I did it. All final exams and presentations done. Opening appellant’s brief finished and filed. Final “group” written report that I ended up self-writing to about 13 pages of copy, 25 pages total with cover page/table of contents/appendices, riding the momentum from all that legal brief preparation.
What I feel most is accomplished. Dealing with full-time academic course loads all year while also self-representing a case through the appeal process has felt like running two mental marathons at the same time for 11 months straight. So much pressure and stress, all kinds of mental and emotional duress, all powered through to bring me to this moment in time when I can look back on them instead of having to actively live them.
Relatedly, the other major feeling I’m having is one of cathartic relief, like I finally have room to start being the “real” me again, not that myopically-focused forced stoic facade privately brimming with resentment and anxiety. I physically feel like magically I lost 15 lbs overnight, and my full capacity for a gratitude mindset has returned.
At this point, both matters are no longer future unknowns, they are now mostly-done. As the year winds down and the upcoming personal decade milestone of 2026 gets ever closer, I’m feeling confident and capable in driving my undergraduate studies and appeal case to their conclusion.