I don’t know about the program requirements for all Beyond the Elms readers or fellow bloggers out there, but I know that in order to graduate from my program, there are numerous requirements (such a terrifying word…requirement) I need to fulfill. One of these wondrous requirements being the *dun dun dun* Capstone! I’ve heard of this mythical creature from many fellow colleagues and friends who have had to take on this beast during their previous or current academic programs, however I’ve never come across it myself, until now.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Capstone, it is what they consider a culminating experience. That is where a student will combine the knowledge they have acquired during the course of the program, the learning experiences they have had, and prove their understanding of the theory and principles of your field. Basically, as I understand it, the capstone is an end project that outlines the competencies you have successfully mastered.

Granted I am only in my first semester of my program, as I look at the requirements of my Capstone and all I need to scrape together a surge of panic crawls over me every single time. It’s not that it looks hard by any means; it’s more of what it represents. I look at the Capstone outline and think to myself “how am I ever going to remember all of the competencies covered over a two year period!” It’s a little overwhelming, yes, overwhelming is a good word for it! I start to second-guess myself, to wonder if I am really cut out for this program, for graduate school life in general.

But then I get over it.

Because I’m in graduate school and that’s freaking awesome.

The point of my incredibly dramatic entrance was so that I can brag about the awesome time I had this weekend! One of the key requirements of the Capstone, as mentioned in my student handbook, is to attend a professional conference. Lucky for me, I happen to have a conference that I have already been attending every year since 2011. My personal main focuses of my studies are eating disorders and co-occurring disorders, which is why I have continued to be a loyal attendee at the Annual National Eating Disorders Association Conference.

Though I have enjoyed myself numerous years before, taking in all the information and finding areas that I am less aware of felt like a new treat this year. I’ve always been a student while attending, so why would this year feel any different? I think the difference this year is that I finally feel that I am going to be using the tools I am learning about in the near future. I feel that I can start to make a difference immediately in my environment and I can integrate these ideas into my professional degree, whereas in undergrad I knew I had more school left leaving me to feel that I couldn’t make much of a difference yet. Perhaps it is my change in location, being in Montana it was definitely a challenge to spread the message I was trying to send about the dangers of eating disorders and how common they actually are, but being in a much more populated area with open ears helps to make it feel like the information I am taking in isn’t going to waste inside of my brain.

Though the Capstone does still feel overwhelming at times, there are times where you get to take part in something that even though it’s a requirement, turns into an experience you will take with you forever.

Maybe my point from all this mumbo jumbo is that requirements don’t have to be scary.

Or maybe it’s that you can always put your own twist into your education.

Take from this whatever you need.