Graduation ceremonies are a cluster of mixed emotions. It is filled with pride for the great accomplishments of the past four years, excitement about moving to the next chapter in life, and the bittersweet feeling of one last hurrah with the friends you've made at this school. Just for the occasion, the best and the brightest have been asked to give long speeches in honor of the graduating class to impart what words of wisdom and encouragement they can. There is a lot to get through in one ceremony.

First, you get to go back to campus.

After being home for a few days, going back even just for the day is exciting. You get to spend one last day at your home away from home before saying goodbye for real this time for the next two and a half months.

Then you see the seniors begin to process it.

And then the feelings just hit you. Even though you don't know three quarters of them, you all picked and loved the same school, and now it's time for them to say goodbye and move on.

But then you see the list of everyone and their brother who gets to speak before you actually get to the diplomas.

Here comes the boring pomp and circumstance parts. Especially for outside graduations, when the brutal sun is beating down upon you, this part is murder. You basically start scanning the crowd and eyeing your friends about how you's all rather be at Dairy Queen than listen to this.

Without fail, there is always someone who mentions the crippling debt all the students have and how difficult it is to find a job within their speech.

There's always that guy. This is supposed to be a happy day, let's not depress the masses and their parents quite yet, shall we?

Now we get to the special commencement speaker.

Hopefully, you get a good one! Good commencement speakers are precious. They can make you laugh, cry, and everything in between, often simultaneously. Naturally they are put last so that people have to wait for the most interesting speaker. Whoever it is will probably spew some cliche stuff about growth and life and then get off the stage to wild applause because the people who could hear the speech actually enjoyed it.

Depending on the size of the class, bad seats will leave you sitting in the hot sun catching only a few words at a time.

Then comes the diplomas!

You sit through thousands of people you don't know and cheer for the 10 to 20 people you do know. Screaming and shouting is greatly encouraged here. We clap, we cheer, well done.

Now the real party begins.

More laughter, more tears, a lot of celebration! It was a long four years and now classes are over! Time for some final pictures with friends and notable school landmarks and then: to party!

To all who graduated this year, congratulations!

And may the force be with you.