If there’s anything I’ve noticed with my recent graduation, it’s that graduating college is so much different than graduating high school. Obviously college overall is a lot more relaxed and students have a lot more control, but I was still kind of surprised at a few big differences:
- In high school — you have graduation practice. In college — you just kind of show up.
- In high school — you sit based off of your last name. In college — you sit with whoever you’d like, as long as they’re in your major.
- In high school — you can’t decorate any part of your graduation cap or gown. In college — you can get as creative (or not) as you want with your cap.
- In high school — you have a giant grad party with typically all of your friends as well as your family. In college — you tend to just have a smaller get together with the people who mean most.
- In high school — you graduate with everyone in your grade. In college — (at least for the bigger schools) you only graduate with a certain amount of schools or colleges under your university.
- In high school — everyone is about the same age as you. In college — graduate ages can range from 18 to 80 (I kid you not, I just graduated with a woman who was almost 80! How cool!).
And I mean, there’s obviously still the classic graduation givens:
- You will be wearing — and spending way too much money on — some long, baggy gown.
- You will have to sit through a seemingly never-ending ceremony.
- There will be music.
- You’ll have your picture taken along the way as you receive your diploma.
- No matter how perfectly you spelled out your pronunciation, someone will still screw up your name.
- Your mom will probably cry.
No matter what, through the six-inch heels and the goodbye tears, graduation is an awesome time to celebrate an amazing achievement. Congratulations to all of the Class of 2015 graduates, both high school and college! Now, go out and celebrate the way we both know you will- cheers!
Bri Car 