He Shed his Scales, to Find the Snake Within · 7:41pm Jun 24th, 2018
Well, fuck it. I've been trying to make this funny or witty or something, but I just couldn't make it. There's no angle. So just -- fuck it, y'all are getting the raw unfiltered thing.
I've graduated.
I have succesfully managed to get two degrees in higher education at age 23. Law, and Business Management. Top university of Spain, by most rankings (some place it second or third). I also speak three languages but, between you and me, that was sort of an accident I had along the way. Like wetting the bed but more linguistic, if you catch my drift?
Honestly, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull off the hat trick. I only managed to reach university because I got a grant every year -- I don't exactly come from a wealthy family, y'see? Kind of the opposite. So, moment I failed one class? I would need to drop out. Almost immediately. I just wouldn't be able to afford living away from my family AND paying tuition fees AND eating. "Eating." Sometimes I don't. Ya get me.
But, against all odds, I bullshitted my way to here.
So.
The last assignments I had were two final essays for each degree -- the Business Management one was bullshit, and the Law one was supposed to be 30 pages max. So I wrote 85 pages on a topic my teachers knew nothing about, and they sort of love it because, fuck, at least it was original. More important: it was well-written.
Never fucking underestimate how useful it is to know how to write in a legible way, man. Most teachers rated me super high scores because my essays weren't a drag, and the tribunal literally accepted 50 extra pages of bullshit on my part, because, and I quote, "it was fun to read." The professors in charge of my degree liked "the imagery of the essay" because "it was as if I were in the battles myself".
Fucking lord of the ring'd my way to a Law degree, apparently? I don't know.
I had lunch with one of the professors after all that went out. He liked my writing, wanted to ask if I did it as a hobby or so. We hit it off, it was neat. We're buddies now -- I think? Seems like it -- and he's promised he'll send me some of his poetry so I can give him my sincere opinion. Another teacher -- my tutor -- is asking me if I want to become a professor in History of the Law myself. Here's this scholarship, here's what you'd do, here's how I'd help blahblah. Essentially, I'd be his protégé or something.
So, hey. That's two surefire letters of recommendation I just got from one essay. Not bad! I do wonder, though, if I'm cut for academia. I dunno if I can get that far, to be honest. I got lost on the way to my office twice in a row last week. That'd be impressive enough, but you gotta understand -- my office is on top of a tower.
Like, I just have to ride an elevator. Go in, press the '9' button, wait till the voiceover says THIS IS THE 9TH FLOOR. I heard it say THIS IS THE 6TH FLOOR and I went right, this is the 9th one, that's probably how numbers work.
And then again with the 8th. In a row.
So, like, yeah. Academia, I unno if I'm ready for you, or if you're ready for me. I'm good at bullshitting my way through stuff, dunno how useful THAT will be. In the meantime, I'm working my way through an internship but I don't know if they'll hire me. It's a cool place, though -- I mostly translate stuff, do market research, and write speeches whenever they need someone to, well, give a speech. Pretty much anybody can do my job, though, so hm.
People around me keep telling me I could aim to be a judge or a prosecutor or a notary or whatchagot. Public service, ya get me. I don't know if I'm smart enough for that either, but at least we know I can probably study without killing myself. Six years through hell I've been; I can handle another two.
Options, options. This is the terrifying thing about finishing your studies -- suddenly, you're not a student anymore. You need to learn what to do with your life.
(I'm getting a master's degree, though, that's for sure. Maybe a lawyer's license just in case.)
And that's it! There's no other point to this blog. Fuck you. I'm just happy at the moment, trying to internalize that holy shit, man. I made it. Graduation ceremony will be this Friday, and my family will be there, so that will be fun.
And then, unno. Something something, into the next adventure. I'll have time to write again. More content coming here yaaay. These last few weeks of work -- shit, these last few MONTHS -- have been rather hectic, but shit, I've made it. My professor unironically congratulated me, during that supper. "Congratulations, you're officially part of the country's intellectual elite."
Bit of an overstatement, but I'll take what I can get. I can finally relax, after so many years. I keep hearing about the existential dread of not knowing what to do with your life, and I'm sure it'll be a pain in the ass to try to look for a job in this economy (remember, I'm Spanish). But, to be honest?
I think I could get used to this.
It's rather nice.
Thanks for sticking with me through all this bullshit, guys. I don't know what's a-comin, but here's to it being good. We can really only go up from here.
Congrats on those essays, sounds really impressive!
Oh, uh, the Law assignment was on the Haitian Revolution of 1791, and its effects over French, and Latin American and US constitutionalism. Case you were wondering.
I didn't describe any battles though? I sorta just said they happened. Guess I did paint some scenes with a bit of a literary flair, though, because that is literally the only way to write 85 pages on the Haitian Revolution without your brain bursting into flames in self-defense.
EDIT: Motherfucker. I didn't get first post in my own blog post. Now it looks like I'm insecure about the first post not asking about it and also I don't know how replies work. God dammit.
Congratulations! That was honestly impressive and humbling.
No jokes here, just me being sincerely happy and in awe.
Congratulations on joining the intellectual elite. I'd offer you a complimentary room in a nice ivory tower, but real estate these days is pretty crazy, so you'll have to settle with half an apartment like the rest of us.
