Class rings- cool or lame?

[amorey]

I found my high school class ring when I was cleaning my basement and I’m wearing it today. I thought it might be fun and kitschy. What do you think?

[eli1126]

I always thought they were lame, until I realized it's a thing at my college and many alumni still wear their rings. It's actually kind of interesting to spot one in a crowd and I have met people who came through my college by seeing the ring. I wouldn't wear my high school ring, truth be told I don't even know why I got one and I actually think I lost it a long time ago.


Beth

[kcjaime]

I never got a class ring b/c I didn't like how they looked, to be honest. :o I don't know if I've ever seen a woman wearing one; I mostly see men wearing their ginormous class rings.

If I had one, I personally wouldn't wear it. But again, I'm biased as I never liked them in the first place. :)

[Ali]

I always found them kind of lame and never got one in the first place. However, if you find it fun to wear, by all means wear it!

[Aimee]

I wore my HS class ring for about 3 weeks. Dh wore his all of senior year, but put it away after that. His parents made him get a college ring, and the only time he's ever worn it was at job interviews. Actually, I don't even think he wore it for his last one.

I knew a girl who had a ring made with stones in our school colors and it was much prettier than the actual class ring. Ones that look like class rings are best left in HS, unless they're something like the Aggie ring.

[maplekitty]

My class ring was the first piece of "expensive" jewerly that I ever bought myself (250 dollars, heh). I wore it for two years after high school and eventually retired it to my jewelry box. Now....I have no idea where it is?? :(

[wendalah]

Could be kind of fun in a Marc Jacob-sy, kitschy way. Believe it or not, I found my own (from 1989!) at my parents' house the other day, and considered it.

[amorey]

Could be kind of fun in a Marc Jacob-sy, kitschy way. Believe it or not, I found my own (from 1989!) at my parents' house the other day, and considered it.

Now I know I’m not a total loser. ;)

I work at an ad/design agency, and one of our clients makes class rings. I’m working on a class ring project right now. Do I get any slack there? My coworkers are finding me humorous.

[stochasticgirl]

I think [collegiate] class rings on men can be terribly sexy, but class rings on women (high school or college) just come off as lame to me, for some reason.

My kid sister just received their class ring catalog at her high school and she's totally coveting one (just like most of us probably did, I suspect) but I'm trying to gently convince her that she'll probably never wear it after graduating high school.

[stochasticgirl]

PS - But I do think wearing a class ring on a necklace, sort of like a chunky charm, would be cute!

[udsweetpea]

I only wear mine (collegiate) to special events. It hardly looks like a class ring so I can get away with it I guess. It's very Victorian-looking with a garnet stone and a diamond in the middle of the stone (my grandparents' birthstones). I lost my high school class ring on a whitewater rafting trip, so I told myself I'd replace it with the college class ring.

[TX Sweetheart]

I wore my high school ring from the day I got it 'til sometime in what would have been my sophomore year of college. DH wore his about the same length of time. Neither of us ever completed more than our freshman year of college so we don't have college rings.

[shopaholic]

I have one as well and also wore it from when I got it (I think jr. in hs) through college.

I don't see anything wrong with it, but I wouldn't wear it now.

Mine was very "dainty" and not big/obnoxious like most class rings.

[KK812]

Other-I bought one on the cheap end of the spectrum just to have-I like having it but I dont wear it. It would look kind of funny to have my really nice wedding set on one hand, and my $100 class ring on the other :p

[LDS Angel 19]

I've worn mine a few times since highschool. But I've also worn my letter jacket. :o

[IrishMeg]

I never got one. I hated them in high school, in college, and I don't like them now. They are just plain ugly. I could never understand why they didn't try to make them more attractive and less gaudy.

[TX Sweetheart]

I never got one. I hated them in high school, in college, and I don't like them now. They are just plain ugly. I could never understand why they didn't try to make them more attractive and less gaudy.

The one I got was a traditional one, but they did have options (at least for the girls) to get pretty ones that basically looked like a regular ring instead of a class ring, but they still had the school name, etc. on it.

[Chocolatecake]

I never got one, I thought they looked cheesy. I asked for a opal and diamond ring instead and had it engraved with the year of graduation for H.S. For college I asked for a 18kt gold watch instead. My DH got both H.S and college, but only wears the college on occasions.

[udsweetpea]

I found a picture of mine...

http://www.herff-jones.com/college/assets/images/womensvictoria.gif

Now that I think about it, I haven't worn it for a LONG time. In fact, I don't even know where it is.. oops!

[HisSpicy]

i never got one in high school because I thought when I grew up, high school wouldn't be a very important part of my life/a big enough accomplishment to be proud of. I intend to get one from graduate school, and wear it only for alumni/professional type functions. (That is, if I can find one I like.)

