Unexpectedly present

There are a lot of things I never really thought I’d do. If you told me when I was a freshman that one day I would write for The Stute, I wouldn’t have believed you. I never had any reason to be interested in the affairs of my high school, so why would I suddenly care what was going on in college? And moreover, why would I actually take the time to write about it? (Then again, when I was a freshman the only club I participated in was Choir because that’s all I did in high school.) Nevertheless, it would only be two short semesters before I began writing articles with only the smallest lead on how the newspaper worked. Just one short conversation with a halfhearted “you should join The Stute,” was all it took to get me writing for the rest of my college career.
When I was a Sophomore, I never thought I’d be at Stevens for 5 years. I had already decided not to do Co-op, and the idea that I might one day get my Masters was the farthest thing from my mind. But in Junior year, I realized I had so much more to learn and figure out before I was ready to leave Stevens. I signed up for the 4+1 program, and now I’m on the verge of completing my Masters.
Not only that, but if you had told me when I was a Junior that I would be a Teaching Assistant for the Design courses, I wouldn’t have believed you either. How could I possibly teach student material that I barely understood? A wise man once told me, “you never understand material better than when you have to teach it.” So now I assist with teaching Engineering Design 2 and 3.
When I was a Senior, just one short year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to guess where I am now. Nothing major changed – I’m still doing all the things I used to do; no new clubs or occupations. But things are changing. Quickly. Every day brings me closer to graduation, closer to the Real World. I have no idea what to expect. And I’m not ready for it. Not yet. But then again, I don’t think I’ve been ready for anything a day in my life, and look where I am now.