The ceremony after the completion of an academic course is termed as the Graduation ceremony where students receive their degrees, and the special day on which this ceremony takes place is known as the graduation day. There are four degrees associated with graduation, they are Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees.

According to the dictionary of the respected Cambridge University, the word ‘graduation’ stands for, ‘the fact of finishing a degree or other course of study at a university or school, or the ceremony at which you are officially said to have finished: AB, Associate’s degree, BA, Bachelor’s degree, B.Ed, Chartered, Emeritus, MBA, Master’s degree, M.Phil, M.Sc, Ph.D., Summa Cum Laude. 

The head of an institution confers degrees to his or her graduates in a ceremony, and the process can take place individually or in mass. The academic individuals wear the dress of graduation with a hat, and a speech known as the valediction takes place followed by several processions. When a student does not attend his or her graduation ceremony then it is termed as Graduation in absentia. 

In the United States, the completion of schooling is termed as the “Graduation”, and when a student passes from elementary school or even kindergarten that is termed as Graduation as well. This has received criticisms and termed as sarcastic that degrades the quality of the education system in America. Whereas, in other countries like India, Graduation is the process of getting a bachelor’s degree from an academic institution. 

The ceremony started in European universities in the twelfth century, and Latin was the primary language back then. In the case of Master’s they used ‘Universitas’, and in case bachelor’s, they used ‘Gradus’. However, the tradition of hats started in Sweden back in the eighteenth century and was adopted by the students at Uppsala University. Later on, the tradition of wearing hats started spreading like a wildfire. 

The graduation dress is worn by the students on the day of graduation, and it varies from one university to another university and sometimes it varies with the department as well. There is an alternative term used for the graduation dress known as the academical dress. 

Every graduation ceremony starts with a commencement speech from a notable persona. Generally, the person summarises the experiences he or she had in three or four years and jot down a two minutes speech acknowledging almost every moment he or she spent along with his or her friends and professors. The speaker is known as the commencement speaker, and commonly, various universities, colleges, and institutions invite politicians, entrepreneurs, or a known face to commence the ceremony. The speech is followed by authenticity, acknowledgment, humor, and respect. 

A graduation ceremony symbolizes the beginning of the real world by reflecting on the ending of a course. Every student in the ceremony is going to enter the real world, and it is going to be harsh. But, they will be leaving with memories, and that will act as a fuel to push them forward.