Last promotion ceremony

Each year at the end of the school year, my high school has one promotion/awards ceremony honoring all students, then a few days later the graduation/commencement for seniors. Since I'm now a senior, this was my last promotion.

Me (right) receiving a certificate from the headmaster (left)

Tonight were the senior presentations, where each senior described their experience with their respective internship or research project.

Delivering my presentation

Finally, all the seniors and many of the faculty went out to dinner. The food was delicious and we had a great time remembering all our experiences.

Finals over

Today I took my one and only final for this semester, Spanish Film & Literature. The test was easy, since the teacher gave us the essay prompt far in advance and supplied a dictionary for composing it.

This was the last high school final I had to take. The remaining days aren't academic at all - there's an athletic day, then the promotion/awards ceremony, then a while later the graduation. Promotion day also includes the Senior Project presentations. Once those are completed, it's smooth sailing through graduation.

Graduation!

Today was my Black Hawk College commencement! In the middle of the day, I left high school to attend the rehearsal, in which we learned how to line up and move around when appropriate. Later, I picked up my suit and returned home to put that on. Then it was time for the actual ceremony. Everything proceeded as expected, plus a handful of people who couldn't make it to the rehearsal. The speeches were pleasant and brief. For the degree-granting part, the trustees announced the name of each person as they walked across the stage.

Waiting in the seats

Now with diploma case (the diploma will be mailed)

To celebrate, my family and I went out to Culver's for some ice cream.

Preparing for graduation

Tomorrow is my Black Hawk College graduation - classes ended yesterday and grades are being worked on now. The afternoon has a rehearsal; the actual event is tomorrow night. After school (high school, that is), I'll pick up the suit to wear under the graduation gown, with plenty of time to return home to grab the cap and gown. All invitations are already given out. Exciting times!

AP exams over

Today I took the AP Statistics exam. I feel that it went well. More importantly, that was the last such test I will take. I am officially done with AP exams; my next college-credit-granting class will be an actual college class. Exciting times.

Nearing the end

The printer just spit out the first copies of the invitation to my college graduation next week, at which I will receive an AS. The practice run of high school Senior Project presentations are Thursday, as is my last AP exam. High school graduation is shortly after the real Senior Project event a few weeks later. In between, this month will be largely uneventful.

In general, things are getting ready to conclude. Then the next deluge of items to handle floods in: actual (four-year, UIUC) college registration, placement testing, no shortage of forms to fill out.

Decision is sealed

Today is May 1, College Decision Day. I already decided on a college - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign - but since the decision, a few more things are now handled. I successfully set up my internal credentials and institution e-mail account. (That makes five separate e-mail inboxes for me to check. I should consolidate these somehow.) I have applied for on-campus housing. My registration session, in which I will meet with an adviser and get registered for my first semester's classes, is a month away.

Meanwhile, graduation from Black Hawk College (with an Associate of Science) is only a couple weeks away. The graduation from my high school is two weeks after that.

Exciting times.