As you can tell by my lack of posts yesterday, I was at my sister's belated graduation ceremony. She had just gotten her bachelor's degree at 38. Do you have any stories of graduation, either from high school or college? (Or for the young set, any school?) Did you turn your tassels of throw your caps in the air? Was there someone that stood out as far as making a fool of his (her) self? (Eg: Tripping as they walked to the podium.) Add anything else if you like. ;D 8)

Sadly we don't graduate from school or college in the U.K,only from University.

My graduation was quite nice.  My older sister didn't graduate, so I was the only child that did.  My mom spoiled me rotten. ;D

We marched into the stadium in boy/girl pairs in alphabetical order.  I got to march and sit next to an absolutely gorgeous man.  It was not easy to concentrate.  And he was nice to boot, not stuck on himself like most of the other guys in my class.  It was a great day.

Graduation day was so much fun and very memorable for me. Lots of sad goodbyes and lots of tears and "we'll stay in touch" platitudes. There was the thrill that a new life was about to begin and the excitement of college was just around the corner, which meant "Freedom"!!!  :) I don't remember anyone making a fool out of themselves at my graduation, fortunately.  ;D

I didn't have a high school graduation ceremony because I messed up, so I'll tell you about my 8th grade graduation. I was sitting in the back row with almost all my friends, and we would not shut up through the whole ceremony! Then we had to stand up to sing "Lean On Me". Don't ever try to get 150 8th graders to sing a song. Half of us weren't singing, and the other half sounded horrible! It was a lot of fun and we weren't too sad because we were all going to the same high school, so we knew we would see each other again.

I never finished high school either (long story), but our junior high school had a graduation ceremony simply because it was in the same building as the elementary school, and everyone had known each other for 8 (or more) years.

There was one teacher, (Mr. "D", I'll call him) who was hated and reviled by all.  He would humiliate the boys in class, reavealing embarrasing secrets, and would make suggestive comments to the girls in private.  He would promise students with failing grades that he would pass them for the term if they would do "extra credit projects" usually involving washing his car or other menial chores.  Then he would not give out the passing grade.  He was attending college at night, and (we found out later) would give all of us the assignments he had been given.  Our due date would be a week before his, and he would take the best from all our work, re-type it, and hand it in as his work.

On graduation night, several of the boys snuck out of the hall during the teachers' speeches, and trashed this man's car.  And I do mean trashed.  They let all the air out of his tires, slashed them to ribbons, broke all his mirrors and shattered his windshield.  They flung paint all over the body, and dumped "used" catlitter in through the hole left  by the windshield.  They sugared his gas tank, and did something to the engine ( I'm not sure what).  They all managed to sneak back into the hall just before everyone was called up one by one for their diplomas.

The girls all had a part, too.  Once proof was obtained of his cheating on his assignments, the girls mailed out anonymous copies of it, plus complaints of his behavior in the locker-rooms to all the other teachers, the principal, and several influential parents.  The mailing was timed so that people would get the letters they day after graduation.

After they ceremony, Mr D. was (naturally) p****ed off.  He wanted the diplomas revoked from everyone who was involved. Every one knew who did it, but no one would talk.  Next morning, at the staff meeting to determine what punishment would be meted out, and to whom, the letters arrived.

Mr. D. was "asked to leave" his employment at the school.  The proof of his cheating was sent along to his professors, and he was tossed out.

We all got a severe talking to after the fact; after all such property damage is illegal.  But since then, that particular school has taken complaints much more seriously.  (From both teachers AND students).

My high school graduation was at 7:00 PM on a Thursday evening in 106 degree weather.  Prior to Graduation (lunchtime or so) I was over at my friend's house hanging out and sipping on Amaretto & Coke, then went and bought a couple of cases of beer later that afternoon for post ceremony celebrations.  During the ceremony (I think it was during the Principal's speech) the guy nominated "Life of the Party" got out some inflatable beach balls and soon they were bouncing all over the assembly.  The line leader in front of me (one of the teachers) grabbed one of them and had to hold on to it, and she hated to do that b/c she was one of the cool teachers.

After the ceremony I went home and hung out with my family for a little bit until my friends picked me & the beer I had stashed in my car and we ended up getting a room at one of the nice resorts in town.  I was driven home around 2:30 a.m by a friend who had not been drinking, and was singing the songs on the radio all the way home.

Ironically the resort we stayed at happened to be at the same place as my 10-year reunion...I didn't drink as much that time...

So, did anything happen or did you just get your diploma or whatever you get? ???

Quoting:
Sadly we don't graduate from school or college in the U.K,only from University.
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So I assume the legal drinking age wasn't 21 yet? ???

Quoting:
Sadly we don't graduate from school or college in the U.K,only from University.
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I graduated in 1976, the BiCentennial year.  Picture: patiotism and our graduation gowns...AAACCCKKK!!!

