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Original poster

Graduation - Is it normal for whole family to go?

27 replies

DalmationDots · 01/01/2014 23:12

DD graduates this summer and we were talking this evening about Graduation.
Can anyone advise me how many tickets it is usual to get? Is it the norm for just parents to go or do siblings/grandparents go too?
DD's father is not around anymore so if it was just parents then I would go and DD would like to ask either my mother or her paternal grandmother to go as a 2nd guest, sort of in the place of her father. It is likely her paternal grandmother wouldn't be able to come though.
If her brother is around he may want to come too.

That would mean she needed 3 or 4 tickets...
Or is it usually just two tickets per student and for just the parents to go?
Thanks!

OP posts:
Frusso · 01/01/2014 23:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Amandine29 · 01/01/2014 23:32

It's usually 2 tickets per student with the opportunity to reserve more at a later date (when they have finalised numbers). You can take whoever you like. Generally it's parents and siblings, grandparents if you can get enough tickets. But it's completely up to you.

timidviper · 01/01/2014 23:38

Both of mine were offered 2 tickets for their graduation. Anything extra had to be applied for and were subject to availability.

DS had DH and I as his two, then DD came as an extra one but had to sit separately as the best seating was allocated to the first twos and extras had to sit in unallocated areas

DD had DH and I as the two and her BF came as a third (DS was working and unable to come) In that one seating was not allocated so the 3 of us sat together

timidviper · 01/01/2014 23:38

Sorry forgot to say 2 different universities

MrsS1980 · 01/01/2014 23:43

My brothers and I all got 2, with opportunity to apply for extras later. Youngest dB didn't get extras so we all went, dB and dps went to ceremony and db1, Dh and I went to the pub, then we all went out for family lunch at a naice restaurant. Hope you have a good day op!

goinggetstough · 01/01/2014 23:43

At my DD's graduation we were allocated two tickets but as a pp mentioned we too could have applied for another ticket. At some graduations you have to pay for tickets! If you go on to your DC's university website it will probably give you details about how tickets are applied for and how many are initially allocated.
Plus a number of graduations are streamed live. So my DD's grandparents were able to watch the ceremony on their computer at home which was very lucky as it was an incredibly hot day.

Original poster
DalmationDots · 02/01/2014 00:16

Super, thank you. We wanted to check before inviting grandmothers and then having to let them down if we couldn't get tickets.
I just looked at the website, her graudation will be streamed so we can always set them up with that instead. They don't tell her the exact day until much nearer, they just say what week it will be in. Very vague and annoying for her holiday planning and jobs etc.

OP posts:
DoctorDoctor · 02/01/2014 00:25

At the university where I work, they do the 2 ticket allocation but they also stream it, not only for folks back home but also in several of the large lecture theatres/halls, so a lot of people bring a group of family members, and while 2 go into the ceremony, the others watch it in the next door building, then everyone can meet up easily afterwards and go for a meal together. That is an increasingly common option and worth considering. I've also been to someone's graduation at a different university where they let other (extra) family members in on the day as they had seats free due to no-shows.

creamteas · 02/01/2014 12:45

At my university, the January assessments are used to estimate the numbers that will be graduating, and this information is used to work out which cohorts will be in which ceremony.

It takes a huge amount of logistical planning to work out how to get 1000s of students through the process in a few days. The date information is probably not there yet for a very good reason.

Knowing the week is enough to plan holidays and I have never heard of an employer that refused a day off for the student graduating. I don't think your annoyance is really warranted.

HyvaPaiva · 02/01/2014 13:01

I don't think it's fair to say the system is very vague, actually. I agree with all that creamteas said, it's a complex logistics operation. It's not about 'event planning'. It's more about the processes of getting students to the point of graduation. How can they pinpoint an event when they don't even know who will definitely graduate yet? That is where the staff focus is and rightly so. Besides, they've given you a week and you know it will be streamed online. They work hard to get students to graduation. The ceremony is a bonus.

Many people graduate 'in absentia' because it isn't compulsory to attend so you might find there are extra tickets once everyone has their allocated share but no, it isn't normal for whole families to attend.

Original poster
DalmationDots · 02/01/2014 13:23

I have the date now, it has just been published, thanks all. DD has decided she only wants myself and her grandmother to attend anyway so we are at the standard 2 tickets.
I can understand it is complex and perhaps my annoyance wasn't warranted, sorry.

