Is this how graduation ceremonies are now?

[Toddlerteaplease]

I have recently gained a degree as a part time student, through work. Gradation ceremony next month. I have just been sent a link so my family and friends a record a 30 second video dating how proud they are. It will be played during the ceremony. I personally can’t think of anything worse than having to sit through multiple videos. I’d this a common thing now?

Was DD at Glasgow? That's what we did at my graduation there over 30 years ago!

I haven't seen anything that toe curling but graduations nowadays seem to be very dramatic compared with yesteryear - everyone dressed up to the nines, super high heels and lots of cleavage, and practically obligatory for families to present grads with big bouquets. I felt a bit shabby just taking my kid out for a nice lunch. (In contrast, his dad turned up in jeans and trainers, so I don't feel that shabby...)

How many people are graduating? When I graduated there were about 500 people in the same ceremony. There is no way there would have been time to play that many videos even if they were only 30 seconds long.

Or Aberdeen? We did that too (way back in the day - no idea if they still do!)

My dad was a massive help
to me with all my work. I did not do that!

I’m clearly showing my age as there is a note on the graduation information page telling people not use confetti canons, air horns and no banners allowed. I’m intrigued to know what happened to make them introduce that!

Is this like the VTs in Strictly when they are all going on with messages from their nans? I fast forward through those.

I’m an academic and we did have people with vuvuzelas at the last graduation. So I suspect they’ve had something similar!

Why did you do it?

People.who have supportive friends and families already have plenty of much more personal and genuine ways for those people to show their happiness. For those who don't, this is just one more thing they're left out of.

Yes, Glasgow. She graduated with the music students so the standard of singing was excellent.

So this isn’t the same but…

When DD2 graduated from her local US high school, they dug out a video of most of the year from their first year in kindergarten, and played it.

It was absolutely lovely. I’d actually forgotten about it till this thread. Everyone cried.

That is awful, it also singles out those with less family, I bought my daughter up alone, at the ceremony some people had a dozen or so people around them. That’s great but really unpleasant for those that don’t have a team of cheerleaders.

How short sighted of you!

I'm going to a graduation in July. Thankfully there is mention of anything as tasteless as this. My daughter would like to sing Gaudeamus Igitur though as it was her school song.

I really enjoyed DS’s graduation ceremony (Durham cathedral, very grand, with a fantastic speech by Bill Bryson, the then-chancellor.
To my eternal regret and shame, I skipped my own graduation, and didn’t tell my parents anything about it, thinking it would be tedious and uncool. My poor DM was so upset when she found out. Something I have to live with.

So other people have to sit through endless videos of people they don’t know spouting sentimental drivel?!

Went to DC1’s graduation ceremony in 2024. Thank goodness they didn’t do this! It would have taken even longer.

@tartyflettehave you read the section of Road to Little Dribbling, where he talks about how much he loved attending the graduation ceremonies when he was chancellor.

That sounds awful. I'd just say I wasn't comfortable with it, they can't make you.

Blame the cunts on that awful What you should know about Uni Facebook page. That sounds like something those psycho over possessive Mummy posters on there would come up with.

I used to steward at UL Graduation ceremonies at the Albert Hall. The thing that was drummed into us was that no student was allowed to leave the hall once the ceremony had started under any circumstances. No matter how much they pleaded, said they were busting for a wee etc etc. This was so that the names called out matched the people walking across the stage to be smiled at by Princess Anne.

Poor things, many of them had over indulged at lunch with their proud parents and their rush across the stage was not through shyness.

Yes, I do! I remember telling DS to go easy when he shakes hands with him because BB was doing so many, (over several days at Durham) and it could be painful. Sadly, DS ignored what I told him and gave him a hearty shake anyway.😳

Oh good grief.
I hope not.
I'm going to my youngest's graduation this Summer.

I was quite horrified by the poor behaviour by quite a few of the audience (whooping, etc) at my middle one's graduation a few years ago.

I mean, we've not been asked for a link.

I am horrified we are being charged £35 each for our tickets just to attend

I graduated in 2023 and this wasn't a thing then! There were probably about 200 there though so there wouldn't have been time for it.

I’m an academic and have seen many university and postgraduate students through graduation. No! We barely have time to have them walk across the stage and smile for a photo. Absolutely no time for crap like this. It would be absolute chaos.