Was your prom theme, "America, the Beautiful"? ;)

Quoting:
I graduated in 1976, the BiCentennial year.  Picture: patiotism and our graduation gowns...AAACCCKKK!!!
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I graduated in 1989..and of course......it STORMED (as I posted b-4..that I am scare to death of!!!!!)!!  Hail, fire and brimstone!!  The two honor students did not get to speak....our motarboards (sic) fell limp...the blue dye from our gowns bled all over our clothes, and we were rushed in and rushed out...btw we WERE outside!!  In a stadium made of METAL!!  with lightening popping everywhere!!  268 drowned rats...that is what we looked like....all those years waiting and waiting....and our big night was RUINED!!   But it is one thing that my entire class (can now) laugh about...

I graduated from college in December, and it was the greatest experience of my life.  The best part was actually seeing all of my hard work and dedication pay off...now if I can only find a job.  Graduating college is the easy part...finding a job is tricky.  

Nothing too out of the ordinary happened.  I was sitting very close to the stage and I saw about ten people trip up/down the stairs, but nothing else really happened.  The worst part about it was that the class of 2001/Dec. was the largest graduating class in my University's history.  So, the ceremony lasted about three hours.  The whole time I was STARVING.  All of my family came to see me, and we were all planning to go out to eat Mexican after the ceremony.  (I am addicted to Mexican food.) The minutes seemed to last for days.  

All graduations are bitter-sweet in some way.  It's a time for a new chapter in your life to begin and also a time to close an old chapter.  I miss college so much.  I can't wait to get my Master's degree.  My High School friends laugh at me.  They remember how much I hated school, now they can't believe I want to go back.  I guess I've grown up a lot...we all have to at some point. ;)

That didn't cross my mind. But LOL anyway. :D

Quoting:


::) For a moment I thought you were referring to illegal substance use  ;D LMAO  ;D  ::)

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We did the whole tassel turning thing when we graduated.  We also had some kids (myself included) that the "big thing" was to put something on your graduation cap.  Some people made words with masking tape (my favorite...one girl wrote "Now What??").  The idea was that everyone watching the ceremony could read what was written.  A friend wrote her boyfriend's name, others just wrote "90 Rulz"..stuff like that.  I put a happy face pin on my cap, (it was a joke between myself and my parents) after the, I believe I've been reminded before, the California Doll from GLOW wrestling.
Other than that, we all left the ceremony, went home, changed clothes, and my friends and I had rented a hotel room here in town to go and "party".  Now I wasn't (and aren't) a big drinker, which was the point of the room, I guess...but we all just kind of hung out, listened to music, and talked about how we wouldn't have to go back to school again..LOL!  ;)  I remember there was a guy I had such a crush on..we invited him and he came down, but shortly thereafter the room got a noise complaint, so I left, took him, and we drove to the beach for like 3 hours.  Honestly, we just talked..and surprise of surprises in this small town, cops pulled up and didn't do anything.  Normally if they saw a guy and a girl parked down there they'd ask us to "keep moving", no matter what was (or wasn't!) going on, but lucky for us, Dave's hair was longer than mine, so I think they thought we were both girls, so they didn't say anything, they "kept moving"!  ;D  Needless to say, I was too shy to do anything about our "quiet time", and even as we sat in his driveway and stared at each other for another 10-15 minutes, all I got were some fine pictures of this gorgeous guy in my car... :'(
Boring, hunh??  My only other thrill was coming in at 6 am and peeking in at my younger sister, whose alarm was going off, and say "I just got home...you have to go to school now...and I don't!!!"  LOL! :D

My HS graduation was awesome.  There was a guy who had to stay back a year in our class 'cause he missed out on one credit.  He ended up streaking the football field during our ceremony while the Victorian was giving the speak, she knew it was coming.  If he would have got caught, we had the money to bail him out of jail.  

So many graduations...all of them uneventful :-/

I did get to nap during my graduations though 8)

elementary school graduation: don't remember much, except that we sang some song i hated.  i think it was "one moment in time."  i never bothered to learn the words to the song; i lip-synced.  lmao.  all the parents cried of joy, i nearly cried because i hated the song with such a passion at the time.  it doesn't bother me any more, it just brings back memories i'd rather not remember.  heh.

middle school graduation: PARENTS NOT INVITED!  (that means no embarassing pictures to come back and kick me in the a$$.   ;D )  it was amusing.  some students spoke, then two teachers who were retiring spoke, and then there was yearbook signing.  afterwards, a dance.  sure, the music was trash (two hours of rap), but it was fun all the same.  basically, my friends and i hung out with our german teacher.  it was more like a free-for-all than a graduation.  however, it had its sad moments...like when it finally set in that i wouldn't have my one teacher anymore.  (he taught me for three years; i miss his class... :( )  but it was still great.  :)

The only thing I remember about my graduation is that my class had 6 Ashleys... and every single one of them had "elizabeth" as her middle name. You can tell how interested I was in being there...

