When graduation finally arrives, it is not only met with the completion of required courses, but also with rituals and celebration.
"I believe that everyone has that one thing they've done before graduating where they can look back onto and say 'I can't believe I did that,'" Amy Fletcher, an education alumni from the University of Memphis, said. "It's just nice to look back onto it and say that you did something that you don't normally do on a regular basis."
Whether it is running through the fountain or riding one of the many life-size tigers that ferociously await students as they walk through campus, graduates have many ways of memorializing their last days as a college student.
"I don't think anyone who has gone to Memphis can say they have not rode a tiger," Morgan Minor, an English alumni from the U of M, said. "It's like one of those things that everyone's got to do even if you're planning on graduating from Memphis or not."
Aside from partying, the gentle relief alumni feel knowing that the weight of school has been lifted from their shoulders may be the sweetest celebration of all. For many graduates, the realization that there is no longer a need to study and do homework to maintain a positive GPA is satisfying beyond measure.
"Honestly as soon as I graduated, I went home and relished in the fact that I don't have to sit through lectures, dedicate hours to study and being able to let my hair down," Fletcher said. "It was probably one of the biggest reliefs. That, and after having my first daughter."
The adage "all good things must come to an end" may be time-tested and true, but after the celebration ends - graduates are often reminded of the sobering realization that they must use their degree and experience (or lack thereof) to get a job in what many elders call "the real world."
For some, job hunting can be nearly as much of a pain as dealing with procrastinated homework.
"I believe you must do as much work in the classroom as you would outside," Joseph Grant, a Liberal Arts alumni at the U of M, said. "Even though it's sometimes very difficult to get a decent paying job in my field, I worked hard and it all turned up for me."
While celebrating and releasing built up anxiety is important, staying motivated, bearing in mind the principles learned on campus and in the classroom, should be a first priority, according to Fletcher.
"Even though it's a good thing to let yourself relax before and especially after graduation," Fletcher said. "Have fun, but always stay focused."
