Like many who are going through their last week of classes, soon I will be among MSU alumni.

That feels weird to put into print.

While my experience here has not been traditional — I’m a grad student, I don’t live in East Lansing and I have only had class in a total of two different buildings on campus — I can confidently say coming to MSU was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Even after I was accepted into MSU’s graduate journalism program, I didn’t plan on enrolling. It was hard to justify leaving a paying job — even if it wasn’t one I particularly liked — to spend tens of thousands of dollars on more school. While I say it was the best decision I’ve ever made, it was also the hardest.

But I talked myself into it. I tried to avoid worrying about the daunting tuition bills to come and I pushed aside the fact that I grew up in Ann Arbor as a huge University of Michigan sports fan.

What I really did, just like everyone else who is about to become Spartan alumni has done, was grow up.

I found the field I loved and I made a run for it. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?

Even though I still can’t be sure it’ll work out (the field of journalism is far from booming at the moment), I wouldn’t change a thing.

And from talking with classmates and colleagues, that seems to be the attitude of almost all soon-to-be Spartan alumni.

That’s because there is so much to be excited about as a graduating Spartan. This is as good of a time to graduate from MSU as there has ever been.

Many of our academic programs consistently rank No. 1 in the nation or close to it. Our campus is beautiful, its people are inclusive and open-minded and even our sports teams have had unparalleled success in recent years.

Now, the class of 2015 gets to go out and explore a world with nearly a half million other MSU alumni. Having such a significant network to support its new graduates is one of the biggest perks to being a Spartan. After all, Spartans stand together.

I almost didn’t come to East Lansing, and just thinking about that frightens me. The last two years of my life have been the best of my life because of this school.

The opportunities I’ve gotten to pursue, and the students and faculty I’ve had the privilege to work with will stick with me for the rest of my life.

At first, I was very reluctant to come here. Now, I don’t ever want to leave. It’s amazing how two years at the best college in the world can change you.