When did this trend start??

People care this much about graduation attire? I hated even going.

A good friend of mine is Native American, her mother hand beaded her board. It took her 60 hours, it was the most intricate beautiful thing I saw that day. I, personally, loved her board.

I like the simple ones, such as just writing RN or BSN. I view it as a fun and more subtle way to celebrate. They're just excited. I can only imagine how ridiculous the flowers looked though! It sounds like a Capitol parade in the Hunger Games 😜

I've only ever known about people decorating the hats for graduation starting with my oldest brother graduating from high school (a long time ago). Sure some people choose not to but I've never been to a graduation where NO ONE did it. Mostly, they do it so their friends and family can see them in the sea of other graduates.

I hate graduations and I think they are pointless. Just give me my degree and I want out. I didn't walk for high school (finished my credits early so I could move on with life!) and I doubt I'll walk for my nursing school graduation either. It's too much fuss and I don't care for it.

I just went to our ADN students' graduation and it was a combination of formality (they rented the regalia for faculty and we all walked in to Pomp and Circumstance) and whooping it up (airhorns, hooting and hollering). Some Bedazzled their mortarboards. I thought it was festive. Nobody had an offensive slogan in with their rhinestones. That is definitely where I would draw the line. For some families, this was their first college graduate, so by all means that is something to celebrate.

What did make me sad was that the other majors were fully represented with faculty and graduates. Pinning for nursing graduates was earlier in the day so the majority of the nursing grads and faculty chose not to attend the big graduation ceremony. I found that to be very disappointing and sad. No reason to separate ourselves- why not go to both pinning and graduation? It's a celebration. So, decorate away!

Hell, they've been doing this at graduation at the Tercentenary Theater (otherwise known as Harvard Yard) for years, decades. My first husband graduated in 1972 and they did it then. The Law School often appends sharks, the Dental School often uses toothbrushes, one year Pubic Health and Medicine used condoms (consensually), the Education and Divinity schools do theirs variably. You get the idea.

Although undergrads getting ABs attend graduation in the Yard, they have their recognition ceremonies back at their Houses, and since the crowds are much smaller I don't know if they decorate them.

I've seen some pretty good ones in the newspaper covering all the college and university graduations in the Boston area. MIT's are usually the cleverest. I kinda like it.

As for me, I didn't get to walk for my BS (moved out of town the week before) or my MN (had a baby). I get to attend another college's graduation almost every year, but they're in uniform (Maritime Academy) and there is no Bedazzling. :)

This would not have been allowed at my ceremony!

This is nothing new. When I graduated with my first bachelors degree in the early 90s I recall several students had decorated their mortarboards with decorative tape. Nothing outrageous but still quite subtle. I still remember one girl though decorated her mortarboard with "We're Outta He" ... apparently she either barely passed English or ran out of room LOL 😜

I was also complaining about cow bells, air horns, whistles, and yelling from the audience when their special snowflake's name was announced. It didn't matter that the dean had asked the audience to hold their applause until all graduates had been announced so all names could be heard.

At my little sister's undergrad graduation, one sorority started cheering and blowing air horns as soon as a member approached the stage, before their name was read.

I've only noticed that this year with friends pictures. One I saw today was of her highschool grad daughter's mortarboard. I thought it was interesting. Most of the other highschool grads had normal boards, but there were a few that stood out.

No reason to separate ourselves- why not go to both pinning and graduation? It's a celebration. So, decorate away!

Guilty. :) Honestly, I could not afford both. Seating for family at graduation was much more limited than it was at pinning, and lastly... I remember my mom's pinning when she got her RN much more than I do her graduation. My mom got to pin me and my husband and daughter got to come on stage with her. Regular graduation wouldn't have meant as much to me.

When you walk, you walk your own walk, yes? Who cares?

I did the whole hooding ceremony and graduation for my BSN. I didn't for my master's. I graduated in December and had no interest in worrying about the deadlines in May to walk then. I was so over school at that point. I don't remember anyone dressing up their caps. I went to a fairly small school and all the majors had their colored hoods. I had my purple and white tassel for Sigma Theta Tau. I think I also had a gold band for cum laude. I certainly felt decked out enough.