The word "毕业" is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: "毕", which originally depicted an ancient net used for hunting and carries the core meaning of "to finish" or "to complete", and "业", which represents one's scholarly or professional work, such as studies, a course, or an undertaking. Together, they create the metaphorical image of "completing one's course of study", where the entirety of one's academic endeavor is brought to a close, much like the final gathering of a net, resulting in the modern meaning "to graduate".