<p>Oldest kid has indicated that he doesn't want to bother going to his college graduation ceremony. It's about 3 hours away, and kid has said that he'd rather save the time and gas. He's excited about grad school and views college as just a step to an ultimate degree. It turns out that he will have to go to graduation because he has an obligation through his honors program, but I wondered if other parents faced a similar situation. (Frankly, I recall that my own college graduation was more meaningful to my parents than to me.) Big deal or no big deal? Did you make your kid go, or not?</p>
<p>D told us she wasn't particularly interested in attending hers. However, I pointed out that 10 relatives are flying in from all over the country and feel the need to attend something official. That worked :)</p>
<p>I agree. I think a family meal together to celebrate the milestone is great. Honestly, the ceremony itself was hot, crowded and boring.</p>
<p>Neonzeus, I agree graduation ceremonies may often mean more to the parents than the students. Years ago, my husband told his parents not to come to his college graduation - he had other plans for the weekend. He recently shared with me that he still regrets that decision. He didn’t realize until years later how disappointed they were and that it would have been a simple, loving gesture to change his plans and ‘walk’ at graduation. I know he plans to be at our kids’ graduation ceremonies, so I may have to apply some motherly coercion if said kids show signs of balking at walking :) .</p>
<p>Depends on the school. When you're graduating with only about 63 other kids, it's pretty meaningful :-)</p>
<p>I didn't attend my college graduation, and didn't even know when it was scheduled; I finished up my degree in February, moved to another city, found an apartment, job, and car, and started working within three weeks of the end of the semester. I got my diploma in the mail; it's still in the tube it was mailed in. I'll frame it someday.</p>
<p>Let's call it "The Curiouser Method." Worked for our family too, and was a special delight for the Grandparents attending.</p>
<p>I didn't go to my h.s. one, and didn't want to go to my college one, but my mother made me, and several relatives flew up, which was nice. Older S didn't go to his h.s. graduation. Younger S went to his, and we all had a wonderful time. </p>
<p>For my doctorate, though, I very happily went, and my husband gave me a party. For some reason, the other graduations didn't mean that much to me because I had always known I'd get a h.s. diploma and college degree. The doctorate, though, felt like I was doing something unexpected and hard, and I was proud to be there.</p>
<p>H, who was first in his family to graduate from h.s., went to his h.s. graduation, and was valedictorian. He didn't, though, bother going to his college and graduate school graduations His parents were proud, but didn't try to guilt him into going. </p>
<p>If my sons graduate from college, I'll be proud, and would happily go to see them, but won't pressure them to participate if they don't want to.</p>
<p>I skipped my college grad because large state school, and didn't feel need to be part of crowd. Like Owline, I finished grad school midyear and was working when graduation occurred. I don't recall anyone from my class or the profs, nor my parents, even asking me about it.</p>
<p>My S skipped HS graduation, because he was already in college. I regretted not hearing him give a speech, and not seeing his peer group at this ceremony. So, seeing him graduate college means a lot to me. His college is small, so there will be reception, dinner, luncheon. He worked hard for his degree, and it is a milestone.</p>
<p>I do think it depends on the size of the school. I did not attend mine and don't regret it--only graduate degrees walked--the peon undergrads just stood en masse.</p>
<p>However, my oldest two went to small schools (1200 students and 5000 students). Therefore, graduating class sizes were manageable. They walked and we could see everything--both ceremonies were emotional and memorable.</p>
<p>I went to a school of around 5000 students for undergrad, and they handled graduation in a pretty neat way. Everyone gathered on the football field for the ceremony and speeches, then we broke off into individual receptions for our home departments. So instead of getting my degree from some dean I had never met before, it was handed to me by the department head, a professor I was friends with, and I knew was honestly proud to see his students graduating (department with less than 20 students graduating made it even more special). I could have cared less about the large graduation ceremony and speaker we had, but the reception afterwards talking with former professors, and seeing friends for the last time for some undetermined time was great.</p>
<p>My favorite part of the whole weekend was when my family (immediate family, grandparents, and girlfriend that flew in from across the country) went out to go get some dinner, we wound up getting stuck in traffic/construction and by the time we got to where we were going, everything was closed except for a Denny's. So, we wound up having my big graduation dinner at a Denny's at 11 PM. It was one of the best dinners I've ever had with family, and was way more enjoyable than the previous year's dinner at a fancy restaurant we had for my brother.</p>
<p>The picture I have on the wall right in front of where I sit at my desk is one of my in my robe with my parents at my side. Whenever I get depressed at how hard my current grad school curriculum is, and how much I miss some of my friends from undergrad, I can look at that picture and think of how happy I am everyone forced me into attending graduation.</p>
<p>All this from someone that didn't even care about attending since they had finished in December.</p>
<p>Interesting stories... I didn't attend my college graduation since my parents worked during the weekend and couldn't make the 3 hour drive up. I simply packed up and went home on a lovely Saturday morning...and picked up my diploma in the fall. H (who graduated the yr after) attended the ceremony at the stadium with his family on hand. With D1 graduating from a small LAC next month, we--siblings in tow--are flying out to cheer her on and celebrate her success. :)</p>
<p>I'm in the unfortunate position of being the oldest of my 1st cousins by 5 years in school, so I end up having (some might say getting) the great pleasure (you can tell I'm thrilled) of having people fly for things that my cousins don't, simply because I'm first. If I could have skipped college graduation, I would have in a heart beat...Definitely far too early on a Saturday morning to be a pleasant experience. I woke up drunk at 6:45am from the night before, managed to get to campus at 7:45, and spent the entire 830-1115 ceremony wishing for a bloody mary and a sandwich. What I would have done for that sandwich!</p>
<p>But I am graduating medical school before anyone else graduates college and that I'm excited about attending (plus the ceremony is at 2 in the afternoon!).</p>