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

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We're having a great time, ceremony was only an hour because they're doing them in groups by degree subject. Now having lunch. Am feeling absurdly proud, not just of the achievements but of how mature DD is.

DD's university does them by degree subjects as well.

@Notagardener, my BFFs DS didn’t attend his either.

@RampantIvy, that’s a shame - did she feel anxious going up on stage, or maybe the number of people there?

Both mine had all the course, plus some other courses at their ceremonies

@pointythings, how lovely - I was so proud of both of mine too. They have indeed grown into fabulous young adults. Most of the time 😃

Yes she did @bigTillyMint, so did her friends. DD hates being at the centre of attention or the idea of people looking at her. She never wears attention seeking clothes for example.

Graduation ceremonies aren't for the students, they're for us parents! 😂

I agree @thing47.

I hope no-one took my comment about the way DD dresses the wrong way. I meant that she just dresses to blend in the background.

Glad you're having a lovely time @ppointythings . We've had a nightmare journey home but it was worth it.

@RedHelenB nightmare journey home here too, it's a conspiracy!

Ah it all went wrong on the penultimate day! I think Dd 1 has a bulging disc/ slipped a disc. Local doc wouldn’t see us and 111 called an ambulance. She couldn’t get out of bed or sit. Luckily the paramedics (6 hours later so we felt less guilty) sorted out naproxen and codeine so she’s more comfy and Dd1 and me will get the train back tomorrow rather than the car as we think it will be quicker and smoother. It was all going so well…thank goodness it wasn’t this time last week before graduation!

….just to add we said we didn’t want an ambulance just strong drugs to get her home but they went through the questionnaire and 111 insisted.

@Benjispruce4 no only dh and I went. Ds2 was working his summer job, ds3 at school.

@RedHelenB 437 students isn't too bad. It said there were about 1,500 for ds1's yesterday. It was ok though.

@Notagardener most of ds's mates aren't bothering with graduation. He didn't really know anyone there, he spoke to a few girls. But his good friends didn't go.

@thing47 yes that's exactly what ds1 said, the ceremony is for the parents not the students.

@ZandathePanda that doesn't sound good. I hope the drugs help.

1500 students, how long did the ceremony last? There were that number of graduants at dd2s during the day but split up into 3 different graduation ceremonies. Her's was the middle one, I think personally it was the best slot

Gosh that’s not DD’s experience at all. It was about sharing her mom’s with us. All of her friends has their families there. But, each to their own.

Moment not moms

Hope she’s ok @ZandathePanda . DH has had that and it does get better on its own with time. Funnily enough they don’t encourage rest now but gentle movement.

@thing47
This is exactly what I told DS when I said to him that he had to go! 😂😂

I think there were about 150 students at DD's graduation. I felt thankful that we werent sitting in a cathedral or York Minster. My sister's graduation was at Sheffield City Hall and went on for hours.

@ZandathePanda I hope your journey home goes well and that your DD makes a good recovery.

@Benjispruce4 yes the paramedics gave her gas and air and got her up. She reckons she’s going to stand all the way back on the train as it’s the getting up/down that’s the problem.
@RampantIvy thats sad that your Dd didn’t really enjoy it. Dd1 had a great time but Dd2 said she doesn’t think she would like to do graduation even though it was only a 45 min ceremony. Mine was hours! I thought it was timed just right, lovely speech by a student and loved the Northumbrian piper.

@ZandathePanda Hope she's better soon.

Yes, the student's speech at the end was brilliant and hit just the right notes. Northumbrian pipes are so much nicer than bagpipes aren't they.

Had ds’s today here in Manchester - presented by Lemn Sissay (their Chancellor) who was doing an amazing job of speaking to each and every one of the students, waving at the livestream with some, one graduand even took a selfie with him. Felt very celebratory. Met up with various of ds’s friends and housemates afterwards who have been mostly graduating this fortnight as well so that was lovely.

I didn’t go to either of my graduation ceremonies, just wasn’t interested, and dh didn’t go to his either. Since my kids have finished uni, I have felt a bit bad that I didn’t give my parents (well, mum) that opportunity!

Oh I’m a little bit in love with Lemn Sissay after “reading” his autobiography on audiobook which he read himself. An amazing life story. We had Gavin Esler whose speech was what you’d expect from a former broadcast journalist. Very slick and professional , concentrating on the impact of the pandemic on this cohort

@ZandathePanda, your poor DD1

Both mine wanted to go to their graduations to celebrate what they achieved and say goodbye to their uni/city, etc as well as last hurrah with friends (and a slap up meal on us ofc!)

@RampantIvy, I graduated in Sheff City Hall back in the day! Can’t remember a thing about the ceremony!

Lemn Sisay is fabulous, isn’t he?

@AtiaoftheJulii, I think DH felt guilty too - tried to get the DC to invite his parents, but ticket allocations and all that…

My mum did actually come with us to my dd2’s graduation in Newcastle last year (postponed from 2020) which was really nice. Dd2 didn’t go to her MA graduation which ended up postponed until recently and I was slightly disappointed as it was in the Anglican cathedral in Liverpool, but I guess I can just visit any time 😂 She felt it was a bit irrelevant I think - finishing that last August feels like ages away and she has had a successful freelance work year in her chosen field and felt that was more of an achievement than the MA perhaps. Plus so much of it was online that she didn’t exactly bond with her cohort.

We have two more graduations still to come hopefully so there’re still possibilities!