When history senior Liz Stevens sent in her December graduation application, she had one thought.

“I’m going to be done, and I’m going to be out of here,” Stevens said.

Stevens, along with about a thousand other students, will graduate at the close of the fall semester.

Although a set number of December graduates for this year hasn’t been determined, Becky Heeney, director of OU’s graduation office, said the figure would be comparable to the previous year’s count of 1,025 conferred degrees.

GPA and college break-out information are not yet available, but December graduates usually encompass a wide range of majors, Heeney said.

There are, however, a few differences between the fall and spring graduation periods. Most notably, commencement, the university-wide graduation ceremony, is held only at the end of the spring semester. Those who graduate in December or August still have an invitation to return to campus and attend the ceremony.

Each college holds convocations or recognition ceremonies for both December and May graduates. At these gatherings, each graduate will be recognized individually, have his or her picture taken and be presented a diploma cover by his or her college dean, Heeney said.

Stevens said she doesn’t plan to attend commencement or her convocation.

“I will have my diploma when I finish my last final, and that’s graduation for me,” Stevens said.

Women’s and gender studies senior Caitlin Campbell had a similar reaction upon handing in her graduation application.

“I thought ‘woo-hoo!’ I was already finished in May, but now I’m [truly] finished,” Campbell said. “I can’t wait to see my name on a diploma.”

Campbell, who is currently studying abroad in Arezzo, Italy, accumulated enough hours to graduate in May but decided to travel abroad as a bonus this semester.

“I have also previously taken two years of Italian at OU, so studying abroad in Italy seemed like an appropriate way to round out my OU career,” Campbell said.

The Atlantic Ocean will keep Campbell from attending her convocation, but she said the most important thing is knowing that she is a college graduate.

Both Stevens and Campbell have set plans for the future. Stevens will complete an internship in Rome during the spring semester, and Campbell plans to pursue a Master of Public Health degree at an undetermined institution.

Campbell, who will graduate summa cum laude, said OU has provided her with many opportunities and made her into a determined, more confident individual.

“I have met many amazing individuals at OU — professors, students, administrators, guest speakers and international students,” Campbell said. “Here, I learned that education is something that continues throughout the life span, and I will never stop learning.”