Another class of students has graduated from Cal, and their adventures into the real world have only begun. But seeing them walk with caps and gowns has definitely awakened some commencement memories for us. After all, we’ve all experienced this ceremony in some form or another in the past. So come and take a Flashback Friday look with us at the graduation days of the yesteryear!
As children, we all asked what that weird ceremony was when we watched a high school comedy or when we watched an older family member graduate. At the time, it seemed like something out of our reach. But it would happen sooner than we could ever imagine.
Flashback to kindergarten: School was fun. We got to make some pretty sweet arts and crafts. Oh wait, what? We graduated? And just like that, it was off to big kid school.
Flashback to fifth grade: There weren’t any caps and gowns yet. But we were, at the very least, wearing that awesome set of fancy clothes our parents picked out for us to wear. Of course, the notion of academic achievement was still there, but it was fleeting. During that time, we were only beginning to fathom what it meant to graduate. Plus, we were freaking out about actually having legitimate letter grades next year in middle school. It was scary stuff. But there was still a long way to go from there.
Flashback to eighth grade: We actually got to pick out our outfits this time. Was it the fancy tie with the slick dress shirt? Or maybe that amazingly cute dress you bought just for the occasion? We were going to be moving up into the ranks of high school now. But something else lay before us to fight off first: puberty and mood swings!
Flashback to 12th grade: We endured our teenage growing pains and finally got to wear the cap and gown. Heck, we could finally act out that cap-throwing ceremony we saw in every high school movie and sitcom. Next thing we knew, if we jumped, everything would freeze-frame, and the end credits would roll. But they didn’t. After all, college was just around the corner, and an even bigger responsibility awaited us. Only now were we starting to feel like we’d become older.
Now, here we are in college. Looking back, every time we sat down and waited for our names to be called to receive our diplomas, we’d start to think about the next time we’d have to do this. Who would we be by then? What would we look like? Would we be different? The years change us in more ways than we know, but one thing is for sure: Graduation represents an achievement that displays not only our hard work but also how we’ve come to mature. Every graduation is a celebration of that success, and we should never forget that.
So to those who graduated with the class of 2013, we at the Clog wish you the best of luck and hope that the future brings you success and happiness!
Have any distinct graduation memories or experiences to share? Feel free to comment below!
Image source: ben.chaney.archive under Creative Commons
