Graduation is a special day, one where you finally get to celebrate the hard work of the last three-plus years, but as it approaches it’s best to look at the costs of the day, and how to save.
While you may think you are finished with academic expenses, having paid £9k a year on fees, thousands on rent, and unspeakable amounts on textbooks, nights out, and jaeger bombs, the spending does not end there.
Graduation can be an expensive affair, but you can also do the day on a budget if you’re savvy with your spending. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to spend your money on in preparation for, and during, your graduation day.
1. Cap and gown hire
This is the one part of graduation that isn’t really optional- you don’t want to be the only one not in a cap and gown when you walk across the stage to collect your degree, and some unis make the dress compulsory. This will cost you around £40 ish to hire for the day. You can buy it, but most people tend to hire theirs.
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Your university will likely provide you with information on how to do this, usually through an external company which asks you for your university and your course so they can issue you the correct colour.
2. Photographs
This is an expense you can opt out of, but many universities will offer various professional photography packages, so you can buy prints of you posing with your certificate. There are cheaper options and more expensive ones which usually involve frames. Of course, you can frame your pictures yourself to save a few pounds.
Alternatively, you can take your own pictures on the day around campus. Phone cameras are of a high quality these days, meaning you can take some stunning shots by yourself.
3. Travel expenses
Chances are you are no longer living in your university city when you graduate, meaning you (and your guests, if you bring them) will need to make your way to your university.
It’s important to look up parking availability and costs in advance, as universities will often have different parking restrictions on graduation days due to the sheer number of people on campus. Remember to factor in the cost of transport whether that be money spent on petrol, train fares, or bus tickets.
Of course, there are other things to consider, such as if you want to eat out at a restaurant on your graduation if you want to buy a new outfit for your special day, and if you’re going to be hitting the bars that evening.
Whilst there is a baseline cost for graduation days, you can make the day as expensive, or affordable, as you like.