Community College Student Feels ‘Silly’ Buying A Cute Outfit For Her Graduation — ‘Feeling Embarrassed Because I Couldn’t Go To A 4-Year School’
She thought she shouldn't buy a new outfit for graduation because it wasn't a big enough event.
michaeljung / Shutterstock Graduating from college is a big deal. It’s certainly an accomplishment to be celebrated, no matter what it looks like for each individual student.
One graduate felt like perhaps her achievement was not as significant as some of her peers because she completed her degree at a community college instead of a four-year university.
A student felt like she shouldn’t buy a cute graduation outfit because she attended community college.
A TikToker named Mars, known on the app as @nopeitsmars, shared that she had an upcoming graduation. Normally, this would be an occasion to look forward to, but Mars wasn’t sure if she should.
“Is walking in your community college graduation embarrassing?” she asked fellow TikTok users.
“I couldn’t go to a four-year university, but I’m finally graduating and now I feel silly for buying a cute outfit because it’s just [community college],” she explained.
Going to a community college is nothing to be ashamed of.
Community college is often looked down upon as a less desirable option for higher education. This is not actually true, though.
According to Forbes, pushing students to immediately attend a four-year university after high school isn’t always the best move.
“There is nothing wrong with taking a gap year, attending a community college, or taking a job right out of high school,” the outlet noted. “There is no need to rush youth directly onto a college campus hundreds of miles away. Higher education institutions may go through some changes, and many have even closed — but they are not all going to go away.”
Forbes also noted that just because something is considered a “societal norm” doesn’t mean it should be followed in all cases. Each student is different, and their unique needs must be considered.
Discover discussed some of the benefits of attending a community college, including saving money and having a more flexible schedule.
“The tuition at community colleges is generally lower than that of four-year colleges and universities,” they said.
Additionally, they pointed out, “Community colleges usually offer more class times and can be ideal for students who work or have families.”
Mars received a lot of support from other TikTokers.
Although Mars felt insecure about her community college graduation, those feelings quickly changed when she saw all the love she received on the post.
Karolina Grabowska / Canva Pro
“A degree is a degree!” one person pointed out. “You put [in] the work too! I hope you’re proud.”
“[Community college] dean here. I am proud of you. I am thrilled for you. You deserve that outfit. Congratulations,” someone else said.
“Girl, no. That’s an accomplishment,” a third person added. “Please walk that stage. I graduated last year from [community college]. It was an amazing experience.”
Mars replied to the last comment in a new video in which she expressed her gratitude.
“[Thank you] for all of the sweet comments under this,” she said. “Was feeling sad [because] no one in my family is going to come and support me, but they were there for my sister’s nursing school [graduation], and it made me feel sad.”
Although Mars didn’t have the family support she wanted, she did have the internet on her side.
“Your words have meant more than you’d ever know,” she said. “I cannot reply to all!”
These kind comments from strangers were just the push Mars needed.
“I will be walking in my cute dress!” she said.
It’s important to remember that each person has their own path that they need to take. Everyone cannot fit into the same box or take the same educational journey. That doesn’t make one person less deserving of celebration than another.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.