Graduation from school traditions in your country?!

[onelung]

how do you celebrate your graduation from school in your country and what interesting traditions do you have about this occasion???

[Guest]

how do you celebrate your graduation from school in your country and what interesting traditions do you have about this occasion???

[Saaropean]

how do you celebrate your graduation from school in your country and what interesting traditions do you have about this occasion???

Do you mean high school or university?

For high school graduation in Germany (at least for the Gymnasium type) you have a formal celebration at your school, where everyone receives their diplomas and there are a few speeches (in my case it was the principal, two students, the Landrat [head of the district authority] and the chairman of the Schulförderverein [association of friends of the school]). A few students receive awards for excellent results in the final exams. Then there's music (something like the school choir in the formal part and an ordinary band later), and of course stuff to drink and eat.
In my case, the informal celebration was a 3-day party in the middle of a forest, without teachers but with people I'm sure never were at my school, where lots of evil stuff was drunk...

[onelung]

i don't know. i think high school. friend asked me to post this topic.

anyways. thnx

[Lada]

In Russia everybody tries to make this day unforegettable
How it was in my school:
At first there was a performance - pupils were singing songs about how we loved our school and how we didnt want to leave it(of course our feelings were opposite:D ) - all this was shot on the camera and then we got VHS cassests.
then we had a big dinner - with champagne, martini, salades and so on, then all night there was a disco and about 5 a.m we went by speacial ordered bus to the Read Squere(the center of Moscow) then came back to school and had "breakfast" - i came home at 9 a.m.
all others have something like this - in some schools they even went out of Moscow for several days to selebrate it with teachers, some bought tickets to special concerts for pupils which are hold every year, other pupils just were walking all night long or rented a restaurant for all night or...there are many ways to celebrate this day

[darkina]

We have no traditions... Of course some people have a party to celebrate the great day, but I can't think of any traditional way!

[Car]

In my case, the informal celebration was a 3-day party in the middle of a forest, without teachers but with people I'm sure never were at my school, where lots of evil stuff was drunk...

A trip was planned, but there weren't enough people for it. So just Abiumzug with games for teachers and a party for us (also something to eat and drink), Abiball where parents are also there and people dance and Abifete where anyone can come. Beer's for free, so I don't need to tell why people go there... And lots of alcohol, of course.

[Sarabi]

Well, we have prom at our school at the end of the year. I don't know if the seniors have been to prom yet this year, but it was supposed to be this month. And then graduation is on May 28. I went to the graduation ceremony last year because I had to play with the band. It was a little sad, although I barely knew the seniors. Anyway, I believe there was a speech or two from the principle or some other stupid board member... And then rank third in the class gave a history speech (booooring). Rank 2 gave another boring speed, and rank 1 gave the final speech which was at least almost interesting. In the meantime, they announced scholarships and then finally were given their diplomas.

And I am third rank right now. This is unacceptable! I must be at least second rank by graduation because I don't want to read a stupid history speech!

[Saaropean]

A trip was planned, but there weren't enough people for it.

Wow. We never thought about planning something like that for all Abiturienten.

So just Abiumzug with games for teachers and a party for us (also something to eat and drink),

What is Abiumzug? Sounds like a mixture between Abischerz (where the school doors are locked and teachers have to play games to get the keys) and something else...

Abiball where parents are also there and people dance and Abifete where anyone can come

That was simply called "offizielle" vs. "inoffizielle Abifeier" here...

Beer's for free

Well, we have prom at our school at the end of the year.

What is prom?

And then rank third in the class gave a history speech (booooring). Rank 2 gave another boring speech, and rank 1 gave the final speech which was at least almost interesting.

What kind of ranks are you talking about?

[Patricia]

Prom is like a party...right? I've seen it in the movies..

[Patricia]

High School:

- A trip with all your classmates, usually to Bariloche (in Patagonia). Students usually start saving money for this trip a year in advance or so.

- Graduation ceremony, where each student receives their diploma.

University:

- Graduation ceremony, with speeches, etc.

- The actual day when a student graduates (when they receive the grades for their very last exam) the friends and family are usually waiting for him/her outside the uni building and they usually...literally make a mess of the poor student painting him, or throwing eggs and flour and whatever at him.
However, this tradition has been left aside lately, because it is unaxeptable to waste food when there are so many poor people around.

[Kubi]

What is Abiumzug? Sounds like a mixture between Abischerz (where the school doors are locked and teachers have to play games to get the keys) and something else...

Good question. I don't know it either. We just had the official and unofficial parties, as mentioned, and of course a number of Scherze.

What kind of ranks are you talking about?

I guess it's like in France and they're ranked according to their average marks...

[Car]

So just Abiumzug with games for teachers and a party for us (also something to eat and drink),

What is Abiumzug? Sounds like a mixture between Abischerz (where the school doors are locked and teachers have to play games to get the keys) and something else...

I think I'll have to explain it more. First of all, we choose an Abimotto which leads to our main theme. We also get t-shirts and sweatshirts etc. with our Abilogo on it (we have to buy them, of course). Then, there's the Abiumzug. The doors are locked and there's only one open. That is decorated according to our theme and there are hindrances (not as much as it used to be - security reasons). When you're inside, the theme continues. This also includes dressed high school graduates. The staff room is also decorated and there's food for pupils and teachers. The second lesson is usually spent partying and eating and drinking, before the non graduates have to get back to class and get their class rooms ready again. In the 5th and 6th lesson, there are games where teachers have to play, the graduates organise and moderate it. At the end, presents like the Abizeitung are given out. That's a magazine with articles about the graduates' school time, especially the 6th form.

