Just got back from visiting an event at my uni that was held in a building’s atrium.
It was hot, bright, crowded, full of anxious students and just Too Much. I’ve been back an hour and I still haven’t calmed down and got the overload out of my system.
It was just a fraction of the size that my traditional graduation ceremony will be in July. It will be held in a similar but much larger building with many, many more people, masses more sound and noises and movement and chaos.
I’ve never been so relieved to wait 25 years to REJECT a dream: since my teens I dreamed of graduating by walking across a stage… and I’m so fcking relieved to have opted to Graduate In Abstentia. I am a genius. Thank f** for that.
Side note: my university were going to try to hold a quieter version of the traditional graduation event just like the one that made the UK news: Relaxed Graduations at Nottingham Trent University. There was a lot of positive movement in the second half of last year. I heard they’d definitely do it for the winter graduations (just gone), and someone else said they’re definitely doing it this summer. But now, I think they actually haven’t done anything more. So glad I wasn’t waiting and depending on that. I’d be devastated. Many staff also wanted this - many also have disabilities and/or are neurodivergent. So it’s a let-down for everyone.
