Not sure if I should go to my graduation?

LegacyUser

Not really a big issue or anything, just wanted peoples opinions on this.

I'm at the end of my college course and there will be a graduation next September. The thing is that I don't have any real friends in my course, but I have many friends in other courses. I did make an effort to make friends with my class mates in first year but just more time with people outside my course. I stopped going to our class parties because the class sort of had their own little groups and I was left on my own most of the time and just had a sh!te night. I usually tag along to my friends class parties instead and have a great time.

My family asked me if I was going to the graduation and I said I wasn't, which they thought was odd. They sort of think I have no friends in college and I might be bit of a loner, since I spent 4 years in college and didn't make any great friends in my class.

I do get on with people in my class but just from a college work point of view. I don't want to be rude or anti-social by not turning up for the graduation, but I think it's just going to the usual thing of "clicky" sub groups of friends for the night and I'll just have a bad time.

karaokeman

If you don't want to go then by all means don't.

Do what you feel is right because at the end of the day thats the only way out of situations like this.

Your other friends and family know you but not as well as you know yourself.

So what if they think its odd, as you grow older you meet less people who care what you believe.

Life is too short to dwell on such insignificant ordeals as this one.

Maybe you could go out with your friends from other courses some night over the next while.

If they know you well enough you will be more comfortable hanging out with them.

Best of luck:)

Firetrap

I agree with Karaokeman to a certain extent but how about looking at it from your family's point of view. Perhaps they are proud of you for having gone to college and getting a piece of paper. They might be looking forward to a day out. I know when I graduated, my parents were dead proud and it's a warm memory of mine, now that one of them has gone. You can still go to the graduation, celebrate with your family and then do your own thing. Just a suggestion.

LegacyUser

Firetrap wrote: »

I agree with Karaokeman to a certain extent but how about looking at it from your family's point of view. Perhaps they are proud of you for having gone to college and getting a piece of paper. They might be looking forward to a day out. I know when I graduated, my parents were dead proud and it's a warm memory of mine, now that one of them has gone. You can still go to the graduation, celebrate with your family and then do your own thing. Just a suggestion.

If it was a case that my parents or family wanted a day out I'd probably make the effort but they won't be (parents are too unwell/family too busy).

I was thinking more along the lines if I were to meet any of the classmates again in another setting, and they might think I was bit of an a hole for not turning up. They are going to make an effort to organise this. From what I hear everyone goes to their graduation, especially college graduations. But I don't really see the point if I didn't make any connection with these people.

2Scoops

The whole class rarely turns up to graduation. And I've seen many :pac:. If you ever bump into one of them again, they probably won't even realize you weren't there, and if they do, just say you had a holiday booked and couldn't cancel.

Firetrap

When you put it like that, I don't see any compelling reason to go really. Worrying about what some people, who you might never see again, will think isn't much of a reason. Especially when you're not even friends with them. Not everyone goes to their graduations and to be honest, I doubt they'll even care if you're there or not. Better to spend the money on something that you'd actually enjoy

car.kar

I was in the same situation last year. I went to the graduation ceremony because my parents were excited about it and I felt I would regret it if I didn't, but I went out with other friends that night.

LegacyUser

I'm a bit of a study junkie and have been to 4 graduations. Even my first, where I had a closer group of friends in my year, I didn't actually spend much time with them. Graduations are a celebration of what you have achieved and you tend to spend the time with your family. I've gone out with close friends (not from my year) after a family dinner. One of courses, I didn't tell anyone I had done it so went to the graduation alone. I saw it as my own personal celebration of my achievement. I was proud of what I had done and thought the graduation ceremony was a good acknowledgement of that.

From a purely practical point of view, if you attend you will get your award/certificate/diploma/degree there and then, whereas otherwise you will probably have to rely on the post to get it. Not all colleges/awarding bodies will re-issue certificates even if it is not your fault that you don't have the original. They may only issue a Replacement Statement of Results.