[Camdynlyn]

I did not order a college ring but I did order a high school one (and oddly enough, I'm not even sure I even picked it up!). I got a call when I was in college asking me to give them an address to send my ring to because I didn't come and pick it up and I asked them for a refund. They told me to take it to a pawn shop but I don't think I ever got it! :confused:

[PG-rated]

I wore my class ring for ten years, so there. :p Ours was actually really pretty (no stone or ginormous engraving), and I got compliments on it all the time from people who wanted to know what the design meant. They were usually surprised to find out it was a HS ring. I do find most class rings to be pretty ugly, and I wouldn't have bought mine if I didn't like the design so much. I never bought a college ring for that reason.

[kiki61872]

i never got one- college or high school.
i just didnt care for them

[hockeybrat]

I had one for in high school and I remember getting a letter saying they could upgrade from HS to college if I wanted but I stopped wearing my ring probably around my sophomore year in college.

It is in my jewelry box now.

[Heidi9771]

i never got one in high school because I thought when I grew up, high school wouldn't be a very important part of my life/a big enough accomplishment to be proud of. I intend to get one from graduate school, and wear it only for alumni/professional type functions. (That is, if I can find one I like.)

I completely agree!

[Esq.]

I pretty much never wore mine. When I got it, my boyfriend put it on his keychain or something, and I didn't get it back until we broke up. At that point, I did not care about it. In fact, I lost it in a move, never even realized that I lost it, and got a call from a different ex-boyfriend's sister about five years later telling me that they found it in her parents basement. They mailed it back to me and it has been in my jewelry box ever since.

Mine is yellow gold with an oval emerald stone and diamond accents. it has a very thin band that alternates on each side.

[Kristy]

I wore my class ring pretty much every day of h.s. from the time I got it (sophomore year) until the summer after graduation. I retired it the day I went to college. I still pull it out from time to time and wear it. It has my birthstone in it, so I figure I can get away with wearing it now and then.

Never got a college ring. They looked lame, and I never saw anyone wearing them. Just not a big thing around here, I guess.

[tgr68]

I got a HS ring and wore it until I got married (jr year of college). I lost it on my wedding day actually. I think it accidently got shipped back in one of the tuxes. :o

Never got a college ring. Not a big thing on the students, but I have noticed some of the more wealthy alumni sporting them. DH and I have recently considered purchasing each of us one, though.
http://shop.jostens.com/images/PRODUCT/100/M979600168.jpg
This will actually cost more than my wedding band did :eek:, so it would be a while before we'd ever seriously consider getting them!

[MelodySoul]

I think it's cute to wear while you're in school but that's about it. I saw an older gentleman the other day wearing two class rings (one on the ring finger and one on the pinky) and they were huge and it just looked tacky to me. I also worked with a woman once who bragged about her class ring, I just didn't get it.

[QueenDillyDally]

:o Guess I'm a dork...
because I wore mine until the day I got engaged. After that, I didn't have another finger I wanted to wear my HS class ring on (my right finger had my opal ring on it). It never even occurred to me to get a college ring, but I probably wouldn't have because I was broke.

Mine was different than most class rings though. Nobody ever knew it was a class ring and I got a lot of compliments on it. It has a blue hope star stone in it and it was gold. You could barely see the year & school name. Now, it just sits in my jewlery box taking a back seat to my diamond solitaire. :(

[pewee9196]

I know a ton of people that wear college class rings but they are all military class rings. I am used to it but think it is silly. In our line of work you are going to end up getting the ring and our your finger cut off.

[ManteoChik]

I never got a hs ring....I just really didn't like them. I've got expensive taste ( :o ) and was just never interested in a class ring. I wanted to take that money and spend it on a nice piece that I'd really wear. A few of my friends got them but only wore them until graduation (we got them jr year). I haven't considered a class ring for college.....maybe from the college that I'll get my second degree from.

[thyme]

I have a big, clunky, traditional one, and I occasionally wear it for kitschy amusement. My college ring was one of those where everyone gets the same one, and it was gold and onyx and I thought it looked like ass, so I didn't bother. It wasn't retro funny like my hs ring, and it wasn't pretty enough IMO to wear seriously, even if I was so inclined (which I wasn't).

[magrat]

I was never a fan of them, but I got one anyway. I don't care so much for the style that is popular now, or the ones for girls that look like normal jewellery, so I got one like my mom's and I wore in through HS and briefly in college. I wouldn't wear it now because...well, I suppose I wouldn't want people to think that I was full of HS pride.

Mine looked like this:
http://shop.jostens.com/images/PRODUCT/150/H12.jpg

[wine_o_girlie]

Lame.

