Elation, Apathy or Admin? Graduation ceremonies and "those" conversations...

Linkedin-merchant (definition #4)

NOUN

1. A graduate that has created a post announcing their graduation and is extremely anxious about publishing it because they feel like everyone will think they are both hypocritical and insufferable. They have often ripped into similar posts in the pub or have even started a blog about how silly it all is.

• Adam Taylor's Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-taylor-2a93341b8/

Linkedin-merchant #4 in action...

This week's definition has a slightly different flavour from bitter cynicism; that is, if by flavour you mean a complete projection of my own feelings onto my readers. Welcome to blog #3 and if you are coming from Linkedin, welcome!

I have to admit, I have tried to write this post multiple times now and have really struggled. Like many others, I have experienced a wide range of emotions as I have progressed through the infamous "grad week" and despite having different subjects lined up for posts, felt it only appropriate to write through the lens of these emotions rather than in hindsight.

So, aside from the gowns and mortarboards, the parent-sponsored lunch that you had to book in January, and praying you don't trip in front of your whole course, what is graduation all about?

In terms of my own experience, I actually had a great day. Tipping my hat to the Vice-Chancellor whom I had never seen before, surrounded by people I'd grown close with over four years, hearing the yells of proud parents all whilst the speakers awkwardly swerved around how strike action had completely derailed the completion of at least 50% of the attendees' degrees made for a pretty outstanding day in my life. I've often found academic results to feel underwhelming and, aside from relief and some good times with friends, have never felt the fabled Hollywood feeling of "I've made it". However, despite my characteristic cynicism, I really did feel that this ceremony was different, but maybe that was because I received my degree results whilst on break from my first shift in the bread and cakes aisle of Tesco (other supermarkets available).

It is definitely a strange time though and I think that feeling of anticlimax is quite common. It's a pretty stressful day and particularly when most people are graduating not knowing their results (another conversation in itself), they're dealing with their entire families, and there is a sense of having to "tick the boxes". Some are disappointed or disputing their results, some are just glad it's all over, and some particularly considerate graduates like to bop from person to person finding out just how high their first was. One common theme though, is that we truly have to process that for most of us, our time in education is over.

This is absolute prime time for the "what are your plans next year?" conversations and where the Linkedin-merchant competition starts to hot up. Amplified by the meeting of your peers' siblings, parents and grandparents, the charade of having your life together becomes even more critical, all whilst you can still remember asking your mate from Sociolinguistics of French what they did for their A-levels and what accommodation they'd got in 2019. Wish I'd done those "Big Four" applications now! On an emotional level, relief, sadness, elation and "surely not another photo" definitely make the highlight reel.

And then come the posts...

There it is. The tidal wave of the "I'm delighted to announce...", the "last week marked...", the "I am glad to say..." and the inevitable cap and gown picture. From astute studiers to people you haven't seen since the first lecture of "The Making of Modern Spain" in term one of first year, the spotlight is ours for the viewing pleasure of our undoubtedly vastly more experienced networks. We leave overly formal comments on our friends' posts and shower them with celebrate, like, and love reacts and maybe even slightly enjoy the palpable silence of those that seemed a bit too confident at the beginning of the year.

I'm finding it hard to parody this in the way that I usually do in these blogs and so maybe this isn't the one to announce on my Linkedin page. As much as I think a lot of posting on Linkedin is unnecessary, infuriating and hilarious, I'm not sure I can say with complete conviction that I think these posts are a bad thing. Are they cliché? Yes. Do we all write essentially the same thing? Yes. Am I justifying my own actions? Most definitely.

Between the pandemic, lecturer strikes, cost of living and the mental health crisis that we are all victims of to some degree, maybe we deserve to celebrate our achievements once in a while. Perhaps coming together to view each other's milestones can be uplifting and fun, rather than a source of angst, envy and blog content. Getting a degree is extremely hard work and university is not only full of highs and lows, but constitutes some of the most difficult and formative years of your life and we forge friendships that, not unlike our student debts, will grow as time goes on. We all manage and process these peaks and troughs differently, including the day where it all comes to a head when we graduate.

The bottom line is, Linkedin merchant or not, we've had a really tough run in over the last 4/5 years and I hope every one of you is proud regardless of your future plans and regardless of how you felt on your big day. You all have a Linkedin-merchant pass for this one post.

To the class of 2023, we did it. See you in the next one.

Your favourite not-so-secret LM,

AT