this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
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[–] sexy_peach@feddit.org 93 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's what being an adult is like. You don't study for the fanfare, you study for a goal or for yourself.

[–] jballs@sh.itjust.works 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

That and if you have a significant other, you might also score a celebratory shagging.

Edit: Never mind, just realized this is an anon on 4chan posting about engineering school.

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[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 67 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I think it's practical. I haven't known many engineer types to make a huge deal of graduation per se. It's just the next step in a bigger procedure.

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[–] jqubed@lemmy.world 56 points 2 weeks ago

I’m kind of surprised; most colleges and universities I’ve seen still have a ceremony for people graduating at the end of the fall semester. It’s not nearly as elaborate as the one ending the spring semester, but it’s still something.

Still, most of life is going to be like that. Usually no real ceremonies for the last day on the job. Move out of your old house/apartment is a lot of work at the end and then you lock the door for the last time.

Congratulations, you’re an adult now.

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 51 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Slight difference; being an ex on has the opposite effect on your ability to get a job.

[–] bulwark@lemmy.world 35 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Agreed, Exxon is a horrible company but I hear the pay is good. It would be tough for an ex-con to get a job as well.

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 17 points 2 weeks ago

Oof, touché.

Leaving it as is.

[–] _____@lemm.ee 34 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I've never attended a singe scholarly celebration since my middle schools where I went and realized that it was completely pointless

plus the whole preparation and fanfare is draining for me, id like to actually celebrate by relaxing not stressing over an event

[–] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 15 points 2 weeks ago

I feel that. Too many people, and most are just sitting there, looking at other people and clapping.

[–] namarupa@lemmy.world 33 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Validation need not come from anywhere outside yourself. Set your own goals. Do your best. Pat yourself on the back. People who 'recognize' you only do so superficially anyway. No one can truly know what you've done or where you've been.

[–] currycourier@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I mean, sure, but it is still nice to have some external validation now and again you know?

[–] infinite_ass@leminal.space 8 points 2 weeks ago

In monetary form even.

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[–] Pulptastic@midwest.social 25 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Two things. 1. If you hated it maybe it was the wrong choice, 2. You can walk in the spring commencement if you want to, that’s what I did for grad school.

[–] Croquette@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I love engineering, I hated University. The framework of school is not for everyone and reading 300 pages of complex stuff every week for 4 years is boring to death and it isn't for me, and for a lot of people.

School of all levels caters to one type of learning, and not everyone is good with that style.

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[–] petersr@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)
  1. if you hated engineering in uni, will you love the work afterwards?
[–] DeadWorldWalking@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago
  1. Does it matter if you hate the work if it's the only thing you can find that pays more than subsistence wages?

  2. Do any of our lives matter in this hell?

[–] rodbiren@midwest.social 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Depends if who you work for. If you work for bad management prepare for some goon to tell you what you should be doing, be wrong about what they tell you, not know what they want, and to demand it sooner than you tell them it will take. They will then change their mind and still expect it to take less time. They will be constantly frustrated with you and you will hate it.

Good management will find work with clear value to customers and you will feel valued and be given *mostly adequate time to do your work. You will put in your hours and be paid. You'll still be jerked around by typical corporate politics, but it's everywhere so buckle up. Better than ditch digging unless that's what you want.

Good management should insulate engineers from most of the corporate politics. My manager, for example, knows we get surprises, so they add in extra time to whatever estimate we give, and he tells stakeholders that this is a firm estimate, which they'll inevitably push back on and they'll concede down to something a little higher than our initial estimate (i.e. handle the corporate politics).

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[–] frigidaphelion@lemmy.world 22 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Getting out of the military is a lot like that as well

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[–] Taalen@lemmy.world 21 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

I just didn't go to my graduation ceremony, despite there being free dinner. Was (and had been for ages) struggling with pretty bad depression and didn't feel I deserved any of it.

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 22 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I've got 3 degrees and have a Gold Duke of Edinburgh award (if you do bronze, silver, and gold, you get to shake hands with a failed king)

  • Never went to any graduation ceremony
  • Never went to Buckingham Palace to shake hands with Prince Philip.

I am right now, sitting at home in my jammies eating burritos. I regret nothing.

