A college graduation is very similar to one that takes place at the high school level. One of the significant differences though is often the number of students as well as their ages. Many high school students do go to college immediately and they are still young when they graduate college. These days it isn’t uncommon for people of all ages to be returning to college later on in life. Their efforts should still be rewarded though as they have worked just as hard to complete the program of their choice.
A college graduation will also have a crowd that is very diverse. They have come to support their friends and their family members after they have completed their schooling. Some individuals will have more than one college graduation in their lifetime. It will depend on what programs they complete. Many people get an associates or bachelors degree and then go on to pursue either a masters degree or a doctorate.
It used to be that college graduates were all on their way into the workforce. The speeches and the information offered at the ceremony where geared towards this. However, with the number of older individuals returning to college many of them have already been in the workforce for quite some time. It is a nice gesture to have a party or a nice dinner for someone to help them celebrate their college graduation.
Some older people feel silly dressing up in a cap and gown at that age. They also don’t like the idea of spending money on those items to walk down the isle. If they have been taking online courses or they don’t really feel a part of the school comaderie they may choose to not show up for the graduation ceremony. They have still earned their diploma but they will get it before or after the ceremony takes place.
Most colleges hold graduation twice a year while high schools only do so in the early summer. This is due to many students fulfilling the requirements of their education at the end of the winter semester. Holding a graduation ceremony at that time means they can get their diploma right away. It also helps to reduce the amount of people graduating in each class so that limits don’t have to be put on the number of guests they can invite to the ceremony.