When I got my bachelors degree we went to a big hall near to the uni.  My mum, dad, husband and in-laws were there.

Each course group went up one-by-one and tipped their mortar-board then shook hands with someone (forget his exact title, not the Chancellor) and then stepped of the platform to line up and collect a certificate.

I was the only one of my course graduating that day, so I get to go on the stage by myself, tip my hat and shake hands etc.  Then I get to the desk for my certificate and they didn't have one for me  :'(  They said they didn't know I was coming to the ceremony.  Turns out I shouldn't have graduated because the wrong examiner had signed my results sheet!  Took them 5 months to sort it out.

I think the funniest thing about Graduation was seeing some of the picutures later on of people as they were handed their diplomas.  At my school, there was a camaraman just to the side of where they did the presentation that snapped pictures of people.  It was funny because some people expected the picture, others had no clue what was going on.

Oh yeah, most of my class started singing the chorus of "Hip Hop Hooray" too after the ceremony was over.

The only thing I truly remember about my graduation is that I received a standing ovation when I got my diploma!

I graduated in a class of only 10 people and yet they somehow managed to drag the ceremony out to an almost unbearable amount of time.  I missed being Valedictorian by 1 point but that was okay because then I didn't have to give a speech. :)  All in all it was pretty uneventful.  I went home with my dad and grandparents and pretty much just stayed there.
BUT...the next year when my step-sister graduated,  I made up for not getting to go out.   I went by her house for awhile, told my step-mom I was going home, told my dad I was staying there, borrowed some clothes and ended up at the river with about 50 other people.  The seniors from the year before were in charge of getting the "refreshments" and I got totally and completely plastered!!  It probably didn't help that my ex-boyfriend was there with his new girlfriend and I was showing off a little. :)  Anyway, don't remember much of the later evening but woke up the next morning in the back seat of my car still parked at the river and had to drive home about 30 miles completely hungover!! :P  One look at me and my dad had me at the nearest diner eating some kind of runny egg breakfast(apparently to teach me a lesson) and then I finally got to go sleep it off. :D

Now if I were valedictorian I would have given a stand up routine ;)  Alas, I did not much more than sleep through the ceremonies...

Grade school, I got called on stage for lots of awards.  Middle school, same deal, no sooner than I would sit down, and my name was called again.

I went to the last all girl public high school in the U.S.  We didn't wear caps and robes, we wore ankle length white gowns (seriously, if they thought the dress you were wearing wasn't long enough, they measured it and you weren't allowed to walk out with the rest of the class) and carried a red rose.  At the end of the ceremony, we all threw our roses into the air.  My gown was beautiful, I absolutely loved it but never found an excuse to wear it again.  If I find a photo of it... My class had over 500 students and for the seating arrangement they lined us up by students who won scholarships first (the better the scholarship, the higher up you were) and then by GPA.  I lost a friend that day because she got better grades than I did, but our teachers better liked me and I received two scholarships (one from the English department, the other from our guidance counselor's recommendation) and my friend couldn't handle that.  

Michael Olesker was our guest speaker (he was a newsman for one of the local Baltimore stations, when my sister graduated from this same school) Oprah Winfrey was their guest speaker as she used to work for a news station in Baltimore, but Michael Olesker gave a better speech!  The only other odd thing about my high school was that it is a college prep school (and you had to have a grade point average of 85 in middle school to get accepted into the school) and if you completed their special courses you received not only a diploma from the state, but one from the school as well, so I have a state diploma and a diploma for the Honors Business course.

For my high school graduation it rained and we had an outdoor ceromony. One guy who was supposed to give a speech told us that because of the rain, he was going to mail us all his speech. That guy had more applauses and cheers for anyone who ever gave a graduation speech. About a week after the ceromony, I was surprised that that guy was true to his word, I got his speech in the mail.


My college graduation was a bit different. It was so hot. My mother came for the graduation and was basically driving me up the wall. I was so stressed out, I just couldn't wait until it was over and my mother went home.



Cat

Well, when I graduated high school, I had been dating the school board president's son.  Neither of the parents liked me because my parents didn't run in the same social circle as they did.  His dad was giving out diplomas and didn't shake my hand.  I don't think I have ever been so ticked off in my life.  

My little brother, who we never thought would actually graduate, dropped his diploma and everything in the folder went flying and he had to stop and pick it up.  One of his friends yelled "Hey, it took you long enough to get it, don't throw it away now!"  It was quite funny.

My older brother hit the principal in the head with his cap when they threw them and the guy refused to give it back unless my brother apologized (it was a total accident)  Needless to say, my brother couldn't stand the principal so he never got his cap back.