thoughts
Parting Shots 2001
(or, some of what I learned this year)
To begin with, a little history.
"Parting Shots" was a way that I could give myself something of a web-based "time capsule". I got the idea from Ricky, who started a semester-based version in the fall of 1997. The first "Parting Shots" was written in 1998, and has become something of an annual tradition around this time of year.
However, given the fact that I am about to leave college, it's not going to make much sense to write "Parting Shots" during May anymore. However, this is one of my favorite features on pressing on..., because of the "time capsule" effect. So I want to keep it around. For that reason, after this edition, I'm going to start writing "Parting Shots" around the end of the calendar year instead of the school year. And I'll probably write another edition at the end of this year. After all, I'm about to make some big changes in my life...surely I'll learn something between now and 2002. :)
Another thing. This is a momentous occasion for me. College has been the life I've known for the past six years. To mark the occasion appropriately, I've included not only parts of what I've learned this past year, but what I've learned over college altogether. As a result, this "Parting Shots" will have its own permanent place in the thoughts section. As you've probably noticed, my thoughts are arranged by mood. The features in this section range over a gamut of emotions and moods, so it doesn't fit very well in just one section. Thus a subdirectory of its own.
I hope that you enjoy reading this. I've enjoyed living it. The experience was great. I've surely missed some things, so this section may be added to a little over time.
So without further ado, I present "Parting Shots" 2001.
tips to college freshmen - excerpts from 140 tips written during my freshman year at the University. Originally intended for some of my friends back home, many of whom will be graduating this year as well. I updated some of them a little bit, but for the most part they're exactly as written back in 1995 and 1996. They reflect my writing style back then. It's the whole "time capsule" thing again.
senior night 2001 speech - more or less what I said for my Senior Night address at the BCM.
lessons - a look at some of the lessons I've learned over the previous five years. By no means an exhaustive list. Leads into...
this year's parting shots - some of what I learned this year.