Graduation Day

Friday started just like any other day. I woke up rather late (2 in the afternoon), ate some breakfast (reese's puffs), and took a shower and brushed my teeth. At 5, I headed off to work for what ended up being a 14-hour shift. That was it. That's usually how friday's go for me, at least for the past two years. Saturday, on the other hand, was different. Saturday was graduation day.

Finally..... after 4 1/2 years, 10 semesters, and achieving an unprecented academic cycle [similar to baseball, completing a semester with averages in the 1's (hitting a single), 2's (double), 3's (triple), and a perfect 4 (home run)] I am finally done with post-secondary education.

Nothing about graduating is bad. There isn't any bitterness that accompanies the sweet. As one would say, it's all good. For the next three weeks, I am going to be on a holiday break. I will not be going to school nor will I be working full time (ill still work my regular shifts at papa john's). So, in essence, this going to be a great stretch going into 2006.

But, if you know anything about me, and judging by all the previous posts I have made, you know that I only write on issues that piss me off. So, for this week's installment, I am going to talk about the unbelievable hassle of graduation ceremonies.

Just to be clear, let me make my point here: Graduation is incredibly lame

First of all, this doesn't apply to most schools. In most schools, the graduating class is recognized individually for graduating with a college degree. I mean, after supposedly busting your balls to graduate (I didn't bust no such balls), and after forking over thousands upon thousands of dollars for earning the degree, you'd think the school would be more than willing to give you your two seconds of limelight by simply addressing your name in front of the family members. It seems to make sense, right? well, not to the University of Georgia.

Undergraduate ceremonies at UGA are very pointless. You wake up early on a saturday morning (unless you got off work an hour and a half before the event), and you get all dressed up and you sit there for a couple of hours in an uncomfortable chair and listen to some old geezer talking some nonsense. After all that, they address you by major, and voila -- you are a graduate. That's it. That's all there is. And im fine with that. Im okay with not being addressed indivdually. Actually, im glad we weren't addressed individually (that would've taken forever). The only problem is..... why even have a stupid graduation ceremony?

The only reason why people go to these things is very evident as soon as you walk outside the venue and realize what most parents are doing with their kids. Graduation is all about the pictures. click click click .... that's all you hear (well, maybe not literally, but you know, the other word that's opposite of that).

My family was no different from the rest. We were out there taking unreasonable amount of pictures, and after 20 minutes of that, we all went home. As I was driving home, I thought of only one thing: couldn't we have done that at home?

Get a cap and gown, get a camera, go outside, and take some freaking pictures!!! that's all. What's the point of all this song and dance anyways? It was a complete waste of time. At least for me. I know im not wired the same as many people. I don't get emotional about stupid shit like graduation. It happens, and then you move on. It's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but I would rather have celebrated it at home..... asleep. That's reward enough for me. I don't need to be seen walking around with a ridiculous costume, and a dumb hat that requires you to think about which side you should place your tassel.

Maybe im just mad I didn't get my sleep in, but overall my impression of the day was this: glad to be out of school, but could've done without the graduation.

Now that saturday is thru, I can now look forward to the day that I was looking forward to this whole time -- even more so than graduation day -- and that is Sunday. The Indianapolis Colts are going to win their 14th straight game, and if they were to do just that, my experience at the graduation ceremony will be all forgotten.