did your parents throw you a party when...

[jaysonsmom]

Nope no party, not for high school, undergrad nor grad school. Going for each degree, and completing each degree was kind of expected in our family. Now if I'd excelled or graduated with honors, it might have been a different story! We did out to eat with just the immediate family, but it was unplanned and casual.

I did receive nice presents from my parents for each stage though. For my high school graduat8ion I got a 14ct ring with miniscule diamonds that I picked out myself. I got a pearl stud and pendant set for my undergraduate degree and for my graduate degree I got an emerald/diamond pendant and earring set.

 

[luv2sparkle]

DF, I am so glad you posted this, because I was wondering about this myself. I have a son graduating from college in June, and I was wondering what everyone did. We have paid for his college education in total, and I just spent a couple hundred bucks ordering all his graduation stuff that he wanted. I am ready to be done. We have given him a car to drive and paid all his insurance and cell phone bills, but now he will have to buy his own car. Our younger son will eventually be driving our 'extra' car. I was feeling kind of bad about not buying him an expensive gift. We bought him a top of the line Mac computer when he graduated high school (that is what he asked for), and we will take the family out for a nice lunch after the last of the three ceremonies.

 

[Tanzigrrl]

Gosh this is hard to answer. I've never thought about this in these terms, maybe I've sort of blocked it:

College - no party, went out to eat at a nice restaurant, just parents and me
Grad School (first degree) - no party, a card with $300 in it, no other mention to extended family, etc.
Grad School (second degree) - new car.

Which is odd, considering my mother complained the whole time I decided to do the 2nd degree. My first is a traditional academic degree, and my 2nd masters is a more "professional degree." She was so angry that I was "going to school - again." Her words. There are some issues there, for sure. I've always had the strong impression she wanted to go to school and didn't (not couldn't, didn't) and a lot of those issues were aimed at me. I guess she felt guilty about her treatment of me in school and bought me the car??? Not sure. It wasn't a very happy occasion, truth be told. Being told, "Congratulations, I'm so proud of you" would have done so much more for me. Alas, this is how it is in my family. I love them completely, but I'm aware they're not perfect.

 

[purselover]

They offered and I said no, as a a result my parents got me a gift but no one else in my family did - which was completely fine by me!

 

[glitterpants]

No, neither my brother nor I got a party or grad presents. It was just expected that we would finish college and it wasn't seen as a big deal. Granted, they paid for college so that's really more than I could have ask for- and am so grateful for that.

 

[mich_t]

No party and no gifts. My dad paid for my first year of university, but then he died and I had to get a couple of extra jobs to help pay for my mum's upkeep!

I've since graduated with three degrees and I have clearly missed out on a lot of giftage based on what PP have said!! It's all good though because education is it's own reward

 

[MissStepcut]

Party? They didn't even come to the ceremony! Though I graduated 3 semesters early, putting my graduation in December, and that's not a great time to be traveling in Iowa. No gift, no car, no lunch, didn't pay for my tuition or rent either, which was a struggle since their high income disqualified me from all but a couple thousand dollars a year in loans. But, they've always helped out when I was in a bind. I guess they're more into rescuing than marking milestones

 

[hlmr]

No party and no gifts. My dad paid for my first year of university, but then he died and I had to get a couple of extra jobs to help pay for my mum's upkeep!

I've since graduated with three degrees and I have clearly missed out on a lot of giftage based on what PP have said!! It's all good though because education is it's own reward

 

[baby monster]

Nothing for HS, college or master's. Parents paid for private college so I didn't expect anything.

 

[artdecogirl]

When I graduated with my first degree my mom and stepdad came and gave me a small gift but it was kind of a big deal, I was the only kid in my family to go to college and then with the 2nd degree I was just done, did not walk and wanted nothing to do with school ever again.. thinking about going back now for advanced practice. All three of our kids had large high school grad open houses and they each got monetary gifts from us and friends and family. Our dd and her husband both graduate from Northwestern this saturday and for their gift we are taking them to Maui this december We will take them out to eat after the ceremony and I may get her a little something to remember it by, a charm or something. Have not decided yet, Maui is costing a fortune...... We might wait and maybe look at pearls when we are on vacay

 

[pandabee]

I had a joint grad party when I graduated HS with 3 of my best friends. I got some money/gift cards but nothing too substantial. Undergrad, I didn't get anything (I was technically already in grad school by then, I did a pre-acceptance/overlap program so I finished the requirements for undergrad while in my first 2 years of grad school) so it wasn't a big deal. I think my family may have gone out to dinner or something. Grad school...we shall see. It'll be an all weekend-long event so we'll see how much extended family is able to make it but I don't expect to have a party or anything.

I had scholarships to cover almost all of the cost of my tuition in undergrad so my parents paid for what little there was left and I am grateful for that. Grad school I am taking out loans because there's no way I could have let them pay for that enormous bill and I will pay it off when I *hopefully* get a job upon graduation. I work enough to pay for all my rent/bills/food so they don't have to worry about that either. But the car I drive now is my dad's technically so I would consider that a gift, and I wouldn't expect to get a new car upon graduation.

 

[NOYFB]

No. I threw my own party when I graduated both college and grad school.