You’ve made it to the big day! Years of blood, sweat and toil, along with the odd mental breakdown, and you’ve officially reached the end of your studies. If this is the case, you might currently be feeling a mixture of emotions – from being sad your degree is over, excited about your future and nervous about your graduation day itself. This blog should hopefully help to ease some of these concerns, letting you know what to expect on graduation day and giving you some tips so you can enjoy it as much as possible!
The big build-up…
If you’re a few weeks off graduation, your university should already have been in touch with details about your ceremony. Some require you to actively confirm your place, so make sure you do this (otherwise you might not be allowed to attend!) You are usually allowed to bring two guests, but can also enter a ballot to receive extra tickets if any siblings, partners or other family members also wish to attend.
You should double check you know where your ceremony will be taking place, as well as your reception or any other events that are being put on during the day. Ensure you also know what time your ceremony is at. They are usually held in the morning or early afternoon, but you and your guests may need to check-in an hour before it starts. Knowing when your ceremony kicks off also means you can plan the rest of your day around it, including any well-deserved celebratory meals with your family and friends!
Alongside details of the ceremony itself, your university will also likely have sent you a link to buy or loan a robe and hood (and a cap where this is part of their official graduation dress code). Where possible, you should make sure you’ve reserved your robe well in advance. In some cases, you may be able to hire one on the day, but this is more expensive and is not always guaranteed. Most universities are extremely strict when it comes to wearing a robe and hood and won’t let you participate in the ceremony without the correct attire, so ensure you sort it early to be on the safe side!
You may also want to book in to get a professional photo taken. As well as a nice memento to keep for posterity (and to be plastered around your family home), these can be very useful for job applications, professional portfolios and LinkedIn profiles. There will usually be a professional photographer on campus on the day, with slots available for you to book. However, many students choose to hire their own photographer to give them more time. This also means you can get some shots with your friends and family, as well as in some of your favourite spots around your uni city. If getting your professional photos taken on the day sounds like too much stress, you can also get them done later on after the event has finished. I personally chose to hire my gown for an extra week (at an additional cost of around £40), so I could take some photos in my hometown and get my professional photos taken in my own time.
Finally, I would recommend planning your outfit down to a tee. Pick a dress (or outfit) which you feel comfortable and confident in, and make sure you bring a change of shoes. There will be a lot of walking and standing throughout the day, so having a pair of comfy trainers to change into once you’ve taken your photos is a must! Similarly, knowing what make-up and hairstyle you want to do will prevent any last-minute panicking (and some students even get these done professionally to avoid stress).
Tips for the big day!
First of all, congratulations on making it to your big day!
I would recommend making sure you wake up nice and early for your graduation. This is particularly true if your ceremony is taking place in the morning. However, even though mine was in the afternoon, I still really valued having some time to chill (in my case, going to the gym for a non-sweaty workout!) before the stress of the day kicked in. This also ensures you have plenty of time to get ready and arrive at the venue.
You should also have a clear plan of how you’re going to get to your ceremony, such as booking a taxi or train. If you’re going on foot, make sure you leave a bit earlier. Whilst your usual walk to uni might only take twenty minutes, you’re likely to walk much slower in your formal attire, and you’ll also want to take your time to avoid sweating.
I would also suggest scribbling a rough agenda of where you need to be and when. There might be a lot of places you have to be at certain times (for example, collecting your gown, getting your individual or class photo taken, your reception, and the ceremony itself), so having a plan will help keep you on track and minimise stress.
I also had a list of all the places that I wanted to take photos in so I didn’t forget any. Arriving as early as you can to collect your gown means you can take a lot of your photos when campus is still relatively quiet and you’re still looking at your absolute best. I would definitely recommend making sure any phones or cameras have a good amount of battery and bringing chargers or powerbanks in case you need to top-up.
It’s also a good idea to take some snacks or water to keep you hydrated. Since it’s quite a chaotic day, you don’t really know what you’ll be eating and when, so having a decent breakfast is worthwhile. If the weather’s really hot you could also bring a handheld fan to keep you cool – you can even take this into your ceremony with you!
The ceremony itself typically lasts around one to two hours depending on how many people are in your cohort and what other subjects are in the same ceremony. Once you’ve found your seat, you don’t need to do anything else – just soak up the atmosphere around you and enjoy it! I found it a lot more formal than I expected (for example, there might be a song or cantation in Latin), but really enjoyed it. Be prepared for a lot of clapping though (everyone claps for everyone else) as this can be quite tiring!
You’ll usually be sat in alphabetical order, with a little sheet of paper that has your name on it. When the time comes, your row will be directed to stand up, your name will be read out and you’ll get to walk across the stage with your head held high!
And most importantly…
Make sure you enjoy your day! You worked so hard to make it this far, and it’s a celebration of all the hours you studied, the exams you sat and the essays you handed in.
It’s totally normal to feel mixed emotions when you graduate. You might feel really proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished in the last few years, but at the same time anxious of what the future holds. Just know it’s totally normal to feel sad that this chapter of your life is over, but you should also let yourself start to feel excited for all the incredible ones that are still to come.
We wish you a very happy graduation day and every success for your future!
