Yesterday was my graduation ceremony, or as we call it the 'proclamation of the results' since we also got all our final exam results. It was a really lovely occasion, as everyone more or less dressed up despite the terrible heat. The ceremony was held in the gym, which was made to look relatively fancy with plants dotted around and a blue carpet leading up to the stage, where we all had to get up on to get our diplomas. We all sat in alphabetical order, which meant I was nowhere near my friends, but I suppose it was kind of necessary to ensure some order in the proceedings as there are roughly 250 people in my year! Lots of important people made speeches (including our headmaster who we see all of once a year, but anyway) mostly focusing on the advantages our school system has brought us, such as a broad education and an appreciation for cultural diversity. Then there were a few performances by some of the students, including one of my best friends who was simply fabulous.

Of course, the big moment for everyone was when our names were called to go up and receive our diplomas. I was wearing heels, but they weren't massively high so I was fairly confident I wouldn't trip or anything, but it was still kind of nerve-wracking! Anyway, I got my diploma, shook hands with all the important people, was given a rose because why not indeed, and went to have my photo taken. It was only when I was sitting back down that I got the chance to open it and find out that I'd got the grades I needed to get into my first choice of university, which I am immensely happy about!

Afterwards we all milled about outside where there was food and drinks, just chatting to people and coming to the slow realisation that this was the end: we survived the Bac and we had the diplomas to prove it, and meanwhile this was the last time we were going to see some of these people and walk through this school as students and not visitors.

I've been at my school for 12 years, and for me they've truly been 12 wonderful years. I've met the best people and received an education that is excellent and quite different to what I would have had if I was still living in the UK. While I know it's time to move on to bigger and better things, it's still hard to realise that my time at my school truly has come to an end, and that I won't be going back to those familiar orange buildings come September. This post is beginning to sound very much like the one I wrote about my last day of school so I won't repeat myself too much, haha.

There have been so many endings over the past 2 months: Bal du Bac (prom), the last day of lessons, Bacday (in which we trashed the school and attacked people with water guns and shaving foam - it's a tradition I swear), the end of written exams, the end of oral exams and now finally graduation, which really is the definitive end as now we all go our separate ways. I'm so excited, but the nostalgia is strong!

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