A stadium filled to bursting with people. Deafening noise. A name called. A minute walk across a stage. A piece of paper in hand. Screams and cheers upon screams and cheers. A feeling of accomplishment. A feeling of it's done.

This, the excitement and joy of the graduation ceremony is the culminating event for graduates. This makes every late night stayed up writing a last minute paper, cramming for two days for finals, starving yourself because you need to get this project done last week not waste 5 minutes eating, and every other college struggle worthwhile. At least, I assume it is because I wouldn't know.

Unlike so many of my fellow graduates, I actually chose to forego participating in my graduation. And a lot of people can't understand why. Why after all that work I put in would I not celebrate and indulge in the party atmosphere of graduation they ask.

Well, I'll tell you why. I chose not to walk in the ceremony for a few reasons. One: I do not like crowds; they drive me nuts in fact. All that bumping and pushing and unnecessary bodily contact is not for me. The sheer chaos of crowds is one that I try to avoid at all costs. I am not going to willingly put myself in it. Two: I refuse to pay to participate in my graduation.

I've paid in tears, sleep loss, weight loss/gain, stress, and anxiety to get here. I've already paid years on end for tuition, books, and parking permits. Now I have to pay to be in the graduation ceremony too? No thanks. I'll pass. And finally, I simply see graduation as a "cherry-on-top" moment. It's nice, but not necessary. I already had my ice cream; I'm good.

I've accomplished getting my degree; I've got my diploma.

I don't need a ceremony to tell me I did it.

I know I did.