Thoughts on your child's graduation ceremony?

[TooHot2022]

Recently had DS's graduation ceremony at a Russell Group uni.
It was well-organised by the uni in a nice venue (not Southampton!!), the day ran smoothly, we took lovely photos and met some of his friends. All good.

However, DH & I later both remarked on a number of things we observed:

• lots of students looked like they'd made no effort to look even slightly smart/tidy.
• family/audience response was quite rowdy for some students - more like a football match
• A handful of students were disrespectful - almost ignoring the Chancellor then using their walk across stage to 'perform' in some way

We got the distinct impression that for many of them it was some sort of 'game' which they didn't value.

By way of contrast, all the international students were impeccably dressed, great interaction/ social skills with staff etc and seemed to be really valuing and enjoying the occasion.

I don't know, it just kind of made me feel a bit sad. Like British students don't really value our academic institutions, and yet international students can't get enough of them?!

Attended graduation ceremony at Bath last week all students seemed to have made an effort to look smart and were respectful
Lovely day for students and parents

There was a very drunk, very rowdy and obnoxious couple at one of my DCs graduations - RG northern Uni. The guy actually punched another parent who was asking them to be quiet. The obnoxious parents were then removed.

Their child looked awkward when he was getting his degree.

From Thursday afternoon, the students at the university of Southampton’s super graduation shook hands with, both, the head of their dept and the vice chancellor on stage.

Similarly, we were encouraged to whoop and cheer at Exeter recently.

@EinsteinaGogo

No, I don’t agree - just being factual.

One TW only wore what looked like underwear beneath her gown, kept it closed walking up on stage then proceeded to open it and sashay across the stage for the cameras.

Stupid immature exhibitionism & I’d say the same about any student that did the same!

Sure there were a few whoops at mine! (Jan 22)

I mean I had to elbow bump the chancellor! We are both late 40s:50s!

This was Russell group. Everyone dressed smartly (a few girls did show far too much leg and nearly pants for my taste)

No idea why it should be a solemn staid affair!

Went to DD's 2021 graduation day on friday. The behaviour nothing like you describe. Small ceremony for their school where they got to walk across the floor and touch their hat in respect to the chancellor as their name was read.
, full year garden party and then full year in Rugby stadium where they were encouraged to raise the roof

It was a lovely special day for them all

@bruffin were you in Cardiff on Friday? Sounds the same as DD MSc celebration which we thought was a fantastic mixture of personal recognition at the school, lots of catching up with old friends at the garden party, many of whom she hadn’t seen for nearly 2 years, nice lunch with us, then big ceremony (so they could do multiple years all this week)with guest speakers at the Principality. It was a great day and reflected all they have been thru in a really positive way.

@TooHot2022

Honestly - you're making it worse. Do you really not understand?

One STUDENT.

Absolutely no need to mention TW, race, sexuality or any other features.

At my daughters a few weeks ago we could tweet live and it went up on the big screen. I forgot about my profile picture though.....😬

Yes @sergeantmajormum

We had such a lovely day. City centre had such a great atmosphere that day as well. DD hadnt seen most of her friends for a year so she had a great time catching up as well.
We met up with one of DD's school friend who now lives in Cardiff after the Principality and had a meal then.

We were encouraged to whoop & cheer at all 3 that I've been to (2 pre Covid). Some people did look as if they were going to a nightclub but most had made an effort.

I would have thought the robes pretty much covered up what they were wearing anyway.

Yes, I understand totally.
One student with an over-inflated sense of self-importance and a total lack of respect chose to make an embarrassing display of themself at a relatively formal occasion.
The TW identification is relevant as a female student would most likely have been removed if they'd done this.
Sheer exhibitionism and an attempt to make a large audience complicit in their sexual fantasy.

I feel sorry so for the parents if they were there.

Ours was noisy lots of cheering. Three years of students class of 20, 21, 22 . An emotional moment when the parents of a student who had died climbed the stage. They received a standing ovation..

I'm proud of these young people whose university experience was pretty crappy and lonely

Was at dd's a few weeks ago.

All students looked smart. Men varied between smart trouser, shirt and tie through to full suit, ladies mostly dresses or trouser suits.
Every student went up when their name was called, shook the chap's hand and he said something to them, and most of them said "thank you" back. No whooping, but solid clapping throughout for all of them.

What I don't like about whooping is that it can easily become a popularity show with cheers for some and silence/quiet clapping for others which can be a bit miserable for those.

I graduated earlier this year a year late. It was only Adult Nurses at mine, all delayed due to Covid but we were the 4 cohorts who opted in and had our studies massively interrupted.
It was a truly joyous occasion, lots of whooping and cheering and a fair amount of tears.
Completely befitting.
Oh, not a RG uni but one that produces huge amounts of fantastic nurses.
Go figure.

@TooHot2022 Sounds grim!

Strict dress code at DS2s graduation last month, dark suits and white bow ties or national dress. Lots of weird and wonderful bonnets and robes on the worthies and a smattering of Latin and a procession, it was great, had a real sense of occasion.
I did worry about some of the girls in tottering heels going up on stage and kneeling etc. Some of them looked precarious.

Definitely no whooping.

Usually loads of whooping, waves and joyful bounds across the stage at ours - couldn't care less... we've all bloody earnt it with the shit we've put up with.

Now I just can't get on to book extra tickets for my own ceremony at the moment as the website's fucked!

Fair amount of whooping and cheering at DS1's graduation ceremony at Bristol a couple of weeks ago. It was all quite jolly, really. The nicest thing was that there was a good amount of clapping for everyone, no obvious 'only here for our own' vibe amongst the assembled relatives. (I once attended a school concert where the parents of the girls performing the penultimate piece all got up and left as soon as their DDs left the stage - including the couple on the far side of the hall who didn't make it before the last piece started and carried on pushing their way along the row to the door regardless).

That sounds very grand! Was it in the UK?

Only on Mumsnet would someone derail their own thread on graduations to have a moan about trans people.

Went to DS graduation in Cardiff on Friday. I thought all the students looked fab. Did see quite a few women wearing heels that didn't look at all comfy - so trainers would have been better for them imo, but everyone looked smart.
Parents were encouraged to be noisy in the stadium - it's supposed to be a celebration not a funeral!
A few students left during the stadium ceremony - not sure why. I did think that something was lost in having the delayed graduation - I know it couldn't be helped but I think DS was 'over it' by the time it actually happened - he's been in work for a year! He only went because I made him.