[Pink_Converse]

I never purchased one. I didn't like the way they looked and I thought I was too "cool" to get one!

[kmmommy]

I never purchased one. I didn't like the way they looked and I thought I was too "cool" to get one!

Me too.

DH has one and wears it sometimes. I have to admit that I've actually hid it a few times and I did celebrate when DS got a hold of it. But, it never lasts long - he always finds it. :p

[BlackMagicRose]

call me lame but I think class rings and college rings are something to be proud of! It is a symbol of accomplishment. I wore my highschool ring until I was 20 and then I felt odd wearing it. I like mine. It was not chunky like the normal ones. Mine was smaller and more feminine. I loved it! I am proud of it. Not everyone graduates! I also have a college ring that I am proud of, though I do not wear it much any more because it is yellow gold and does not match anything else I have.

[CityGirl]

My HS ring is vintage looking in a kitchy way, and I got it that way on purpose. I knew I wouldn't wear it forever when I got it, but it has the activities I was involved in represented on the sides, and I wanted it more for the memories. I haven't thought about it in years, but now that this thread has been brought up I think I might drag it out and wear it on a necklace. Just the right amount of so-lame-its-cool for me.

[emmasart]

I have a highschool ring and I've been wearing it since i got it 6 years ago. (except on my wedding day) For me it symbolizes my accomplishment of graduating highschool.. (I went to a really difficult test school where 1/3 of every class didnt graduate) Infact, I wanted to transfer many times, and one of the main reasons in my silly immature mind for staying was that I would have wasted $300 on a ring.

Anyways. Now its just more of a habit for me to wear. I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing it for a while longer.

That being said, none of my friends still wear their class rings. Also, i think class rings on guys look really lame outside of senior year of highschool. I know. I'm a hypocrite.

This is similar to my ring, only mine has a purple stone.
http://shop.jostens.com/images/PRODUCT/150/A12.jpg

[DallasLady]

I used to wear my class ring on my left hand ring finger. So when DH proposed, I stopped wearing it. It did seem a little silly to me to wear it when I was engaged, even on a different finger. And had I not gotten engaged, I probably would have stopped wearing it when I finished college.

[kam]

After being out of high school for over 10 years, it would be very lame to continue to wear it. It was fun when I got it but I retired it once I entered college.

[DisneyGirl]

I bought a high school ring and wore it maybe for 4 months then into the jewlery box and now 10 years alter i have no idea were it is. I think it is ans was cool to get a HS or college ring but not coll to be wearing it years later. Thoses damn rings were expensive i must add.

[boilermaker]

I have both my HS and College rings. The college one I do wear when I go back for recruiting but that is it. The HS one I stopped wearing in when I started college but I have kept it. Growing up, I thought it was neat to wear my mom's ring, so I figure maybe my hypothetical daughter might get a kick out of mine. Or maybe not :)

[Sin Nombre]

I always thought they were lame (and pretty ugly). I got a HS ring only because my parents insisted; I don't think I wore it even once. I never bothered with a college ring. When I graduated college as an art major, I got a little gold paintbrush/palette charm instead, to mark the occasion.

[harkinna]

I always wanted one...but never got one.
:(

[TX Sweetheart]

Growing up, I thought it was neat to wear my mom's ring, so I figure maybe my hypothetical daughter might get a kick out of mine. Or maybe not :)

I used to do the same thing with my mom's rings. She still has both of hers in her jewelry box.

[Kanga]

I have one very similar to the one posted above with an aquamarine in it. I stopped wearing it either just before I graduated or just after. I lost some weight and it no longer fit. I meant to send it off to get it re sized, but still haven't gotten around to it.

[kris97]

I never got a high school class ring, because my high school was easy and lame, so graduating it was not particularly a huge accomplishment. I did get one for college - a small and feminine one -- because it was a much bigger deal to me. I wore it for several years, but eventually my tastes changed and I no longer wear gold. :)

[tgray99]

I got a high school ring and wore it until I graduated. It hasn't been on my hand in 11 years. I couldn't care less about high school.

College, on the other hand, is a different story. I attended Texas A&M and the Aggie Ring (never "class ring" or "college ring") is one of the most recognizable symbols in Texas. Other universities (ahem, Baylor and Texas) attempt to copy it but it's hard to duplicate 130 years of tradition.

I've traveled all over the nation and I can always spot an Ag by their ring and I know I'm with a member of my "family."

A little history:
One of the greatest moments in the life of any Aggie is the day that they receive their Aggie Ring. This moment began with the Class of 1889. The original ring is very different from the ring worn today. At that time several companies made several different versions of the Aggie Ring. It wasn't until E.C. Jonas, class of 1894, designed a ring for his class that the ring we know today came into existence. It has remained exactly as it was designed in 1894.

