Graduation. It’s the biggest day of your academic life, a culmination of everything you have worked towards over the last three years or more, so you need to work out what you need for the main event.
You will don your cap and gown, hear your name called in a hall filled with people, and walk across the stage to collect your degree. You will celebrate your hard work and success and say goodbye to your university experience.
You will take pictures with your friends, throw your cap in the air, and pose for pictures taken by beaming family members. You get the picture. Graduation can be a big deal, so you want to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. What do you need to ensure this happens?
Here is our list of graduation must-haves so you don’t forget anything you’ll need for your big day.
Graduation must-haves and top tips for the day
1. Your cap and gown
Pretty self-explanatory, but this is a big one to remember. Imagine you’re driving down the motorway off to your university for the last time, when you suddenly remember your gown hanging up in your room, untouched, and currently very far from the person meant to be wearing it. That would be a disaster. Some universities will have your cap and gown waiting for you at the event, which fortunately means you can tick this off your list for now.
2. Your camera/ phone
Pictures are a big part of graduation, and you can understand why. After all this hard work you are going to want to milk the day and pose for as many pictures as you can, which is only possible if you bring something to take pictures with. Don’t forget a portable charger for your phone! The day can be long and you don’t want to be worrying about your battery dwindling.
3. Tissues
You may need them to wipe your tears, after being left misty-eyed at the thought of kissing uni life goodbye. Or you might have hay fever and are using them to blow your nose. It is the summer after all, so pollen levels (and emotions) are running high.
4. A fold-up hairbrush
As I explained above, there will be lots of pictures taken on the day and you might not want to look back in twenty years and see that the weather didn’t quite give you the windswept look you had gone for, and instead left you with what resembles a bird’s nest on the top of your head.
5. Plasters
You might be wearing heels, and let’s be real, they aren’t the most comfortable things in the world. Pack a couple of plasters- you might be grateful for them later on in the afternoon.
6. Water
Staying hydrated, especially in the sun, is very important. Remember to pack some suncream too if the weather is warm.
Don’t forget things like your purse, a jumper if it’s cold or sunglasses if the sun is out.