What to expect at a graduation ceremony?

Hi,

I recently graduated with First Class Honours - Woop! Woop! - and now my graduation ceremony is coming up. I have never been to one before and being a recipient makes me feel extra special.

Thing is, I am kind of nervous and have a few questions:

Are you called out based on your classification?

Will there be food, drinks and champagne?

When you receive your certificate, is it framed?

What happens at the end of the ceremony?

Is it any fun?

Thanks

Reply 1

aarora

Each ceremony differs depending upon which uni you're graduating from. I also got a First, when it was my ceremony, you're called out in alphabetical order regardless of your degree classification BUT if you got a First after saying your name they would say "graduating with a First class honours". The ceremony is actually quite long and boring tbh. At the end there was juice, sparkling wine, there was no food, but in little packets there were a selection of mini cakes (French fancies). But again this will depend on your uni. Our certificate was just handed to us in a paper wallet type thing, it wasn't framed.

Reply 2

Duncan2012

Original post by samklipas0

Are you called out based on your classification?

Will there be food, drinks and champagne?

When you receive your certificate, is it framed?

What happens at the end of the ceremony?

Is it any fun?

Thanks

Congratulations!
Probably alphabetically.
Maybe. Depends what your uni does.
No.
You go home or go to a party.
Enjoyable, yes. I wouldn't really call it 'fun'.

Your uni will have a webpage about graduation which will tell everything that will happen. It's a nice day but I wouldn't get too overexcited about it.

Reply 3

Trill

It is quite long, but time does go by fast. You also get time you get your pictures done and a glass of champagne or prosecco. People often underestimate what graduating actually means, in addition to getting your certificate, it's also the last time you see some people.

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Reply 4

Fox Corner

Original post by samklipas0

Are you called out based on your classification?

Will there be food, drinks and champagne?

When you receive your certificate, is it framed?

What happens at the end of the ceremony?

Is it any fun?

Thanks

I think it all depends what University you go to tbh.
1/ Usually you are called alphabetically by subject, and only given a special mention if you have received an award.
2/ There might be food if you go to a reception afterwards, but again this depends on your uni/course.
3/ Mine wasn't framed, I just got it in an envelope at the end of the ceremony.
4/ At the end you either leave straight away, go to a reception event, or hang around for pictures etc.
5/ My first graduation was really long, really hot and involved lots of clapping, so not that much fun. My second was in the winter so much cooler, and they had shortened down the ceremony a lot - that one was a bit better. There is way too much clapping though.

Reply 5

domonict

They are all different

Normall they are in alphabetical order, but split by course. So you will probably graduate with your course mates, A-Z

Few universities make mention of classification, but some also mention the award of a prize at the same time.

Food and drink are nearly always available. But different policies exist on whether it is free or not
One uni may give a glass of fizz to everybody
One may give a free lunch to the student with the ability to buy extra lunches for the guests

Certificates are not normally framed, bear in mind that they are dealing with Thousands of graduates
Often there is a certificate framing service available on site

Afterwards depends on location
One uni I know has a garden party type atmosphere on campus with marquees and stuff but has about 6 ceremonies a day

Another hires a hall in an urban environment and it is basically in/out quick drink and bugger off

It can be fun for the graduant but it is more a thank you for your parents/partner
More people regret not going than going

Reply 6

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by samklipas0

Are you called out based on your classification?
At my uni I think we were called out alphabetically and maybe by department, can't remember. Don't remember firsts getting a special mention.

Will there be food, drinks and champagne?
Depends on the uni - the History department had some drinks and nibbles if I remember right :smile:

When you receive your certificate, is it framed?
No, it comes in an envelope. You could frame it yourself if you like. :top:

What happens at the end of the ceremony?
Everyone goes home/goes out/does whatever they like.

Is it any fun?
Personally I found it long and awkward :lol:

But that's just me.

Reply 7

Eugenie Grandet

I found the whole thing very cringe, tbh. I spend a lot of time waiting around and wearing uncomfortable heels. I was plagued by the idea that I would trip over the steps up to the podium as I was wearing ridiculous heels, so i drank 4 glasses of prosecco for dutch courage beforehand which made the clumsiness more likely. My parents got very drunk and wooped really loudly when my name was called out and then proceeded to make a beeline for my professors in the marquee afterwards going on about how proud they are and "she's done great hasn't she?" To their credit, my professors were very kind and humored the nutters (I guess they brace themselves for all kinds of eccentric family members approaching them).

Much preferred attending other peoples' graduation, since I got to dress up and have fun without having to worry about anything!

Edit: If you have an eccentric family maybe brief them not to do anything bizarre, wear comfortable shoes, don't get too drunk beforehand and enjoy hanging with uni friends for the last time before you all leave uni :smile:

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 8

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Note: if you graduate in the summer you might not even get a certificate on the day. Sometimes you'll get a mockup piece of paper, other times an empty degree certificate tube, sometimes you'll get nothing.

Reply 9

gutenberg

Original post by samklipas0

Are you called out based on your classification?

Will there be food, drinks and champagne?

When you receive your certificate, is it framed?

What happens at the end of the ceremony?

Is it any fun?

Thanks

[1] It will depend on your university. At mine, people were organised by degree classifications initially, and then alphabetically within that. So at my uni all the high firsts were called up first (since it comes with a prize), then all the firsts, then 2.1s, etc. However, I don't think many universities do that any more: most just call people up alphabetically within the ceremony, with some maybe mentioning a first/specific prize.

[2] Again, it depends. Mine had a little reception afterwards with bubbly, juice, tea/coffee and some small sweet items. Nothing too fancy or extravagant.

[3] No. At both my ceremonies at two different unis (one BA, one master's), I was just handed the piece of paper! Some unis might put it in an envelope or something. There will very likely be a booth somewhere near the reception where you can pay to have it framed if you want.

[4] After the actual ceremony, if there's a reception people go there and also arrange to have their professional photos etc. done, have their certificate framed, etc. After that it really depends. My ceremony was in the morning so I went for lunch afterwards with my parents, then later in the evening all my coursemates met up in a pub & later went dancing. With my cousin's graduation, there was a big SU-organised 'Graduation Ball' organised for the night of the grad, but my uni didn't have anything that formal (probably because the grads were spread over a few days due to the hall being quite small!). Go for a celebratory lunch or dinner with your family if you like, or see if your uni friends are arranging to meet up.

[5] I quite enjoyed mine as it was a chance to see people (my graduation wasn't until November of the year I graduated, so by then people had already started new jobs, new courses etc.), and it's always a nice occasion for the family of the graduates. The ceremony can be quite long depending on how many people there are - as I said, at my undergrad uni it wasn't so bad as the hall was quite small, and so they had to do the conferrals in batches, with each ceremony only lasting about 40 minutes. I liked getting to see friends receive their certificates and celebrate their hard work. However, I could well imagine that if you were disappointed with your final classification it could be a bit torturous, especially at my undergrad uni where everyone knew your final result, but I think most people enjoy it somewhat.

Reply 10

ShazNeedham

I'm graduating this summer and we've been told we'll graduate alphabetically but special awards will be called out (I don't think classification though).

Included in our and our guest tickets is a short drinks reception and then I'm planning to go for lunch with my family before a final dinner and night out with my friends! But I think what you get on the day varies for different unis, as when I went to my brother's graduation we all got lunch too.