University 2019/20 intake: Gearing up to graduation (for some but not all)

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@ZandathePanda well done to your DD2. That is a brilliant achievement and not surprised some of her teachers were tearful. You must be very proud of her.

Your DS1 will be shattered and jet-lagged for a few days upon his return @icanbewhatiwant so the 'reality' may not kick in until after graduation?

@RampantIvy hope you all enjoy your DD's graduation tomorrow too. It's going to a hot one! Imagine having to wear a gown and mortarboard in this heat?

Thank you to everyone re Dd2.

Newcastle don’t wear mortarboards. I believe when Durham University split into Durham and Newcastle (Newcastle got the medics/science side whereas Durham was more humanities), there was a bit of a ‘fight’ between the two sides and mortarboards ended up in the Tyne. So Newcastle lot were punished from there on. Feel free to correct but that the story I heard decades ago.

@RampantIvy Good luck tomorrow - this is when you are glad the North is cooler!

Oo just looked and there’s various stories out there but similar to the one I recollected. Funnily enough, everyone gets a communal mortarboard passed to each other for the official photo which makes me laugh.

Durham don't wear them either - or didn't when I graduated from there.

We have to sign an agreement of no mortarboard tossing when we hire robes for our graduation - killjoy buggers. Considering the DMU uni social media accounts are constantly retweeting hat toss photos, and walking past the welcome sign to the university where people tend to get photos taken to access our department is like running a gauntlet of the flying buggers this time of year - someone's sourcing tossed hats from somewhere!

@CoffeeWithCheese thats interesting - I always thought it was just Newcastle on the naughty step, not both!
That made me laugh at you having to avoid mortarboards but actually I bet they would hurt.

Death by mortarboard sounds like something straight out of Inspector Morse!

That's a fascinating history re provenance behind no mortarboards for Durham and Newcastle graduates.

No Durham don’t wear them either.

Though DD did have some professional photos with one that the photographer had. Not going to get to wear one otherwise!

As long as no-one has nits that's fine and dandy! You'd like to hope not but I'd not be keen (after an episode when DD tried on period bonnets in a museum and got them!).

Not as hot in Newcastle @LouisCatorze. Forecast is a pleasant 22 degrees. No mortar boards for Newcastle students. Legend has it that a long time ago the students threw them in the Tyne, so it is traditional not to have them.

The way my Newcastle graduate told me it, I thought it was more rebellion/bid for freedom and modernity, rather than being punished 😀There must be a university archivist somewhere with the actual story (probably the minutes of a very boring committee meeting!).

Pleased to say that my DS only lost £30 of his deposit! He's very pleased as he hadn't been counting on it and can really use the money. He's paid 3 months rent upfront because he didn't want to ask us to be guarantors again - wanted to be independent - and he won't be paid a full month until the end of August 😂

£70 a head deduction for DD and housemates which over 2 years isn’t half bad!

No headwear at Cambridge either

I was told that story about Durham.
Apparently it was a protest about admitting women.
🤣

I didn’t even know that Durham and Newcastle were one uni in the past!
Yes DS had his pic taken with the communal mortarboard on - bizarre after not wearing one at the ceremony! Bristol only reintroduced mortarboads this year, much to DDs delight!

The mortarboards mess your hair up, anyway. I only wore mine for the actual ceremony but took it off for the photograph afterwards.

More good news for dd2 today. She's just found out she's been awarded an academic scholarship towards her masters fees next year.

Really feel for those graduating this week, hoping it cools down a bit next week.

Well done to your DD @RedHelenB

Amazing @RedHelenB well done to her!

Congratulations to your DD@RedHelenB !

On the Durham-Newcastle history this was the case for both my parents. My father's first degree was a science degree (Bsc) at King's College, Durham and after that his medical degree was "Durham University" as was his oldest brother's (they were both from Bishop Auckland locally) and yet his studies for his medical degree took place in Newcastle in the 1950s as far as I know which is how and where he met our mother (who also has Durham University on her teacher training cert - (2 years residential course, not in Durham but Newcastle in the 1940s)).

Congratulations to the RedHelen daughter on the scholarship - that is lovely news.

@Xenia, my mum also had DU on her TT certificate, but she was at Darlington TT college! She would have been so proud and amazed to know that DS graduated with a History degree (she loved History) from Durham.

Graduation done. Very emotional. Full mortarboard worn, but they all sweated a lot. They were allowed to keep their mortarboards afterwards, which is weird and more tatt to shove in a cupboard.
He is refusing to return the keys to his accommodation until the very last day (29th August) as he is going to use it as his weekend crash pad in Nottingham over summer. I say nothing!