# “The class of…” **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2021, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568 "2021-10-31T12:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/21 "2021-10-31T20:54:04Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Your understanding is correct. It starts in high school where freshman are identified by the projected year they will be seniors and graduate. I recall when my class graduated high school, on the marquee display in front of the school – plastic letters, no fancy LED boards back then – the guy in charge of it (one of the ‘trusted’ seniors) put up, _The class of 1968 bids farewell Those of us on the five-year plan say, ‘One more time’_ He got a stern talking to. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/22 "2021-10-31T21:02:34Z")
The moment a person is born it’s possible to say (assuming that things go according to the usual schedule) when they will graduate from high school, when they will graduate from college, and when they will retire. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/23 "2021-10-31T21:22:57Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t encounter people with two-year (associate’s) degrees identifying themselves by class because usually the intent with an associate’s degree is to transfer in to a bachelor’s degree program. Even if they don’t intend to transfer, an associate’s degree still basically means you’ve finished your sophomore year. I’ve not seen graduate studies use this system. That could be because so many graduate students stay in school forever. Maybe not most, but I knew some who were still doing it seven years on, just didn’t want to cut the cord. Myself, I finished mid-year, and these aren’t designed as four-year programs anyway like undergrad. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/24 "2021-10-31T21:25:01Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > My impression (though I don’t have data to back it up) is that it’s far more common for middle school to be either 7th-8th or 6th-7th-8th, leaving the traditional four years (freshman-sophomore-junior-senior) for high school. My junior high school, which has since become a “middle school,” was grades 7-9. High school started at grade 10 or sophomore year. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/25 "2021-10-31T21:45:14Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > \*I think that in some countries, it is more common to have periodic (annual?) reunions for the entire high school, inviting all the former students, not restricted to a specific year. We have those in the U.S., as well. They’re typically called “Homecoming” and scheduled around an annual sports game with a traditional rival, or else an annual event at the school. All alumni are invited to come back, look around, and probably get a solicitation for a donation to the school. In my experience, Homecoming is an event sponsored by the school itself, while class reunions are organized by individual groups of former students. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/26 "2021-10-31T22:05:08Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’ve not seen graduate studies use this system. People with a professional level degree do use “class of” for things like law school and medical school. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/27 "2021-10-31T22:07:46Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > We have those in the U.S., as well. They’re typically called “Homecoming” Americans have both class reunions AND homecoming. They’re not the same thing. Homecoming is usually the weekend of the first home football game in the fall. A class reunion can happen any time of year, but it’s usually not homecoming weekend, and like above, it’s usually at 5, 10, 20, 30, etc., years. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/28 "2021-10-31T22:12:28Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > _The class of 1968 bids farewell > Those of us on the five-year plan > say, ‘One more time’_ > > He got a stern talking to. Heh. I went to school with a guy that was on the infinity year plan. When I was in 8th grade he was a freshmen. When I was a freshmen he was a freshman. When I was a sophomore he was a freshman. When I was a junior he was a sophomore, and when I was a senior he was a sophomore. He was still in school a year after I graduated and eventually told he could not return once he hit 21 years of age. AFAIK he never did graduate. He actually appeared in at least 6 different year books. A girl that would have graduated h.s. With my class got terribly sick and couldn’t finish her junior year. Rather than going back she went to a tech school and got her GED 6 months before the rest of us graduated. All this happened in the mid-late 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/29 "2021-10-31T22:13:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Every school district is different in the fine details, and there are exceptions to everything, but the closest thing to a constant is that high school is grades 9 through 12. Even in the uncommon cases where one building contains 10-12 or 8-12, a student usually starts being referred to as a “high schooler” at 9th grade. There’s no standard rule. These things can change on a yearly basis in any school district, depending on school district revenues, student population fluctuation, the condition and size of district facilities, etc. It’s very common for high schools to be either 10-11-12 or 9-10-11-12. But again there’s no rule. What doesn’t change is the freshman, sophomore, etc., status. