Skinpping graduation ceremony at online school- a disadvantage of online schools.

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by anngriffin777, Apr 27, 2014.

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  1. anngriffin777

    anngriffin777 New Member

    I go to a strictly online school that is 8 hours away. My graduation ceremony is coming up soon. I have thought about how much money it will cost to drive there and back, plus the food, and hotel expense, etc. My parents are 81 and 85. They both have to use walkers, plus take a lot of medication. I don't think that I want to drag them, my family, and myself through all of this to walk across the stage. It will be expensive plus dramatic due to their heath needs. I think it would be simpler to have a graduation dinner for the family, get some gifts, and call it a day.
    This is a disadvantage of online schools. They can be a long distance from your place of residence. You may not want to go to the ceremony after counting the costs. I guess for me that at the end of the day, all I want is the piece of paper (diploma) and to be happy (comfortable) and safe with my family.
     
  2. Delta

    Delta Active Member

    Amen! I had to sit and listen for an hour to some idiot that donated a bunch of money to the school.
     
  3. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    This is a disadvantage of attending a school that is far away, not online schools. I earned my degree online at a brick and mortar school, but did not want to drive 3 or 4 hours to go to the graduation. I could have earned my degree online in a similar field at a brick and mortar school in my city, but it was too expensive. For me, it's not a disadvantage. I don't care about graduations. They're boring.
     
  4. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    My thoughts exactly.
     
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Good point -- by the time I graduated from GW, I lived only about twenty minutes from campus, an enviable commute by D.C. standards. Still didn't go, though.

    But when I finish my PhD, yeah, I'm going, even though Cumberlands is an eight hour drive from here. Hopefully no one will give them a big donation that year. :wink:
     
  6. FJD

    FJD Member

    While I attended my BA and JD graduations (the BA one was boring but the JD one was pretty cool, actually), I skipped the ceremonies for my MBA and MPA because I didn't really feel the need to go. Heck, I even decided against a visit to my MPA school's campus when work took me pretty close to it once. However, like Steve, I'm going to my PhD ceremony, no matter what. If I'm lucky enough to get to the finish line in one piece, I want to commemorate the occasion. All in all, it's a personal thing: go if you feel it's important, otherwise don't worry about it. Congrats on a great job completing your degree, in any case.
     
  7. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I live 12 hours away from my school. I took a part time job in December and have banked every penny to pay for us to go. I don't have my aging parents, rather 4 kids & 2 cats that need boarding, so I share your pain. I didn't walk for my BA degree, but it was quick and timing was bad. This degree took 2 full years and I earned honors- I'm walking.
     
  8. lawrenceq

    lawrenceq Member

    I drove 9-hours to attend my graduation in Lynchburg, VA. My plan was not to go, but my wife and mother-in-law wouldn't take no for an answer. I'm glad I went. I had a great time.
     
  9. brianlegg

    brianlegg New Member

    It was worth it to attend the graduation ceremony even though travel was involved. We were blessed to stay with a local family in Lynchburg so the out of pocket was relatively low.
     
  10. lawrenceq

    lawrenceq Member

    I had to stay in Rocky Mount, VA, which is 60 miles away from Lynchburg and booked my rooms in December.

    Book early future Liberty grads.
     
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Whoa. Cumberlands is in a fairly rural area as well, so the same might be good advice for Matt and me when the time comes. (knock on wood)
     
  12. Michelle

    Michelle Member

    I haven't made a firm decision if I'm going to mine or not, but if finances weren't an issue, I would definitely go. I have really enjoyed my program and made a lot of connections with my classmates. There are actually several that live in the same region as I do, so we've gotten together a few times to study over coffee and regularly text each other, but I would like to meet more of my classmates in person. One of our professors has invited us to meet her for dinner the night before the ceremony, and I think it would be a fun time. Of course, it doesn't hurt that graduation is in Ft Lauderdale! I felt completely different when I finished at COSC, so I think it may be related to the connections that I have made and my respect for Nova Southeastern.
     
  13. PilgrimPastor

    PilgrimPastor New Member

    I have earned all my degrees online or by some form if distance ed. I earned 3 of them with Liberty University. I finally moved to Virginia and went up to Liberty a few years ago to have a meeting with Elmer Towns about a ministry project and he looked at me and said how have you earned all those degrees with us and this is the first time you've ever come up here? lol

    Guess I was waiting for the personal tour from the co-founder... Cost of travel from hundreds of miles away has always kept me away from graduation. When I completed the MDiv it was cheaper for my wife to buy me a trip with a group of other pastors to Israel for a week.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 29, 2014
  14. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I would think such a trip would be more meaningful than a pilgrimage to Lynchburg, Virginia anyway. :)
     
  15. PilgrimPastor

    PilgrimPastor New Member

    Very much so! I've since visited the Evangelical Vatican many times while living in Virginia. I was thrilled to do it but Israel was better.
     
  16. gbrogan

    gbrogan Member

    It is only a disadvantage to those for whom walking matters.

    I obtained three degrees online and had no interest in attending graduation. I could have easily afforded to go but had zero desire to do so. I don't feel like I missed out on anything because it wasn't something I wanted to do.

    I think if it really means a lot to walk the stage, then you should start saving as soon as you begin school so you have a nest egg to use for the trip since depending on where it is, it can be very costly.
     
  17. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I've made enough trips to the UK as it is. If I go again, I want to be handed a 7-iron, not a diploma.
     
  18. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    I think you are making a wise decision. My daughter is graduating from UCLA next month and, while I am extremely proud of her, I am not looking forward to attending the massive ordeal in involved with graduating from such a giant school. I had no interest in walking with my class for any of the three graduate degrees I have earned online. It's just too much trouble, and I don't really care. Like you, all I wanted was to be done and to have the piece of paper.
     
  19. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I attended commencement at San Diego State U. 4 times as a faculty member. What a production. At the time, there was this old stadium on campus built by the WPA in the 1930s called "Aztec Bowl." There, all the students would gather to hear speeches. (One year we got Peter Uberroth right after he was MLB Commissioner.) Then the students would repair to their respective departments to receive their diplomas in smaller ceremonies all over campus. It was a zoo.
     
  20. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I love this!
     

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