[–] SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

How do I become smart? All I do are online courses for tech and such. I have an established career. Good money, house family and shit....but I want the prestige of at least having a degree. But I'm functionally retarded with math.

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

How do I become smart? All I do are online courses for tech and such. I have an established career. Good money, house family and shit

Congrats, you are smart.

The challenge you have now is to acknowledge and feel it.

but I want the prestige of at least having a degree

So here's the problem. you want the prestige, not the intelligence. You can get a degree in various ways if you want, and have the time. You can attend a university course part time, or through their online facilities. Choose a topic you've done a lot of online courses for and try for a degree.

But I’m functionally retarded with math.

There's resources online to help with this, maybe the new methods will help you understand math concepts better. Common core, khan academy, and the sponsor of this lemmy post, skillshare

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

For some tracks there are even speedrun/lower-cost guides for online degrees through places like WGU. They except transfers from online courses as well. You can do it cheap, especially if you get tuition reimbursement.

I just found out my state (Massachusetts) offers associates programs at any state CC for anyone who doesn't already have a degree. For adults over 25 the program is called MassReconnect. I'd have to look into transfers, but I imagine those could be transferred to WGU towards a 4yr or post-grad degree. Some of the CC programs can also be done all (or mostly) online.

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[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You don't need to be smart. Back in my uni, there were student initiatives to record the questions and answers of previous exams. The Math department itself gave out previous years exams to study from.

The key to remember: exams aren't written my professors, they're written by the postdocs who have better things to do, and so they just rehash the same stuff from the year before.

If you want to get a useless piece of paper that tells you that you are an expert in topic X, then don't learn X, learn to pass the papers for the X exam, and learn X later in your free time if you're still interested in it.

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[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Something, something judging a fish by it's ability to climb a tree

I think you're a smart person that's terrible at math. It's ok to be bad at math, I am too and I have a degree in computer science with a union job. Now that I've thrown away a bunch of money, I've learned that CS is awesome and I love it but I don't feel like I can qualify myself as being smart with it. With age I learned that I'm really smart with labor militancy and history, and if I could go back I'd get a degree in labor studies. I think you just need to find your topic.

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[–] emergencybird@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I graduated in the winter in 2023, didn't attend the ceremony or anything. I have really bad social anxiety so the ceremony seemed like more stress than a celebration for me, I just ordered food and relaxed. But I do remember, after walking out of my last final, thinking "damn do that's it huh", I know it's just a bachelors degree but I didn't believe in myself enough to even think I'd ever actually graduate. Things turned out okay though, even had a job lined up before graduation which was lucky given the current job market for software engineering. Believe in yourself, your hard work got you that degree, proud of you man!

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[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I also skipped my graduation. But just because I don't like that kind of stuff.

Why do you feel like you didn't deserve to graduate? I'm sure you did deserve it.

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[–] VinnyDaCat@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Didn't go to any of mine outside of high school because I was a kid and my parents could force me on that one. By the time I finished grad school I really felt like I was just another person in an increasingly growing rat race. It's not even that I haven't accomplished anything so much as I haven't accomplished anything particularly unique that sets me apart and grants me intellectual value.

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[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

The school to hospice informal incarceration pipeline is omnipresent for the working class, and college/trades level is right there in the middle. Right after kid jail and before wage slavery.

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[–] transMexicanCRTcowfart@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

If one is not inclined to social gatherings but still feel a need for something to signal this passage (or any other), a good option is to perform a personal ritual of choice.

Human brains seem to be inclined to appreciate symbolism.

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[–] lung@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah I just had em mail me the thing

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Why you do graduation ceremony btw? We don't do that here.

[–] CluckN@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

It’s a pretty big accomplishment so the schools like to throw a little party. It also allows students to invite family to see the campus and get an idea of how fast they can chug a beer.

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[–] stinky@redlemmy.com 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] pretzelz@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

We are, we are, we are, we are

We are the engineers!

We can, we can, we can, we can

Demolish forty beers

Drink rum, drink rum, drink rum, drink rum

And come along with us!

'Cos we don't give a fuck about anyone else

Who don't give a fuck about us.

That's what the first engineer I ever met said, but to be fair he was a combat engineer. Those guys are scary. Stick to electronics and bridges...

[–] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I have an MSc and have spent the day cleaning gutters, I have no idea what to do and am unsure whether I'd be better off dead.

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