EXTRA EXTRA: Lauren O’Neil Grows up (just a little bit)

Grrreetings M’Ladypimps and Stud McMuffins!

I’m back from my brief hiatus and hereby do solemnly swear to start posting again daily(ish).

Yesterday was my last day of school. Not for the semester. Not for the year. FOR LIFE.

Okay, maybe not for life – the PhD is always a possibility, I suppose, and I will be taking many a course in the future to upgrade my skills/meet hot professor boys (hello French language training 101! hello intermediate Flash development! hellloooo improv!), but I think that this might be it as far as my “full time university student” career goes.

Whoodathunk that a girl who uses words like “whoodathunk” would land herself a Masters degree?

<

Today’s been like a sort of weird, hazy dream. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet that the most intense year of my life is over.

I’ve been trolling around the house all spacey-like for the past few hours, tidying things, doing laundry – getting caught up on all of the junk that tends to get neglected during exam time.

Sleeping in past 8:00am today was just delicious. Better than a slice of candy pizza dipped in awesome sauce, I tell you hwwwhat.

Maybe I’m feeling a bit wonky because I was partying with beloved cronies until 5:00am last night… but I think it’s probably more than that.

I can’t really put my finger on what I’m feeling. All I can say is that it’s a terribly strong emotion.

I feel like I should cry, but I can’t. I want to be joyous and celebratory, but can’t feel that way either.

Emotional paralysis. Limbo. I feel so ‘Lauren circa 2006′ writing like this right now. Did you know that I used to be a bit of an emo-kid? A cam-pic happy emo-kid, at that…

*hangs head in shame*

I think that later, I will drive out to the one of the lakes with Deja Entendu blaring on repeat. That always does the trick. Something about driving – especially out in the country – is so cathartic for me. And Brand New never fails to choke me up. One of my favourite bands of all time, for sure. I’ve been crying to this album since I was 17. (I told you I was an emo).

“Coordinate brain and mouth. Then ask me whats it like to have myself so figured out. I wish I knew…”

Ummm anyways, we had to write a “self reflection” about our experiences this year for one of our professors.

I’m not going to bore you with the entire thing, but for this, my very last J-School post, I would like to share my “list of lessons learned” during the time I spent in the MAJ program at Western.

This is list is, by no means, comprehensive – are lists of this kind EVER complete? I was seriously tempted to add “doing stories about homeless people or cripples who do art therapy will land you an A+ at UWO’s J-School” but I refrained…

Lauren’s Life Lessons v. Western Journalism, 2010

• Having good comrades can make even the toughest of battles seem easy.
• The more you kill babies, the easier it gets.
• Stories can be found everywhere once you know how to look for them.
• Nobody is too big or important to talk to a reporter. You never know who you might land an interview with if you just give it a try.
• Haters gon’ hate.
• My nerdy skillset is more unique and valuable in the wild world of news than I had ever realized .
• Blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking and good ol’ fashioned schmoozing can pay off BIG TIME when it comes to making connections and landing jobs. Whoodathunkit?
• Put yourself out there as much as possible. You may eventually be discovered by someone who matters.
• Shelling out $18 for UWO business cards was the best investment I made all year long.
• Never turn down a good opportunity, even if you’re tired and busy.
• The losers are the cool kids and the cool kids are the losers. That’s the truth.
• True friendships aren’t formed over beers at bars.
• I need to be creative and social every day in order to be happy.
• A fun and fulfilling career is more important to me than a lucrative one.
• The best work is produced when one is passionate about what they’re working on.
• Spending a Saturday night playing around with audio can be a lot more fun than going out to a club.
• It is humanly possible to live without cable, but I would never want to do it again.
• Having a car and a blackberry should never be taken for granted. I’m a lucky, lucky girl.
• My parents are amazing people. I would be nothing without their unfledgling support, encouragement, and badass genes.
• TV news is mindless and uninteresting.
• I would rather be known for my words than my face.
• Some people are just jerks.
• Sometimes, I’m a jerk.
• Being yourself will take you a lot further than acting like who you think others want you to be.
• It’s hip to be geeky.
• I’m pretty good at business writing and I like it a lot too. I’m just as surprised by this as I’m sure you are.
• I’d rather be odd but memorable than safe and unremarkable.
• “later” will come eventually. Spend time with those you care about while you have the chance.
• Sometimes, the grown-ups are wrong.
• Sometimes, you need to trust your gut and go for what you believe in.
• Sometimes, you just have to grin and roll with the punches.
• It is possible for stories to be entertaining and journalistic at the same time.
• Deadlines can be blessings.
• London, Ontario is a wicked city that I love and am going to miss very much.
• I’m intelligent enough to earn a Masters Degree
• My right eye starts to twitch uncontrollably when I sleep 2 hours a night for 3 weeks straight.
• Kindness is one of the greatest virtues a person can have.
• I have an “unconventional writing style” for news – but apparently, this is as a positive thing.
• There is always going to be somebody out there who’s better than you.
• People behave in certain ways for certain reasons.
• Consider the source of both criticism and praise.
• Be careful about what you post on the internet.
• Volunteer when you can, but know where to draw the line so you don’t over exert yourself.
• I can produce a rap song AND a rap video, legit!
• Anything is possible if you put the effort forth. It really, truly is.

Love, Lauren O’Neil, B.A. (Hons), M.A.

(amd I promise that you will NEVER see me write those letters behind my name again. Sa-ha-hoooo douchebaggy.)