The SUNY Oswego graduation fair was on April 2 and I was a little disappointed with what I saw while I was there.
I went in expecting the fair to be pretty busy, with it also being inside the rink in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena, but it only took up a quarter of the concourse. To my surprise, the fair was relatively empty. Maybe it was because a lot of the graduating class had already gone before I was able to, as it spanned from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., but the lack of people combined with the empty tables made the whole thing feel a lot less special.
A huge issue I have with this event is that graduates need to buy their cap, gown and everything else they need for over $100, only for them to be used one time. I think it would be better if all of the caps and gowns were borrowed for the graduation and then returned. I do not see any reason why students should be buying these in the first place, let alone for the insane price they are marked at.
I also am not a fan of how they handle the final GPA system when determining what GPA category you fall into when you graduate. For some reason they base it completely on what your GPA is the semester before your final one which does not make any sense; it should always be based on your complete GPA.
It is an exciting time! Barring any new crazy quarantines, I will be able to experience a real graduation for the first time in a long time. We have already made it further this senior year than I did my high school senior year so that is a plus. The only major difference besides the worldwide pandemic is that I am not sure what is going to come next once we get past graduation. The job hunt is not fun but is the only way to get where I need to be once I am out of school.
It is crazy to think about how little time there is left for this semester. We are already less than a month away from the final day of classes.
Hopefully, this year’s graduation ceremony will go off without a hitch. I am excited to head into my next chapter in life with everyone who has been a part of this journey at SUNY Oswego.
Photo by: Emily Ranquist via Pexels
