A month or two ago an email was sent around from the University of Southampton to students theoretically eligible for graduation this year, a category that includes myself. There has been much discussion amongst my fellow Southamptonites about whether to go or not. While I'm still not 100% decided either way, I'm having strong leanings towards not going.
First of all, I'll give a brief rundown on why graduation is just finally rolling around. I distinctly recall that at UW, if you are a master's student writing your thesis over the summer you are allowed to partake in the June commencement ceremony. But here, alas, not so much. I mean, not only was the dissertation (we say thesis, they say dissertation) not due until December, but the school still hasn't decided if we have passed or not. Being one of the lucky few who had reason to write emails to the department asking about these things, I learned that no outcomes would be known until the department meets with some board, well, tomorrow. After this they will known who has passed, who has passed with distinction, and who failed miserably. If I had not had reason to email and ask about these things, I would have been sitting around since December waiting for some sort of clue about whether I had passed or not, which in my mind is a bit ridiculous. Anyways, so on this account I am not that impressed with the University.
Then there is what graduation entails. As I've mentioned previously, the University does about 100 small graduation ceremonies instead of one that covers 90% of students as they did at UW. And to make it an equal hassle to everyone, none of them are on weekends. The email sent around in fact did not even tell us when our graduation would be or if we would be able to go to the ceremony with other people in our department. We were just told that if you want to participate, RSVP as quickly as possible and they'll let you know when you graduate then. Oh, and that aside from actually graduating on that day, you would also have to pick up your gown, get bad pictures taken in the library while getting in the way of all the people just trying to work on their dissertations, and then pick up the tickets for your ceremony (you get two guest tickets and two only, even if you don't want any and someone else wants three so grandma can come), and then actually go the ceremony. That sounds a bit excessive. It sort of makes me want to protest the whole thing.
Mark made a grand effort and RSVPed to the ceremony, figuring he could cancel if need be as no money had to be handed over. The ceremony is on a Monday. Late morning or early afternoon or something. In July. I can't speak for most of the department, but some on the Anglo types have been put under some general pressure on the parental front to attend. So then I've gotten a bit of, well wouldn't it be fun if everyone was back in Southampton for a day for graduation. And I'm like, a) my parents aren't going to go so my audience tickets would be unused, b) I would have to spent something like £30 to rent the outfit that doesn't even include a nice little hat, c) pay £25 for a train ticket to get to Southampton, d) pay some varying amount of money for pictures of myself wearing said rented outfit to prove I went, and e) take a day off work when I don't really have any to spare. Some people are planning on calling in sick that day (Mark Turner, I'm talking to you), but I've never really been able to pull that off.
In conclusion, going to graduation would be timely, detail oriented and costly. And aside from peer pressure, there's no reason to go. Am I missing something? Is there some deep-routed issue that I'm failing to grasp that should make me want to go?
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5 comments:
i think someone really doesnt want to go!
its so not impressive that we have had no communication from the school with an expected results date other than late march/early april which is a little too vague! the gap between finishing and graduating is also bizare!
regarding graduation i guess you graduate in your department - i can see the pros and cons of graduating with the whole year - like it would get a tad boring to watch a load of randoms graduating - but after 3/4 years of undergrad i guess you would know most people in your subjects year group which makes it a more personal ceremony. though i guess the biggest factor is that universities in the UK dont have the facilities to hold all the ceremonies in one place unless they hire out external venues.
my brothers graduation was even more random he graduauted in the universities chapel which they'd graduauted people in since back in the day so the guests had to watch on a widescreen TV from a seperate hall although part of the building - like you can argue for and against that too though i think my parents were a little negative about it!
think i will go though as it should be a good day - graduate, some drinks and food get some silly photos though ive never pulled a sicky before so i'm not sure if i can do it either!
Well, darling daughter, you are so one of us. Your dad and I each have two degrees, and have never participated in a graduation ceremony. We were quite pleased to attend your and your bros undergrad ceremonies, though. I really do think the ceremony is for the family to watch, and not for the one graduating. You are correct in that we won't be attending, so I agree, why go?
Those anglos whose parents helped them in any way get through school, are bursting with pride, and live in the same country as the graduate, should definitely go through the ceremony! Don't get me wrong--we are bursting with pride, etc., but just can't attend.
I didn't go to my graduation for my bachelor's and I totally don't regret it. It was way too much of a pain in the ass to even be considered, and I didn't need anyone to hand me an empty diploma thingy to tell me that I was finished. I just wanted out of there.
I think it's all right to be honest with yourself about how you feel about this. After all, you've already participated in at least two big graduations (not including all of the times you had to go for band.) You know what they're like. If you don't need a bunch ceremony to tell you that you're done, then you might as well have a nice dinner in London, buy a frame for your diploma, and call it good.
I don't have enough faith in the University to ever actually receive an actual diploma from them. Perhaps if I pester them enough they'll send me a signed letter stating I've completed, but I won't hold my breath.
I went to my undergrad graduation. I don't feel the need to do it again. My parents in their usual sappy "we want to do what you want to do/we just want you to be happy" rubbish leaves the field wide open for me to not go. I don't see why I should waste total £100+time off work to go to another graduation at Southampton. I may just spend the £100 on chocolate and take the day off anyway. Maybe do something fun? A theme park perhaps?
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