S/O From Prom - Class Rings

[jen3kids]

My 10th grader brought home an order form for his class ring. It has to be ordered now for the Ring Ceremony in October, when he'll be in Grade 11!!! Isn't that a bit strange - to do 'grad' stuff so early? What about the kids who spend $$$ on a ring and then don't graduate on time, or they move? I figured the 11th graders would order now and get them when they're in Grade 12, but nope.

 

Plus, they are so gaudy - like 'Superbowl wannabes'! No simple school crests or engravings - all big stones and bling!

[Mrs Mungo]

I asked my dd if she wanted a class ring. She said she would rather we buy her a nice piece of jewelry or help pay for a trip when she graduates. But, she is homeschooled, so that cuts out a lot of that pressure, I am sure.

[happi duck]

We received ours late 10th/early 11th. It was nice to wear them during high school for a longer time.

[J-rap]

I think they get them early so that they can wear them while still in high school.

 

I never got one growing up, and my children have never wanted one. I don't think they are pushed much in our ps school either. We've always compared everything we could get to a trip. So, if a school ring is compared to a night at a hotel, the night at the hotel would always win out. :)

[gardenmom5]

I think high school class rings are a money maker and are rather absurd. it's like a "this is it" moment. uhm, what about college? 1dd wanted her college ring (for reasons I won't go into - it wasn't a "just because she was graduating college".) it is simple, gold with an engraved school crest. she wears it all the time. 2dd was absolutely not interested. she's in grad school, and is not interested.

[Mrs Mungo]

The only people I know who wear class rings as adults (by adults I mean people who are well beyond college age, are married, etc) are service academy grads (who are in the military) and that has a whole other purpose behind it.

 

Eta: In no way do I think class rings are unreasonable or absurd. Otherwise, I would not have asked dd if she wanted one. :)

[Lisa in SC]

My hs'd daughters attended ps high school, and both chose class rings. They are atypical in style - simple and tasteful. They each chose their birthstones, and one would never guess "class ring" when seeing them. In fact, dd20 still wears hers and gets compliments frequently. I understand choosing not to get one, but I think getting one can also be a reasonable option.

[Kathryn]

I've never seen any adult wearing a high school class ring.

[fairfarmhand]

My father in law still wears his class ring at 60 years old. It is the classic style in gold with a bright blue stone on it. It looks neat!

 

I wear mine every now and then.

 

Dh's is in a drawer someplace, but then he just barely wears a wedding band. He won't even wear a watch.

[Mrs Mungo]

My hs'd daughters attended ps high school, and both chose class rings.

 

If they attended public high school, then they were not homeschooled for high school. That is different than my dd who has been homeschooled from kindergarten all the way through high school. She enters her senior year next year. I am sure that part of the reason she does not feel a need for a class ring is because she does not attend a traditional school. That is all I was saying above. :)

[Parrothead]

I've never seen any adult wearing a high school class ring.

 

I had mine resized. I can now wear it as a pinky ring. It is not the typical looking class ring.

[BigMamaBird]

Back in Public School we ordered our class rings the end of Eleventh Grade. That way we could wear them all of our Senior Year. October of 11th seems pretty early to me, but who knows. I still have mine and pull it out occasionally to see if it will still fit. And yes, it is pretty gaudy.

[jen3kids]

 

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I got my high school grad ring around Christmas of Grade 12 and wore it all through university. Once I got a university grad ring, I wore it for a few years and now I don't wear either of them. But, my kids like to look at them.

 

I guess a stone was an option back then, but my parents refused to pay for any extras - just the crest and an engraving if we wanted it.

 

Early in Grade 11 just seems way too early. I certainly don't object to ds getting one, but they are so huge!

[Lady Florida.]

We got ours in late 11th grade. Mine disappeared years ago. I think dh's did too. Neither of us still had ours when we met.

[Janie Grace]

That does seem early but I didn't pay attention to when people got class rings, so maybe it's normal. We didn't have "Ring Dance;" some people just got rings and then started wearing them. I didn't choose to get one because I thought they were unattractive. Plus my family was tight on $ and it wasn't something I would have asked for. I saved my "asks" for things I really really cared about.

[Mom in High Heels]

My school had a ring ceremony on Valentines day of our Junior year in the chapel. We picked a Senior to "ring" us, and got a rose from the headmistress (it was an all girls school). We had no choice in our rings, except the metal (gold or silver). They are all signet rings with the Sacred Heart school emblem on them. Several of the girls I went to school with still wear them. They're quite pretty. I didn't get a college ring.

