My husband is about to complete his master’s degree through a local university (even though he took all of his courses online and never stepped foot on campus) and just recently submitted the paperwork for his commencement. We were both a little outraged at the fact that regardless of whether he attended the commencement ceremony we still had to fork over a $100 fee. With the amount of money we’ve given them over the past few years you’d think they would waive the $100 fee if you didn’t wish to attend the ceremony. At any rate, my husband decided not to attend which somewhat surprised me and not just because of the $100 fee!
When we received our under-grad degrees commencement was a huge ordeal. It lasted nearly a week. Now, with the completion of his masters which is a BIG deal, he could care less about the “celebration”. I’m wondering if it’s because of his coursework being online. Or maybe it’s just not as important to him?
What are your thoughts? If you complete your degree or diploma online, would you attend your commencement ceremony? Granted, it can be difficult if you live out of state, but we live about 3 blocks from this particular university. For me, commencement is a big deal; it’s recognition of all your hard work to accomplish a huge goal in life. But, maybe that’s just me - what do you think?