The bittersweetness of graduation

4th year. Arguably the best and worst part of your university career. A year of dissertations and exams (which actually count), job applications, internships and making plans for the ‘real […]


4th year. Arguably the best and worst part of your university career. A year of dissertations and exams (which actually count), job applications, internships and making plans for the ‘real world’. Yet it’s also a time to enjoy the final perks of being a student: being on first name terms with the bar men at your local haunt, having those friends you’ve been with constantly since fresher’s week permanently around and having an ability to actually understand your degree. In order to celebrate surviving your time at St Andrews as well as the tightrope that is 4th year, the graduation ball is thrown as a massive champagne fuelled ‘congrats’. 
However, what should be an exciting, happy, fun social event is actually turning into something bittersweet for 4th years.

Knowing full well that families from around the globe will be descending for graduation week, some hotels and restaurants are abusing the rush for rooms and graduation dinners. 
The entire graduation ball is becoming a burden for those leaving. For a start, each student is only guaranteed 2 tickets for their own graduation ceremony. For those with parents, siblings and grandparents who are all keen to attend, choosing between family members only adds to the stress of the day. There is the possibility to apply for 2 more tickets, yet these won’t be announced until June. Already things are getting complicated. 


4th year Luisa Ruocco is one who has had more than her fair share of stress over graduation. After having booked her graduation dinner at the Old Course Hotel over a month ago, they informed her that there was no record of her booking so they would be unable to accommodate her when she had simply called to reserve her reservation. She said, “the Old Course has such a good reputation, so it’s really upsetting when something like this happens”. This isn’t the first time that the old course has ‘misplaced’ other bookings. It’s not just hotels and restaurants that are making life difficult: hairdressers and beauty salons are fully booked months in advance and require a 50% deposit. The date of graduation too, although necessary, makes it difficult for accepting job placements of internships as many want to start at the beginning of June. Accommodation is an issue, as many leases end before on June 28. Hotels and B&Bs are booked up absurdly quickly, so there is an intense rush to get everyone a bed. Streeeeeessssfuuul.


It seems vastly unfair that 4th years have to deal with all of this on top of revising and ensuring that they actually complete their education. Is graduation worth it? One 4th year said that he wouldn’t bother attending. He’d much rather salute his time here on a beach clutching a piña colada than in younger hall for hours, crammed against the chap who happens to have a name before yours alphabetically. I do feel he is an anomaly, though. For the majority of 4th years, this will be a momentous occasion to celebrate their achievements in style. And despite all of the exhausting and unnecessary stress leading up to it, it will (hopefully) be totally worth it.

Image courtesy of university.which.co.uk