OP posts:
Bearcat · 02/01/2014 13:34

For DS1 graduation, DH, DS2 and I attended.
I think DS1 could get 2 tickets to start with and then apply for others if there were still tickets available. I think we had to pay £20+ per ticket, but free to the graduate
When DS2 graduated only DH and myself went as DS1 was working and had graduated from the same university (Nottingham) 3 years earlier, so there was nothing that he hadn't seen before.
We could sit anywhere we wanted in the hall, obviously nearer to the front if you got into the queue early (I did think it was rather like it must be to be a guest at a royal wedding as we were in our seats a good 1.5 hours before the long ceremony even started)!
Both were lovely summer days so we were lucky as there was quite a bit of wandering around outside involved, not least trekking across the campus to another reception post lunch, not easy when you're not used to wearing high heels!

ExcuseTypos · 02/01/2014 13:43

My dd only had 2 tickets so DH and I went to the ceremony.

However we all met dd2, dd1's boyfriend, 2 grandmas and a grandpa, for a picnic beforehand then after the graduation, the photos and her department drinks, we went for a meal all together.

It was a lovely daySmile

UptheChimney · 02/01/2014 21:54

The usual is two, sometimes with the option for applying for extra. There are a lot of people graduating and usually limited space.

Most universities which use there own Great Hall (or the like) for graduations will have another area near their Great Hall open to others and with screens streaming the ceremony. Mine streams it online as well. Don't know what places w/o a Great Hall do re the streaming to the overflow.

There's generally some sort of University do afterwards -- my current place does a lovely line in sparkling cava & cupcakes although it was sooooo hot last year and wearing a formal jacket, dress, tights, gown, hood and cap was like a sauna, so cup cakes really not very tempting.

BTW I can rant for England about what graduands should NOT wear to their graduation. If I get any encouragement, watch out Grin

MrsBright · 02/01/2014 22:15

Most graduations are actually as boring as bat-poo. They last about 3 hours with no pee breaks. Full of dull worthy speeches and endless kids traipsing across a stage. The moment of 'your child' lasts about 45 seconds. Its not great entertainment.

Much better for Grannies to watch it on TV and then meet you at an appropriate pub/restaurant for the party.

Original poster
DalmationDots · 02/01/2014 22:26

Haha, thanks all. I can imagine it is dull in the actual ceremony but it is obviously a big day for DD and something for us all to celebrate. It seems a bit down on her/the occasion to say it will be boring as hell or discourage her from inviting her grandmother.

Her dad won't be around and it is always difficult for her on occasions like this so it was important for her to invite her grandmother to sort of 'represent' her dad. And grandmother is chuffed to be invited too, also means I am not alone while DD goes off to do the admin stuff and in the ceremony.

OP posts:
goinggetstough · 02/01/2014 22:27

up I agree there was a slight variety of smart dress at my DD's graduation last year. My DD wore in a dark skirt and white shirt with collar as specified in the dress regs. It would though IMO be difficult to enforce a strict dress code when one of the lecturers was in a short sleeved very casual shirt, no tie and the best bit shorts and opened toed sandals with gown.....this was the most extreme but there were others who IMO were not dressed suitably for the occasion. The majority of the graduates adhered to the dress code.

TheOneWithTheNicestSmile · 02/01/2014 22:28

When DD1 (eldest) graduated 5 of us went, but that was 2 in the ceremony & 3 watching a screen elsewhere

2 tickets is the norm I think

UptheChimney · 02/01/2014 22:44

I disagree about graduations convocations. I go to at least two a year, as I think it's important to be there for my students (and I was able to sneak into the academic procession for my DS) and it's a really exciting moment, seeing them all dressed up (usually) and grown up.

NotALondoner · 02/01/2014 22:59

Is it common to not bother with your own graduation? I don't really fancy it at all but how many others don't go?

TheOneWithTheNicestSmile · 02/01/2014 23:19

DS1 went, but opted out of having an official photo (he only got a 2:2, which was all he deserved tbf, but he felt hard done by Hmm)

Anyway I suspect he will regret that in years to come...

creamteas · 03/01/2014 13:04

NotaLondoner I would say that the majority of students do the ceremony but a substantial minority don't attend.

I have three degrees, and never bothered with ceremonies for any of them Grin.

Have to turn up to some now as an academic, but still really don't understand why anyone bothers, it is a pretty pointless exercise IMO.

Beehatch · 03/01/2014 13:13

This thread stirs up some crushing memories for me, having graduated twice and neither time was able to stir up a single member of family or friends to attend. I thought I was beyond all that, but apparently not Sad

NotALondoner · 03/01/2014 18:30

Beehatch I am really sorry about that, that is very mean spirited of them to do that to you.

Creamteas I am glad to hear that, I really am not keen on all that sort of stuff and the more people I hear about who also didn't bother, the less I feel obliged to find a reason for not going.

UptheChimney · 03/01/2014 19:56

Beehatch that's very sad.