The ring worn by all Aggie graduates is the same except for the class year. This serves as a common link for former students. When an Aggie sees the ring on another Aggie's hand, a spontaneous reunion occurs.

The Aggie Ring is one of the most symbolic of our traditions. Everything seen on the ring represents a value that an Aggie should hold.

Traditionally, students wear their ring with the class year facing them to signify the fact that their time at A&M is not yet complete. During Senior Weekend at the annual Ring Dance, the student's ring is turned around to face the world proudly, just as the Aggie graduate will be ready to face the world.
I know, it seems lame to those who haven't experienced it but the Aggie ring truly is something you earn. You don't just "get it" when you become a senior. You have to have earned 95 hours, apply for a degree audit and be approved before your order it. Aggie Ring day is pretty much equivalent to graduation as far as anticipation goes. We learn (not sure how) that if we see an Aggie ring on Ebay or in a pawn shop that we should attempt to buy it and take it to the Association of Former Students to get the ring back to its rightful owner. The ring is huge.

http://www.aggiemoms.org/pages/traditions/images/ring_big.jpg

Unfortunately I couldn't find a pic of with my class year on it, '99. We're attached to the class we come in with, not the one we leave with (some of us stick around for a good long while!) :D

[Tanya]

We're attached to the class we come in with, not the one we leave with (some of us stick around for a good long while!) :D
That always cracked me up--my BFF's ex-BF had a ring that said class of '97 or something and he didn't get out of there until '99 or '00. I do know of Aggies that don't wear their ring--namely DH (and BIL & SIL as well). It's such a big honkin' thing that he only puts it on for job situations or weddings where it would look bad to not be wearing it. Having gone to another school in TX (not Baylor or TX;)), the ring attachment has always baffled me:).

I do have a class ring from my university, but I don't wear it much. Partly because it's yellow gold, but I don't wear any rings but my wedding/e-ring. I'm glad I have it, though.

[Surftraitor]

I wear my mom's class ring. I never bought one for myself, as I thought they were cheesy. But my moms is pretty cool. I always get comments on it when I wear it.

[tgray99]

It's such a big honkin' thing that he only puts it on for job situations or weddings where it would look bad to not be wearing it.
Nah, the Aggie Ring isn't that big. This is a big ring.

http://www.vmi.edu/resources/images/cadet%20affairs%5Cclassrings.jpg

That's the VMI Ring. It's 40 penny weight. The thing is huge. An Aggie ring looks like a toy next to this monster.

[SeptSapphire]

Well, call me lame! LOL! I wear my college ring everyday. I love it, and I get compliments on it. I went to a small school in TX, and whenever it gets recognized, I've usually found another alumnus!

[linda_loo]

I don't even have a class ring, I thought they were lame in HS, so my parents bought me a garnet ring instead.

[katmg]

I always kinda wonder about people still wearing their HS rings past high school. I tend to associate it with people thinking that the "glory days" were high school which seems lame to me. That, or that graduating HS was their greatest achievement. I guess that's not really fair.

I went to UT (one of the "other" Texas schools. ;) ) No one I knew that went to Texas got a class ring. It just wasn't a big thing, especially since the Aggie ring is such a big deal. It seemed silly to try start a tradition of Texas Ex's wearing their rings like the Ags. My DH is an Aggie and does wear his ring. I probably would think it was lame, except I know what a BIG deal it is to Aggies to wear their rings. Hell, DH's best man collected them at our wedding and took a picture of all the Aggie Rings together.

ETA: I never got a HS or college ring. I got a lovely emerald ring instead of my HS ring though.

[dexters]

I think they are lame.

HOWEVER, I am also an Aggie and faithfully wear mine every day, as does my DH. Even though it is yellow gold and I only wear silver/white gold, as Tgrayexplained, the Aggie Ring is just....different. :)
Besides, one of the traditions around the ring is that you dunk it in a pitcher of beer and retrieve your ring in the amount of seconds your class is (so class of '99 had 99 seconds to drink their pitcher). No way I would go through that and not wear this ring.

And for the record, I finished my pitcher in '63 seconds. ;)

[greenbunny]

I always kinda wonder about people still wearing their HS rings past high school. I tend to associate it with people thinking that the "glory days" were high school which seems lame to me. .

I can see that. What's weird is that I think a class ring is somehow less cool if it belongs to you. I know a few couples from high school who stayed together like me and DH, and the girls wear the guys' rings. I think that's sweet. If DH had gotten one, I might wear it. But wearing my own seems lame. I have no idea why.