With less than two weeks remaining in the semester, some graduating this semester have begun planning their farewell.

Darcey Jimerson, senior speech pathology and audiology major, said she is looking forward to closing yet another chapter of her life after spending four and a half years at NIU.

“I’m looking forward to graduation, but there is still so much work to get done from now until then,” Jimerson said. “Finals are approaching quickly, and I still need to send out my resume. Right now, I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to get extra tickets for the ceremony because I have 10 people in my immediate family alone.”

Guest tickets are now available for the ceremony that will be held on the weekend of Dec. 12 at the Convocation Center. According to the Convo’s Web site, there is a limit of 10 tickets per graduation candidate. Adam Stone, director of Registration and Records, said he is unsure of how many students will graduate this December.

Jamaron Harris, another graduating senior and corporate communication major, said he is ready for something new.

“Words like ‘at last!’ and ‘finally!’ come to mind when I think about graduation,” Harris said. “I’m ready for graduate school and to start working in my field.”

Harris said he is also worried about finding a way to have all of his loved ones attend the commencement ceremony.

“I have 30 people in my immediate family who are all hoping to come, and they’re a pretty assertive bunch,” Harris said. “I’m the first one in my family’s generation to graduate from college, so it’s a pretty big deal.”

Electrical engineering major Matt Altendorf said he has also put in four and a half years of hard work in preparation for his future.

“I’m excited to start another big part of my life,” Altendorf said. “In January, I will start working full time for a prestigious engineering firm. It will be nice to start working in my field and making money.”