Poll: Attending High School Graduation

[Dedpuhl]

Should it be a requirement for students to attend the graduation ceremony to receive their diploma? As far as I know it is a requirement at all schools.


I say no. All it does is prove that you can walk to a podium and flip a tassel from one side of the cap to another. I didn't feel the need to be there.

I am glad this is not a requirement at universities.

 

[iamwiz82]

it was not a requirement at my high school. In fact, a few people skipped it to go to a bad religion show. Thats punk rock!

 

[Dedpuhl]

it was not a requirement at my high school

Really? They continually told us that we would not graduate if we missed the ceremony.

 

[iamwiz82]

nope, my school didnt require it. They gave us our diploma about 2 weeks after graduation though. You had to pick it up at the school.

 

[kami]

I never went to my high school grad ceremony. Waste of time and money.

 

[Gorgonzola]

i didn't have to go to mine.

and i would love to be at a bad religion show instead!
too bad they never come to australia

 

[SpongeBob]

Wasn't a requirement for me either. They sent us our real diplomas in the mail like two weeks later.

 

[Linflas]

Back more years than I care to think about when I graduated high school no one got a diploma at the graduation ceremony. We were all handed rolled up tubes of blank paper and you only got your diploma when you turned in the cap and gown. As far as I recall you were not required to attend the ceremony to receive the diploma.

 

[Dedpuhl]

We were all handed rolled up tubes of blank paper

Same here.


I don't get it. Was the principal making this up?? This was back in 96. I started thinking about it recently because I am about to graduate from college and know it is not required...

 

[Soybomb]

I was going to skip mine as well, but was told that I had to be there. Rather than try and argue my way around it (i seriously doubt they woulnd't graduate you for not attending), I figured it was less trouble to waste an hour or two and go. It sucked, but I went. In a month or two when grad comes up ,I'm skipping though

 

[linuxboy]

check the laws in the state

if it's a part of the school law, then that doesn't matter if the state board doesn't require it.

look it up and present an argument. there is no reason to go if you don't want to. I'm not and it's not a requirement here. Look at it this way, you fulfilled all the graduation requirements so you should be able to receive the diploma. If they give you trouble, go higher up to the city school board and complain : )

 

[PG]

Should it be required, well no, but I say go. You only get one chance in your life to do it and it will make you feel good to go. You should be proud of yourself for your accomplishment and it's your day to reflect on the past 4 years. It gives you closure and will help you move forward in life. I'm not saying that you have to get all sappy and really pay attention to the silly speeches, but have fun, celebrate, and enjoy it. It's also the last time you might see many of your friends.

 

[Capn]

What got something better to do? If you don't want to go because of another pressing issue then I think you should get out of it. Unless you have a legitimate reason (i.e. not to just to stir trouble) you should definately go to your own graduation. Really you're not supposed to move the tassel at high school graduation, only after your college graduation.

 

[clhill]

My High School tried telling me it was required. I didnt go and went to pick up my diploma the next day. They didnt give me any problems. Who would want to sit through 3 hours of that crap when they dont have to?

 

[Wolfie]

I think the reason they tell you that you have to be there is because if everyone knew that no one would show. Maybe 10 ppl. And why would they want to set it all up for 10 people? I graduated with 687 peers and it was fun. But I spose every school is different. Collage is a little different. Where I go it says if 40% or less students sign up to do the ceramony it isn't held.
But you know as well as I do. If HS did that no one would show. Well, almost no one.

Linflas
You had to return your cap and gown? hahaha I burned mine.

Wolfie

 

[Kntx]

Unless you are getting some special awards or something, the graduation ceremony is far more boring than any class you took in high school. Last year when I graduated, I had to sit there for 3 freaking hours in uncomfortable metal chairs, in a hot gown, in the hot rank gym, in between the two largest people in the school (Alphabetical order can kiss my ass).

The only thing that made it worth it was getting to write a little blurb that the principal reads out about what you are doing and such. A typical one would be something like... "John is currently attending blah blah university taking blah blah blah".

 

[Wolfie]

Kntx
This is not to be ment as a flame. But wouldn't most people consider a diploma a special award? I know I do everytime I apply for a job.

Wolfie

 

[Dedpuhl]

Unless you are getting some special awards or something

I had to walk up to the podium 4 times for scholarship awards. That really sucked being the center of attention.

 

[LadyNiniane]

It's not a legal requirement, at least not around here.

But...you might have a "family" requirement.

At least that's what I told son-&-heir when he quibbled about attending his high school graduation last spring. My remarks were something along the lines of, "At least let your parents and grandparents get pictures of you getting your diploma; it matters to us."

Ah, the joys of parental guilt trips...

Hey, we have a right - our parents did it to us!

Lady Niniane

 

[linuxboy]

bah, high school is almost a complete joke

I say go to the graduation when you get a doctorate

and there's no way they can refuse to give you a diploma if you don't go. They just say you have to go for the reasons Wolfie mentioned. They planned it all out and want people to attend because the money was spent.