<p>Can you get the diploma without going to the graduation?</p>
<p>Also, if you go, do you have wear cap and gown?</p>
<p>I) I think, for most schools, your diploma is mailed to you.</p>
<p>II) I also think that, for most schools, you’d look like an idiot if you showed up sans the cap and gown everyone else was wearing. As ridiculous as they may look to you, it’s a social convention.</p>
<p>So, in short: wear the bloody gown and show up, or stay home.</p>
<p>It depends on the school. At Richmond, you have to walk short of some major emergency. And if you walk, you must wear a cap and gown. If you actually will be graduating when you walk, though, you are handing your diploma. If not…well…you just get a shiny sheet of blank paper.</p>
<p>It definitely depends on the school. At some, good luck getting your diploma mailed to you if you don’t walk (they’ll do it, but it’ll take a while, most likely). At others, they couldn’t care less. But honestly, why not just go to graduation?</p>
<p>I’m only a Freshman, but in my case I have no plans to go to my college graduation. High school graduation was long enough for me. I imagine that college is only going to be longer. The only reason i went to the hgh school one (Despite the fact that they charged us for everything) was for my parents and because I was walking with all my old friends.</p>
<p>Seriously. If you’re going to put in hard work for 4ish years, why not get the recognition? Just walk. It’s one day of your life and your parents/friends/family/blah blah blah will get to recognize your work and accomplishments. </p>
<p>I have this argument with my roommate all the time >.<</p>
<p>You absolutely must wear your school’s cap and gown… its only respectable. My high school had a huge issue a couple years ago because two students who had completed “boot camp” were all up in arms because policy at my school was to wear the red and black cap and gown, when they wanted to wear there uniforms. They ran off to the television stations, the radios, and the newspapers and caused this whole controversy that made our school look bad. But at the end of the day the students commanding officers ordered them to wear the cap and gown, and then reprimanded them for causing such a frenzy. </p>
<p>So yea, where the damn gown</p>
<p>I’m all for playing hooky from graduation and going to Disneyland instead :D</p>
<p>I’ve gone to too many graduation ceremonies in my life and I’m not terribly fond of them. I did not set out to graduate for any of my friends or family nor did any of them pay for my education. I don’t owe them anything and I really don’t care if they acknowledge my accomplishments in a big show. Therefore, it is my decision if I want to play a part in the dog and pony show and it is not for anyone to judge the quality of my choice just as it is not my place to judge anyone who does choose to walk. I think it’s great that such a thing as graduation ceremonies exist for those who want them.</p>
<p>That said, I’ll probably go if just to annoy my friends and family that I have more than one graduation ceremony to attend due to how my university operates ;)</p>
<p>jfac:
Like everyone said, it will depend on your college. Some are picky about graduation, others are not. Mine could care and considers all graduation ceremonies completely optional. They just care that I’ve registered to graduate (separate process from registering to walk). I’ve yet to meet one that will allow you to get away without wearing a cap and gown, though.</p>
<p>This is incredibly stupid. Only an idiot doesn’t want to walk at their colleges graduation. It’s your last hurrah as a college student, why not do it? It’s kind of a huge deal.</p>
<p>Depends on who you are. Honestly, as people have said its one day of your life. Wether you walk or not isn’t going to change you as a person. I don’t plan on going to mine, but considering that most of my friends will probably go, i’ll probably go. I mean, if they all go who am I going to hang out with if i don’t go?</p>
<p>
Whoa now, don’t get so judgmental over such a thing as walking at graduation. Some people honestly don’t care about the walking and can take pride in the mere fact that they went to high school/college and graduated. I didn’t want to walk at my high school graduation, but I did so out of respect to my parents. I will most definitely be walking at my college graduation (again out of respect to my parents for supporting me and paying for me education, but also because I genuinely want to this time), but I certainly wouldn’t make a judgment call on someone’s intelligence for not wanting to.</p>
<p>But yes, you should go. The ceremony has meaning and you should show your college and its administration respect by honoring that meaning, even if you personally don’t care all that much; I’m sure your parents will want to see you graduate as well and show you how proud they are. Also, college graduation is much different than high school graduation, including the after parties (thousands of 21+ year olds).</p>
<p>I understand that there are those people who don’t care, but if I’m going to put in 4 years of hard work and effort (and my parents are going to pay for my 4 years), I’m going to graduation not just for me but for them. I also want to be able to celebrate with my classmates and be recognized for my achievements.</p>
<p>Graduating from college is a big deal. Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate that achievement? I mean really, it’s a few hours out of your life. And at most schools it really is only a few hours.</p>
<p>My school has two ceremonies…one for people who get a BS and one for BA (that’s the easiest way to describe it). One’s in the morning and one’s in the afternoon. So they really can’t drone on too long.</p>
<p>Check with your school and figure the rules out, but I just can’t imagine not wanting to celebrate 4 years (minimum) of hard work.</p>
<p>Not going to graduation does not mean one is not celebrating one’s personal achievement. Some people celebrate in their own ways that may or may not differ greatly from your own :)</p>
<p>^Right, but as myself and others have said already, it is about more than just celebrating one’s own achievement.</p>
<p>I think that going or nots a personal choice. If you wanna go, go. If not, then don’t. As I said before i’m probably gonna go just cause my friends will. However, if they don’t go and we can think of something better to do (Party, Beach, Disney) then i’m not gonna go.</p>
<p>I didn’t get a high school graduation ceremony. 
So having the college graduation ceremony will totally rock, especially after so many years O_O</p>
<p>Technically speaking, it’s not even just “graduation.” It’s “commencement exercises” or something–which is a formal event of the college/university whereat degrees are conferred. My understanding is that, at many schools, you must petition to graduate in absentia (in absence) in order to receive your degree without showing up for the ceremony.</p>
<p>zchryevns:
My statement still holds true for even those who have others who contributed in some way to their education. Some families may decide that a private ceremony is far more meaningful than a group one. It is wrong of some people in this thread to make derogatory comments about the intelligence of those who choose to celebrate in their own ways. No one should be forced into participating in something they don’t want to do. It can lose meaning if so. But when you do have others who contributed, you do have to find a compromise.</p>
<p>There are also some people like me who did not have mommy and daddy pay for her education. I owe no one anything… well, except the government for my stafford loans ;)</p>
<p>Marco117:
Space Mountain is an awesome way to celebrate a graduation :D</p>
<p>wwlink:
I’m glad you finally get one since you want one :). They really are good for those who like the group celebration thing.</p>
<p>aigiqinf:
It really does vary. As I commented early, my university has two separate processes: registering to graduate and registering to walk. You have to go to extra effort to be able to walk (it’s not an online process like registering to graduate is here). The only thing you’re required to do no matter what is to register to graduate.</p>
<p>
Some might—most don’t. I also addressed the negativity of PRiNCESSMAHiNA comment, so I certainly do not agree with her viewpoint.</p>
<p>How do your parents feel about your views? Regardless of whether or not one’s parents are paying for their education, most tend to provide emotional support for their kids at the very least, and take pride in their accomplishments. Even if my dad was not paying for my education and I personally did not want to walk, my parents would want me to walk so that they could see me officially graduate and show how proud they are, and that’s enough of a reason for me. However, some do not have a good relationship with their parents, and some some parents also do not care if their child walks. If ever there was a time when I thought against walking at my graduation, I think back to the countless hours my parents spent helping me with elementary/middle school science projects, and that’s enough to make me sacrifice a few hours of one day.</p>
<p>With my question, I’m not implying you should walk for that reason. I am actually curious about how your parents feel about you not walking.</p>