College Graduation party?

[morningmania]

My DD is graduating from college in a couple months. She and her husband live about an hour away from us. Her actual graduation is on a Thursday in the middle of the work day. We plan on taking off of work and being there.

Did your parents throw you a college graduation party? Was it smaller or lower key than your HS graduation party?

I would like to do something nice, but not sure what to do.

[Deleted]

I didn't go to my graduation, and I had no party and I don't think any gifts.

For my masters, DH threw me a little surprise party the day after my last day of class. I did not go to that graduation either.

Parties are always good though--maybe you could all go to dinner or something that is easy to coordinate in another area.

[ECB]

I didn't have a HS or College graduation party. We just went out for a nice dinner after.

[rikki]

My parents hosted a dinner party (at a restaurant) with my grandparents, my favorite aunt and uncle, my sisters, my college boyfriend and his parents, and a few friends.

[mbcdefg]

I didn't have a college graduation party. I think my parents gave me a savings bond as a gift, though.

The only college graduation party I went to was when a friend threw one for his girlfriend, and that was just a barbecue in his yard for about 10 friends.

My mom threw me and my sister a graduation party because she graduated from grammar school and I graduated from high school in the same year. It was held in a local school basement with a DJ, and a simple buffet (I forget if Mom made all the food or if she had it catered, but either way it was simple).

And she ordered some chocolate bars with a photo of the two of us and our dog on the wrapper, to give out as favors. We didn't really want to take the photo but we agreed when she said the dog could be in it too, lol.

My brother graduated from college a couple summers ago and we went out to Pennsylvania for the ceremony. I thought we'd all go out to dinner together, but he had to clear some stuff out of his apartment and my parents said they'd help him and then go home. So MH, my sister and her then-boyfriend all went out to dinner, lol.

[winnied]

No, my roommates and I threw a party for ourselves and our parents contributed a dish. It was equally casual as my HS grad party.

[soozy87]

My parents, brothers, and grandparents went out to eat after my college graduation. My husband's parents did the same for his. H is completing his masters this May and I am throwing him a college graduation/come see our new house party.

His mom suggested that they wanted to host at their house, but we felt like it would be more appropriate for us to have it because he is married now.

[smiley]

I didn't walk at my graduation and we didn't have a party. It was very anti-climatic.

[keweenawlove]

My parents threw a small party for me but it was much smaller than my high school party. They just had family in the area (~15) over for dinner at their house.

[halfpint]

No, a bunch of us from my sorority chipped in and did a huge party at a bar, but nothing from my parents. I didn't even go to my ceremony.

I think they may have taken me out to dinner after I moved home? I moved overseas for a year shortly afterwards, and between that overshadowing everything and the massive amounts of drinking I did around graduation, my memories are pretty fuzzy.

[Deleted]

I had a big party each for HS, college and law school graduations.

[HoneySpider]

I didn't have a party. A few of us went out that night in our college town with our parents and then we moved home the next day.

[lys]

No.  They took me out for dinner.

[raangoli]

I did not have a party for my college or HS graduations. For college though my parents paid for me to visit India (we have family there, so I was able to travel there and visit for an extended period of time).

My parents decided to throw me a surprise party for my grad school graduation. It was at their house and they invited my family (aunts, uncles, etc.) and some of my close friends.

[julygal]

I think for high school we had a nice dinner out, but I don't remember. For college, my parents took me out to a very nice restaurant with my family. It was a small gathering. That night I met up with my friends and we did a round of parties that people were throwing at their apartments which parents were not at.

[SJ]

I have no idea!

For HS graduation, I had two parties. A HUGE one (100 people- all friends) thrown by me and my 5 best friends. It was at a park, cookout style, and was so much fun. Then a little open house at my parents' house for family, neighbors, a few friends.

I have zero recollection of what we did for college graduation.

When I got my MBA, my parents took us to a nice dinner along with my grandparents and another couple who is good friends of ours.

[aspentosh]

We just did a low key dinner for HS graduation (overseas so only a couple family members came). College graduation was held at a country club and almost all of my family came. Not a big soiree by any means, but more than HS.

[Deleted]

Can you ask what she wants to do?

We always just went to dinner out and/or celebrated with my friends. It was nothing fancy, usually just dinner out and fun times.

[Deleted]

Nice dinner party for me, with close family and friends.

[Deleted]

My roommates and I actually organized a cookout for all our parents for college graduation. We did a cookout at a park. My roommate, some friends, and I did the same thing for law school graduation. Both were low-key, though - just my closest friends, their parents, one set of my parents (nary shall the two mix!), and me.

Each set of my parents also took me out to a nice meal to celebrate.

[jennistarr1]

I did have a college graduation party, a bit larger then HS but same scale (cookout at my parent's house). Family came and friends.

Ask her how she wants to celebrate

[morningmania]

I will be asking her this weekend what she would like to do.
I was thinking of just getting her closest friends and family together that night for dinner. I dont know what she is expecting.
I am just curious what the "norm" is.

[busybodyk]

My parents had a party at our house for family and friends. My grandmother cooked everything. The food was buffet style and everyone just hung out and had a nice time.

My DH and I hosted a party in December to celebrate my graduation from grad school. We had food catered and did the same thing for around 30 guests.

[UMaineTeach]

for mine graduation was on Sat. and my family had dinner at my uncle's house after, since he lives sort of near the college.

for DH's (then FI) we hosted a BBQ at our apartment for his family after.

[Deleted]

My parents threw me a party for my bachelors at the race track and a BBQ at the house for my masters. I was 28 when I got my masters but it was a big accomplishment so we said let's go nuts and have a party.

[RoxMonster]

I didn't have a college graduation party for my Bachelors. My parents took H (then b/f) and me out to a nice dinner and gave me a gift. That was all, and honestly that was fine. They went all out for HS graduation.

When I got my Masters, we invited both sets of parents, both sets of grandparents, and I invited about 5 or 6 friends and their SOs and my parents rented out a private room at a nice restaurant and threw me a dinner party. I loved it.

[KaraOrNot]

My parents came to my graduation and they took me and my roommate out to eat. They also bought me a new laptop to use in grad school.

We didn't do anything when I got my master's.

[cowboyjoe]

My brother's wedding was the weekend after my high school graduation and in a different state, so my party was pretty small. My family lives all over the US and couldn't do both. Even my dad and grandparents couldn't make it. Just my mom, sister, and a few friends.

My college graduation party was even smaller. My brother's baby shower (1st great grandchild) was the same day at the same time in another state.

Do you see a pattern here? Haha.

DH's family had a huge BBQ for him and it was a lot of fun. It probably had close to 100 people there.

[BeagleMama]

My mother took everyone who came to graduation (aunt and uncle, two cousins, DH/then boyfriend) to dinner at a fancy local hotel. It was lovely.