually impossible. At some point that cardboard box outside of Provigo starts to look good. 

2) Having to consistently tell people you finish now 

Friend: “I can’t wait for Carnival, want to join my team?”

Me: “I told you a million times I finish at the end of the semester”

Friend: “But how? But why?”

3) Having all your friends leave early

Let’s be real, as soon as people write their last exam they’re out of here. Which means in the midst of trying to study for all of your own exams, you also need to make time to say bye to all your friends. Or they can just never leave you!

4) Trying to find a job 

Finding a job after graduation is already hard (shout out to my arts degree), but it is even worse in December/ January because no one recruits at this time of year. To my parents’ basement I go. Can’t wait to live with mom and dad again.

5) Having no one understand why you’re feeling feelings in the last class of the semester 

There was a time when you had to drag yourself out of bed and always rolled up to your class looking like trash, but then it hits you that you’ll never walk these badly lit halls (as a student) again. And then no one understand why you’re feeling so sentimental in December.

6) Going out with a fizzle rather than a bang

Oh I can only walk in Spring Convocaion? No, it’s cool; I’ll just wait until June… 

Regardless of when you graduate, though, saying goodbye to McGill is going to be hard.

Images obtained from:

http://www.hercampus.com/sites/default/files/2015/01/11/4252681931_c0401…

• awkward
• convocation
• December graduation
• fall semester
• graduation