The American and the Norwegian version - which is better?

Graduation. I think that is something everyone is looking forward to, no matter where in the world you are. Graduation ends your childhood. Graduation shows that you are done with school. After graduation, you start your way towards a carrier. After graduation, you have to start choosing what you want with your life and where you want to end up.

Graduation is celebrated in different ways, and there is not a lot of people who gets to experience two of them. I am one of the lucky ones. Last year I had a graduation. Right now I am kind of in the middle of one. Two graduations. Two very different graduations. Part of the reason is because they mean two completely different things for me though.

Graduation in the US was not my graduation. To me, graduation in the States was more of an ending to my exchange year. An ending to a year with so many ups and downs. I wasn't done with school, I still had one year left. And now, that year has gone by. Now I'm sitting here almost ready to really graduate. But what is the difference?

In the States, the main focus is on the ceremony. Being a senior in high school sure is a good thing. Senior this, senior that. But when it all comes down to it, it's the ceremony that is the big thing. You march in to the stadium, or the gym, or wherever the ceremony is held. You sit there, with your square cap and long gown, knowing that your parents are right there, watching it all. You listen to the different speeches. Finally you walk over that stage to receive your diploma from the smiling principal. You move the tassel from one side to the  other. And finally it's your turn to throw your cap in the air, like you've seen happen so many times before, finally it was your turn. And then it's over. No more high school. Ever. Of course you can't forget the graduation parties though. And some people go on senior trips as well.  But I got the feeling that the graduation ceremony is what is the big thing, that's what everyone looks forward to.

 When the Russ-time finally starts, it starts off with a big party, a kick-off. And for some people, that is how the whole Russ-time is. Party every night. But there is a lot of other things to do. A list of stupid things that will give us weird things in our long tassel. Some of them are harmless. Like sitting under our desk for 45 minutes, one class. Taking the piano in the cafeteria and sing for everyone during lunch. Or using bread as shoes for a whole day. Go to an 11th grader, give him/her a boxer/bra and tell them that last night was the best. Having a smart conversation with a lamp post for 15 minutes. Harmless, fun and embarrassing. But you also have those that can be dangerous. Like drinking a bottle of wine in less than 40 minutes. Go three days without sleeping.

All this, the partying and doing those stupid stuff, all happens in three weeks. Some places more, some places less. At the weekends, there big arrangements for all of the Russ's (Seniors) Parties, concerts, everything at one place.  People getting wasted and drunk and everyone just having the time of their lives. And this all happens before we have our final exams. After the exams, we have our ceremony. A small thing at school with speech from the principal, someone might sing a song, and then we receive a copy of our grades. That is our diploma. And we get it all online, so the grades we receive at the ceremony, is not the finished one, it lacks the grades of our final exams, which won't come until the end of July.

Which one do I like the best? The Norwegian one, of course. It might be because that's the graduation I've heard about my whole life, it's what I've grown up with. But also because of everything that goes on in those three weeks. It was by far, much better than the graduation I had in the States. Although, I had a great time being a senior there as well, and getting to experience that. The Norwegian one is the best.

The American version and the Norwegian version