Do you even need to ask?
My sister is actually studying abroad in Seville right now. You have my blessing if you are so inclined to go seduce her.
You peaked when you wrote the highest rated story on FimFiction.net, and none of these accomplishments match that glory of your teenage years.
You should become a vore enthusiast with your dual degrees.
Congratulations on the degrees!
Wow. Congratulations. May you soar ever higher.
Spend your life becoming a brony judge just because it will make me smile
Good job, Aragon! Makes me want to finish up school myself.
Good luck, m8.
Congrats, dude!
Good on you, enjoy the ceremony, and best of luck with whatever follows.
Congrats dude! Here's to many more successes!
Gaudeamus igitur Iuvenes dum sumus, man!
Congrats on surviving.
Degree inflation is a bit of thing nowadays so go get yourself a master's just in case.
Academia is... an interesting experience. Hit me up sometime and I can share war stories.
(Not being able to get to your office with fewer than three tries is not a problem there, though. Almost a bonus, really.)
Congratulations! Sounds like you have a lot of different roads stretching out before you. Definitely preferable to the alternative. Whichever one you choose, best of luck.
Congratulations on your graduation. I recently graduated myself, so I have similar feelings about bullshiting a way through and an uncertain future.
Get out!
Congratulations!
This is fantastic! Congratulations on all of your success. It's a great beginning.
I'm imagining you talking in court exactly like you do in your weirder blog posts, winning trials by overwhelming the jury with your sheer Aragon-ness, and the image won't leave my head. The future's so fucking bright, I gotta wear shades.
Congratulations, man.
Congrats. May fortune smile upon you while on your journey
4889054
I always end up in an office on my first try when I go on campus to work. I consider that to be a sufficient level of competence for my academic career.
4889068
Well, yeah. I mean not managing an office might be a problem. You need a power plug and some Internet, surely, but if you are in a place with both, wherever that place may be, I figure that's sufficient. And, hey, maybe the students don't find you there. Bonus!
Few people can say this. :D You deserve it.
You truly are a gentleman and a scholar. Congratulations!
Congratulations!
I graduated in Italy about...three years ago? So I can imagine the kind of position you're in.
And I gotta tell, it's all easy living from here on out ;-P
Nothing is as stressful as studying in university; at work, at least you can clock out.
Congraduations! (I couldn't believe nobody had made the obvious punmonteau yet.)
Let's see... Brilliant writer skilled at BSing his way through things, but couldn't find his office with both hands and a map? And forgets to eat? Are you certain you're not a professor already?
Then again, bamboozling the heck out of your audience in the courtroom sounds like it would be a sight to behold.
Also, the fact that your epic-length essay was so well-received despite going way over-length is amazing. But given what we've seen on this website, I can't really say I'm surprised you pulled it off.
Congrats!
Congrads on your degrees! I'm still two years away from mine and I already feel the future breathing down my neck like some kind of socially-unaware giraffe. I gotta say, I think I both can and cannot picture you as a lawyer, but that confusion doesn't mean I wouldn't give an arm and a leg to see it anyways.
Congratulations! Since you're Spanish, and know three languages, there's plenty of opportunities in Latin America where they need intellectual people to help solve their problems. More options that way. Plenty of ways to die a millionaire.
So the takeaway here is that spending countless hours learning to write about colorful horses is actually a useful skill and not just a frivolous waste of time?
Anyone who says otherwise can get dunked on.
Ho ho, you've made a dark bargain! You graduated sure, but now you're going to have to edit his stuff. Hopefully he doesn't also write fanfiction.
Grats, dude!
Congratulations!
In my experience, this is about 90% of professional life.
Holy Jesus fuck that's amazing.
Sincere congratulations.
i.pinimg.com/736x/10/05/d3/1005d34b58559052b8c845b9da082810--life-in-hell-vintage-comics.jpg
But congratulations anyway!
Congrats, Ara.
Daaaaamn, Aragon, nice job. I've had... about three more years than you and I'm still working toward a degree because I'm terrible at being a student.
Anyway, I wish you luck getting to your office - eventually either you'll figure it out or you'll at least get lost consistently enough that you can say "Oh yeah, that's just always how I go to my office." Kind of like how there's a certain pole that I have a tendency to walk into despite knowing perfectly well where it is.
In pretty sure that's a required qualification for academia.
Congratulations!
NO! DON'T ACTIVATE MURPHY'S LAW!
In all seriousness, congratulations. I'm beginning my six year hell.
From the sound of things, you're probably smarter than you give yourself credit for. Sincere congratulations. Enjoy the view.
Hey, congratulations!
Welcome to the world of the grown up. That weird existential "now what?" feeling never goes away, but you get used to it.
Congrats m8, keep at it.
Well, congratulations! That's great!
Congrats! It's so weird hearing you be proud of your accomplishments. You did awesome!
This is the part where you send him "A Train on fire full of Orphans"
Brava
I honestly find you incredibly impressive I watched the same damn show and I never learned another language, granted the show is in english so no need, but there are several french cartoons and comics I'd like to watch and read but I just can't.
Not only can you speak and write fluently in another language but your a damn author and a better one than I could ever hope to be, and that's not even saying anything about your accomplishments of this blog.