The romance of graduation is gone. Graduating seniors go straight from final exams Friday afternoon into commencement Saturday morning with no time to breathe in between. This haste ruins a vital part of the college experience: the ending. It is the last chapter to a book that has been over four years in the making and it has to end with a more positive experience.
Memories must leave a better lasting impression
There are a number of ways to improve the conclusion of our students’ last year here. First, a restructuring of the current timeline to be more time-friendly would be a start. Dropping or rescheduling Friday exams would allow students to have a day to breathe before they have to face a mass of family members, lug all of their belongings out of dorms, and make their careful stride across the stage to shake President Peterson’s hand.
Part of the restructuring process needs to also focus on creating a more positive atmosphere throughout the semester for graduating seniors. Many of the classes seniors take during their final year are some of the hardest classes they will face. Events like Rambling On, a seniors-only celebration, are a step in the right direction to try and alleviate some of that stress. However, events like this should be provided throughout the year and should focus more on Tech tradition; reminding seniors they’re almost there and of all of the traditions that got them there.
As Tech students, we work incredibly hard for four or five years and want to remember our time here in a positive way years from now.
As Tech students, we work incredibly hard for four or five years and want to remember our time here in a positive way years from now. Rushing graduation cheapens the experience we’ve worked so hard to achieve. By having the Institute, the Alumni Association and student organizations work together to achieve a solution, we can leave a lasting impression on students departing for their new lives so that they may one day look back and remember their years here in a positive way.