Graduands are students who have fulfilled all requirements to be conferred their degrees in a commencement ceremony. Thus, commencement is “one of the most important moments in a student’s life as it marks a transition from one stage in his/her educational life to another.”In the Philippines and elsewhere, one’s parents, siblings, well-wishers attend the commencement. “It is a moment of pride for a student as well as the parents who look on with a sense of achievement as an academic degree is conferred on their child.”. New Zealand, Canada, Ukraine, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka use the term “convocation” for the university commencement to award degrees to students and honorary graduates. )Although used interchangeably, commencement and graduation are not exactly synonyms, as there are important differences between them.

Source: Manila Times March 23, 2017 16:18 UTC