Can someone describe the HSSEAS commencement?

Colleges & Universities University of California - Los Angeles
1

<p>Preferably from a Bachelor’s standpoint, and say what year it was.
Specifically I want to know what you do during it, is it just straight to the field and sit for 3 hours? Do they call out your name when you walk? How long did it last?</p>

2

<p>2011.</p>

<p>If you’re an award winner, you spend 30 minutes at a reception (good food, good opportunity to talk to professors) and then go line up to sit up front right before it’s time to walk to your seat. Otherwise, I believe you just line up with your department and wait for a bit until you’re called to walk to your seat. It’s a pretty long walk and they play Pomp and Circumstance.</p>

<p>Once you’re seated, here’s roughly what happens:

  1. PhD students each get their hoods (called up one-by-one)
  2. Commencement speech
  3. Award winners are recognized (the winners of the big awards go up)
  4. MS & MEng students are called up
  5. Student speech
  6. BS degree recipients are called up one-by-one, one department at a time. There are a few places where you have to stop for photos.</p>

<p>It’s a really lengthy ceremony and most of the time, you’re just waiting and watching. Yes, it took however long the ceremony was advertised to be.</p>

3

<p>I was in the 2010 commencement. That year it was at the Tennis Center (it used to be at the Pauley Pavilion, but that was under renovation; I don’t know where it will be for you). The commencement includes bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees.</p>

<p>In the beginning we lined up according to our department outside, and they gave each of us a card to write our name and pronunciation of our name. (You give the card to them later when you are going up to shake the person’s hand.) Then we all filed in in some order.</p>

<p>As we were sitting there and as people were being graduated, etc., we were allowed to get up and go to the bathroom / break room. So it’s not like you <em>have</em> to sit there for the entire time. However, it would obviously be bad if large numbers of people left for long periods of time.</p>

<p>You don’t get your diploma at the commencement; you get it yourself a few months later or pay to have them mail it to you.</p>

4

<p>I’m surprised they read all the bachelor’s names. It seems like that would take a very long time.</p>

5

<p>You’re right; it does.</p>