End of the School Year

1. Incredibly attractive girls showing up everywhere in sundresses, prompting you to ask if Michigan has some kind of March admissions cycle, because they certainly weren't around in February. Also see: The Naked Mile (RIP)

2. State burns down town for March Madness. That has to count, right?

Graduation usually happens at the end of the year.

At my undergrad, William and Mary, we called it Blowout. On the last day of classes students would get drunk and go to classes all riled up. Some professors hated it, some embraced it. A lot of students would go to other classes, big lecture classes where there would be 100 drunk college kids basically partying in class with the professor. I went to one class where for 20 minutes she did a review and then a group of kids burst in with a radio and started a conga line with the professor leading it.

This happened on the last day of classes for both semesters, but in the spring (2nd semester, Michigan calls it winter) the school would put on a big "LDOC Bash" party in the main quad area with moonbounces, tons of free food, a band, carnival games. It was quite a celebration.

Sadly nothing similar really happens at Michigan, at least not that I've seen while I've been in grad school. The semester ends and whomp, there you go, finals time.

For the Air Force Academy, and the other Service Academies I imagine, the week leading up to graduation is a full one.  The biggest events that I can recall were the Baccalaureate Services and most importantly the "Ring Dance" where the junior class receives their class rings, signifying that they are preparing to take over leadership roles and the Seniors are soon graduating.

At the end of the semester, everyone does bar crawls together. Literally every organization, every society. South U gets flooded with color-coordinated dorks eager to step into bars for the 4th time in their 4 years on campus. By 9 pm they're hammered

Hang with the MBA students during Disorientation Week. Nothin' like watching a bunch of thirty year-olds getting ready to stummmmmble.

Well, I think the Naked Mile got banned, but that used to be it for me.  Now it's maybe Hash Bash?  Cornell has Slope Day, Princeton once had the Nude Olympics. 

You know, there may be something to the idea that many of these year-end celebrations that were traditions for decades started in the 1960s, with the collective desire by students of that generation to be free from repressive social norms, and then were crushed by university administration 30-40 years later, often by administrators from that same generation that started the traditions to begin with. 

EDIT:

Here is a link to an article that discusses some traditions similar to the Naked Mile.  Many seem connected to the end of the year.  Many are now banned.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2002/2/7/exploring-naked-college-trad…

Closest back in the day was the Naked Mile. After they cracked down on that, I remember most years kinda going out with a whimper as students generally filtered out of town whenever their last final was instead of having a single last hurrah night.

1) My end of year was always signaled by sitting on the fornt porch, drinking and watching people (girls that have finally shed the heavy winter clothes) walk around.

2) I know Purdue has Spring Fest near the end of the year (includes bug bowl and grand prix)

Step 1: Take long, satisfying nap

Step 2: Head to Dominick's

While this is not a thing, we always tried to set our schedules to stay for a week or two into May. Very legit 

It was hard to watch that get taken down. It went so quickly from everyone (cops) being very cool about it in my freshman and sophomore years, to completely shut down by my 5th year. Spring game means the end is near as well. I always thought it was weird when students would leave the day of their last exam.  I always liked being at college for a few days with no responsibility after my last exam, but campus was pretty empty by then.