Beer's for free

Actually, all drinks are for free (guests have to pay an entrance fee), but the number of non-alcoholic drinks being drunken is extremely low. Every year, the amount of beer for free in liters is THE fact used to advertise. That's why people come, I worked behind the bar myself... I was there pretty early (first two hours) and some were already quite drunk. No surprise that you can be sure that there will be at least one fight. We try to make money and the only way to attract people is beer for free. Some of the people who came were definitely not old enough to drink alcohol legally...

[Sarabi]

What kind of ranks are you talking about?

I guess it's like in France and they're ranked according to their average marks...

Exactly. We call is GPA, or Grade Point Average. On my high school scale, I have a 5.3 (same as ranks 1 and 2, so I'm not far behind). On the national scale of 4.0, I have a 3.5... Also, we are ranked by class, and there are 270 students in mine.

[Saaropean]

At the end, presents like the Abizeitung are given out. That's a magazine with articles about the graduates' school time, especially the 6th form.

Even that sounds different from what I know. The kind of Abizeitung I know (colloquially called Bierzeitung) is sold around the oral exams or so (which mean the end of school time, just before the official graduation celebration). It contains mostly funny quotes from teachers and articles about school trips and teachers.

By the way: The kind of ranking mentioned here for the US and France is kind of taboo in Germany. Teachers are even frowned upon when they only read out exam marks in class rather than giving the exams back in silence...

[Kubi]

At the end, presents like the Abizeitung are given out. That's a magazine with articles about the graduates' school time, especially the 6th form.

Even that sounds different from what I know. The kind of Abizeitung I know (colloquially called Bierzeitung) is sold around the oral exams or so (which mean the end of school time, just before the official graduation celebration). It contains mostly funny quotes from teachers and articles about school trips and teachers.

In ours we had both: "Real" articles about the graduation calsses, photos of all the Kurse, quotes and funny essays, and other things. I remember its name: "Aus, Herr Fünten" - it was a pun on the name of the principal, Herr Aus der Fünten.

By the way: The kind of ranking mentioned here for the US and France is kind of taboo in Germany. Teachers are even frowned upon when they only read out exam marks in class rather than giving the exams back in silence...

Very true!

[Car]

Even that sounds different from what I know. The kind of Abizeitung I know (colloquially called Bierzeitung) is sold around the oral exams or so (which mean the end of school time, just before the official graduation celebration). It contains mostly funny quotes from teachers and articles about school trips and teachers.

The other Gymnasium sells its Abizeitungen, but my former school never did that. It's for free. There are also funny quotes, but just some. But with the graduates' school time I ment articles about school trips and teachers. And also photos.

[Bjerke]

ENGLISH:

Well, to celebrate the graduation from Videregående (Senior High School), the students become "russ". The students wear a special outfit for this period (it begins 1. May and ends 17. May), and the colour of this tells everybody what kind of student you are, or what you have studied. If the outfit is red (which is the most common), you have studied the general subjects. If the outfit is blue, you have studied the general subjects and also economy. This are students who have prepared to study at a college or a university.
Though, if your outfit is black, you are already done with your education, and will be for instance a mechanic by profession.

This period of celebration is a giant party, and the students met eachother several places in the country, just to party. Most of them get drunk (typical Norwegian), but the students have a great time. This period is right before the last exams, so students might get some problems with the studying


NORWEGIAN:

For å feire at man er ferdig med videregående, blir man en del av den typiske russen. Russen bruker spesielle antrekk, hvor farven forteller hvilke fag man har studert. En rød russedrakt (det mest vanlige) vil si at du har gått allmenne fag. En blå russedrakt vil si at du har gått økonomiske fag. Dette er studenter som skal gå enten på høyskole eller universitet.
Dog, går du med en svart russedrakt, er du alt ferdig med din utdannelse, og du vil for eksempel være en mekaniker av yrke.

Denne perioden med feiring er en stor fest, og studenter (russ) møter hverandre flere steder i landet, kun for å feste. De fleste blir fulle, men studentene har det meget artig. Denne perioden er dog rett før avsluttende eksamen, så studentene kan få litt med problemer med å studere.

A picture I found at Google.com/Et bilde jeg fant på Google.com
http://www.haugalandet.net/17m0ertg.jpg

[Guest]

What is prom?

In our highschools there are dances throughout the year, and prom is like THE dance, and it is just for seniors (the graduating class).

Teachers are even frowned upon when they only read out exam marks in class rather than giving the exams back in silence...

In my experience that's frowned upon here as well. I had a math teacher who was doing that but then he started getting complaints from parents and that was the end of that.

[DelBoy]

In Ireland when you graduate school, you have a graduation ceremony with music and poetry, prizegivings for the best students etc, usually in the school or in a church, with your parents there. Then its on to the graduation party for the students! Usually a nightclub is rented out by the students so its just people from your school there!

However, its a few months AFTER graduating that the real celebrations take place! Around September/October after graduation (which is usually in May) we have the Debs! This is like the American prom only alot more fun! (from what i've seen in films - sorry guys but its true!) Its a black-tie formal dinner dancey kinda thing, where a hotel and nightclub is booked for the students (and of course some of the teachers show up too!) and everyone gets really drunk and dances til about 6 or 7 am when breakfast is served! The Debs is such a big thing here that theres a party at home before you go (cos everyone wants to see you all dressed up)! Its great to have this months after finishing school cos the exams are out of the way and then you get to meet up with everyone again and see how they are getting on in college or work or whatever. And it's great to see the teachers as real people They like to go out and dance and drink too! (I'll never forget doing tequila slammers with my english teacher singing "ooh i like tequila, ooh it makes me happy!")