“Hey, what are you wearing for graduation?”, “How are you getting there?”, “Are your parents going? Where are they going to stay?”
It might seem like a long way off but graduation is hurtling towards us like a snowball to the face: quickly, painfully, and not looking back. And there might be more to consider than you initially thought! Here are some things to start planning for your graduation.
By Lauren Haslett – Media Studies at University of Portsmouth
Are you going to wear a dress, a skirt, a suit and tie, a kilt?! Whatever you decide to wear, it’s good to start planning it now. You might need to rent something fancy and get your booking in as soon as possible or you might want to start making a checklist for something to look out for in the summer season. Don’t forget to set yourself a budget!
Whether your whole family, from your mum and dad and siblings to your aunties, uncles and grandparents, all want to come and see you graduate or you just want to invite a couple of people; it’s important that you start to plan this early. Firstly, check out your university’s policy on the amount of guests you can bring. Then, see how many free tickets you are entitled to and sign up to any news and updates that might give you a head start. The last thing you want is to find out about booking tickets too late and for your university to run out of tickets.
Once you’ve organised who’s coming, it’s time to think about where they will stay, especially if you study a long way from home. It’s likely that lots of people at your university are in a similar situation to you, so booking hotels and b&bs can become quite competitive. The sooner you can book rooms and parking for your family, the easier and less stressful the actual graduation day will be for everybody.
Whether you study at a campus or city university, it’s worth checking out local taxi rates and car parking so that your family can be fully prepared. Trust me, you don’t want to be chasing a taxi half an hour before your graduation ceremony… it’s not fun! Find out how soon in advance you can book your taxi and put a reminder in your calendar – easy peasy!
Most universities host a graduation ball or after party, and the tickets for these usually sell out super fast! Start up a WhatsApp group with your besties and decide what you’re going to do after graduation so that you’re all on the same schedule. Once you’ve decided this, you can let your family know what your plans are so there’s no confusion on the day. There’s nothing worse than grumpy parents who weren’t expecting you to disappear on one of the proudest days of their lives.
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