New beginnings
New beginnings
I have the good fortune to work in a university. As part of my duties, I have to attend graduation ceremonies for our students. Actually, this is a real pleasure the culmination of their, and our, efforts and it is a delight to see their relief and joy at their achievement. In the USA, such a ceremony is not called a graduation ceremony, but a "commencement". This signifies that the ceremony marks not the end of a process, but the start of the rest of their lives. This strikes me a being so much more positive, reminding (successful) students that they are embarking on a journey which will face them with further challenges. Delight in the present but prepare for the future. We know that professionally, change is ever-present. Hopefully, graduates learn much more than the subject of their studies they learn how to analyse situations,how to find out information, how to put together an argument, how to persuade others of the validity of a case, and so on. Today's graduates need these skills more than ever.
