It’s almost here. Graduation.
The caps and gowns. The lines of people trying to get a seat. We’ve all gone through high school graduation, so we know what to expect. But does it have as much meaning?
In high school, you really think about getting to the end. Walking across the stage and receiving your diploma is a big deal. But honestly, I haven’t had that much anticipation about graduating college. I’m excited, of course, but it hasn’t sunk in yet. The hard work is about to pay off.
College graduation seems to be under celebrated. Some people may have parties, but will they be as big as your high school graduation party? Probably not. Will you invite as many people? No. Do you expect to get as many congratulations as you did in high school? No.
Graduating college is a much bigger step than graduating high school, yet we don’t give it the true celebration that we gave high school. We walk across the stage, get the diploma and maybe go out to eat afterward. Then we get the joy of either finding a job or continuing the jobs that we have, unless you plan on continuing school.
I can understand not really celebrating if you are going on to get your master’s degree or going to medical school. You aren’t really finished. This is just a steppingstone. But for those that think, “This is it – this is the end,” we join the job force. This is a huge deal. You get a piece of paper that says “I am qualified to do that job,” and it is worth celebrating. You have spent late nights finishing projects and stressing over something that will make up a lot of your grade, you have dealt with professors that couldn’t care less if you care or not, and you have made it this far without giving up.
You deserve to eat a huge slice of cake and scream “I DID IT!” at the top of your lungs. Don’t push this under the rug as a part of life. Invite everyone. Eat as much cake as you want. Strut across the stage and get that diploma. You may only do this once, so enjoy being with your friends and family. This is a huge part of your life, and you have accomplished something great. Make sure you celebrate it.