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/30 "2021-10-31T22:50:02Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Homecoming is usually the weekend of the first home football game in the fall. I’ve never seen that to be the case. It’s a home football game against a weak team. For example, Florida State University had homecoming last weekend against UMass and crushed them. Definitely not the first game of the season which was late August. High school is a bit different, at least my school avoided having homecoming being over a weekend where the ACT or SAT are being administered. Plus, due to scheduling, we had some football games on Thursday nights so those were out too. But, homecoming was never the first game of the year nor the cross town rivalry game at the end of the season. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/31 "2021-10-31T23:27:01Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > We are members of the Class of 2025 as soon s we begin the program in Fall 2025. The people who fail to complete in 2025 will not continue to identify themselves that way. In the “exceptions to everything” category, I will simply note at my (college) alma mater that’s not the case. Your class year doesn’t change whether you graduate early, late, or never. Assuming you make it through your first year, that is. Something to do with the ~~hazing~~ training program. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/32 "2021-10-31T23:29:41Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’ve never seen that to be the case. It’s a home football game against a weak team That’s not how it was in high school in Ohio. That would be too complicated, I should think, given all the other scheduling considerations, and these things would have to be scheduled pretty far in advance. It would be pretty difficult to guarantee a weak opponent. And, who knows, from year to year, which team is definitely going to be weak or strong? Kiss that young are pretty unpredictable. And of course there were schools who rarely win any games. Some were notorious for having lost the vast majority of their games over several decades. But also … how cowardly and lame to want to guarantee an easy victory. That’s pretty contemptible. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/33 "2021-10-31T23:31:11Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Something to do with the ~~hazing~~ training program. What? Are we talking about education or something else? And are you seriously suggesting hazing or is that just hyperbole? ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/34 "2021-10-31T23:38:17Z")
I am seriously suggesting hazing. It was a military school. Although it was an at times blurry (to an 18 to 22 year-old) line between hazing and training or… “education.” ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/35 "2021-10-31T23:46:08Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > That’s not how it was in high school in Ohio. That would be too complicated Yeah, I was referring to college more than high school. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/36 "2021-11-01T00:05:17Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > People with a professional level degree do use “class of” for things like law school and medical school. Ah yes, so they do. But not regular master’s degrees and PhDs. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/37 "2021-11-01T00:13:24Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > (\*I think that in some countries, it is more common to have periodic (annual?) reunions for the entire high school, inviting all the former students, not restricted to a specific year. Am I right?) Definitely true in Pakistan for the Catholic, other sectarian and older Public (which meant private but non-sectarian) schools back in the day (1980s and earlier). I just looked at my old school’s Facebook page and there is still an Old Boys vs First XI cricket match around which a sort of homecoming celebration is organized. Old Boys = Alumni First XI = Varsity team ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/38 "2021-11-01T00:42:39Z")
You really can’t have a “class of” for grad school, at least not pre-emptively, because it’s not consistent how long it’ll take. A coursework master’s is fairly predictable, but most terminal master’s degrees will be thesis master’s, and all PhDs are thesis. And a thesis takes as long as it takes. Even someone planning on a coursework master’s might change their mind midstream, or change to a coursework master’s, and none of their classmates would have a “class of” designation, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/39 "2021-11-01T01:38:54Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > The moment a person is born it’s possible to say (assuming that things go according to the usual schedule) when they will graduate from high school, when they will graduate from college, and when they will retire. Theoretically. But I wonder how often it’s true this is outside the USA. I’ve heard that in other cultures they’re less reluctant to fail people, hold them back, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568/40 "2021-11-01T01:46:44Z")
FWIW, college athletics recruiting classes will sometimes be named after the year they start playing (i.e., usually their freshman year) rather than the year of their anticipated graduation. Powers &8^] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-class-of/953568.md?page=3)