I was sitting in one of my 8:30 a.m. classes, and during a brief content transition interlude, I noticed an email notification. Curiously, I scanned the subject: "Psychology Application Status." I wondered if my peers could hear the sudden change in heart rate when an internal brawl broke out about whether I should open the email and satisfy my eagerness to see if my undergraduate academic journey would have an official title or if I should wait until I was in a space of more presence and safety, in case my fate encompassed rejection. In a spontaneous sweep, a motion unlike my usual thoughtfulness, I clicked the heading and was readily met with the joy of "Congratulations!"

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I did it! In the span of a few minutes, waiting for my professor to return to the lecture, I texted those close to me who would share my radiating relief and happiness. I texted my best friend, boyfriend, mom, dad, and former teachers. With exclamation points like oxygen, I encapsulated my excitement with enthusiastic punctuation and emojis. How do you convey the reassurance of sense of self with urgency? Moments later, I received numerous reciprocated messages of joy, and I sat with that academic high for the rest of my day. I did it. 

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To have longed for university since I could comprehend it, to drive my passions on the necessary assumption that I would find my place in my desired major someday, and to wait patiently for nearly 5 weeks to see if my years of anticipating this moment to occur would result in my favor was an emotional journey. The ability to erase the preface of "intended" when describing my studies to strangers and peers and family is liberating. I am a Psychology major, and I am holding on to this excitement for the rest of my academic career!