[Lisa in SC]

 

 

If they attended public high school, then they were not homeschooled for high school. That is different than my dd who has been homeschooled from kindergarten all the way through high school. She enters her senior year next year. I am sure that part of the reason she does not feel a need for a class ring is because she does not attend a traditional school. That is all I was saying above. :)

 

 

My wording was completely awkward. Lol. I wasn't intending my reply to appear as if it was referencing yours at all. I completely understood what you were saying. I was trying, unsuccessfully, to comment on the fact that class rings don't necessarily look gaudy, or even like traditional class rings at all.

 

The styles my daughters chose would have to be removed and closely examined before it would be clear that they are class rings. They look like birthstone rings. That was their choice. Someone else would choose something totally different. I only meant to give another viewpoint about class rings in general, not to address your post specifically.

 

I hope I didn't offend. I think class ring decisions are personal, and each decision is completely valid, whatever a person or family decides. :)

 

ETA: Right now, the plan is that both boys will be homeschooled all the way through high school. I doubt they would choose a class ring, regardless of style. :)

[Mrs Mungo]

 

 

My wording was completely awkward. Lol. I wasn't intending my reply to appear as if it was referencing yours at all. I completely understood what you were saying. I was trying, unsuccessfully, to comment on the fact that class rings don't necessarily look gaudy, or even like traditional class rings at all.

 

The styles my daughters chose would have to be removed and closely examined before it would be clear that they are class rings. They look like birthstone rings. That was their choice. Someone else would choose something totally different. I only meant to give another viewpoint about class rings in general, not to address your post specifically.

 

I hope I didn't offend. I think class ring decisions are personal, and each decision is completely valid, whatever a person or family decides. :)

 

 

In no way did you offend me! :) I was more...musing on the idea, I guess?

[Crimson Wife]

The ones offered at my school were ugly and way overpriced given they were gold-plated and didn't have a real stone. I convinced my parents to let me pick out a 14k ring with my birthstone (amethyst) at a jeweler's for the same price and have it engraved with my graduation year. I wore it every day up until I got engaged (took it off then because it clashed with my engagement ring). I don't know anyone from my class who got one of the "official" rings and wore it past graduation.

 

I'm planning to make the same offer to my girls when they are juniors.

[happypamama]

I think ours were usually purchased in tenth grade. I know DH had his already when we met, which was the beginning of his junior year. I didn't get one because I didn't like my high school enough to want one, plus it was a lot of money that I didn't want to spend, and also because my birthstone is a diamond, and I was fairly adamant that I didn't want one of those until it was an engagement ring. I considered a college class ring but again, I didn't really see the need for one (and I got the engagement ring my third year of college anyway).

 

I can see us getting DD a birthstone ring for maybe her thirteenth or sixteenth birthday, but hers is an aquamarine; it would just be a pretty piece of jewelry, not a class ring, though.

[LazyDazy]

Junior year seems about right to me. I know I wore mine through at least half of my junior year and all of my senior year and that was it. I wore my mother's class ring all through my teens and into college (hers was much prettier than mine). I got one because my mother always talked about how much she wanted hers and how long she worked to pay for it and I didn't want to end up sorry that I didn't get one. In the end hers was (and still is) more meaningful to me than mine.

 

ETA: Actually, I think I wore my mother's class ring up until I got engaged.

[Pawz4me]

If DS had wanted a class ring, he would've ordered it last school year when he was a sophomore. I'm not sure when the rings were supposed to come in. He wasn't the least bit interested, and from what he told me very few of the kids in his class got one. Apparently class rings aren't very "in" at his school.

[TravelingChris]

I was homebound most of the second semester of 10th grade, so maybe if that was the usual time to get them, I don't remember anything about it. I know I got something about college ring but I was totally uninterested. I couldn't afford it and I thought it was ugly. Good thing I didn't get it since I got arthritis soon after college and I am sure I couldn't wear any ring I would have gotten.

[Heather in Neverland]

I found our class rings to be rather unattractive so my parents let me have the cash instead. I put it towards my first car!

[jelbe5]

I purchased my class ring in my jr. yr. of high school. My parents said I had to pay for it myself so I got my first job the summer before my jr. ye.

 

It is sitting in my jewelry box and the all-girls Catholic high school I attended closed last year.

 

My dd did not want a ring . . . she asked for a newer editioniPod Touch.