Graduation season is just around the corner, meaning the countless events and preparations leading up to that date. I am graduating college in May, and I have been extremely stressed and worried this entire semester with preparations. These are some things that I have kept in mind when getting ready for grad season.
1. Dates
As I have begun my last semester at TAMU, the most important thing that I noted were the dates for every single event that related to my graduation. When can I pick up my regalia? When is my commencement? When do I have to apply to graduation? (yes, really you have to apply to graduate…) When is the last day of finals? When are my senior photos? When are final grades due? These are all the things that circulated my head, and trust when I say that you have to know your dates before they pass and you are doing every thing last minute. Since it is a month before graduation I realized that it is super important to notify all the dates and times with your loved ones so that they are also in the loop.
2. Events
I have senior photos in April, and I also have to print out my photos to add them into my invitations and then send them out. I had to plan every single event to make sure that everything will be delivered in time for graduation. I am printing my photos at Walgreens, and my invitations are from the Bookstore though I heard that Canva is a great tool to use to make invitations for free, and I would use that. It is nice to reach out to a photographer as soon as possible so that they give you the best rates and that they can fit you in their schedule as many become booked quickly over time. My photographer is a friend who did my high school graduation photos, and I think that if there is a friend or a family friend that can get your photos done, I think that it is for the best in terms of scheduling as many can be super flexible.
3. School
Unfortunately, school, exams, and essays are still going on, and just because it is my graduation semester doesn’t mean I will meet all the requirements for graduation. Working at the Bookstore on campus, I have met plenty of soon to be graduates who do not end up graduating because they did not pass their class. Over the course of this semester I have been keeping up with my grades (even though I have the worst senioritis) so that I can actually graduate. I find that it isn’t like High school, where maybe they’ll let you through, unfortunately you won’t get the credit for the class and that means you will not graduate.
4. Other
At TAMU, you can decorate your cap, and I have been planning on doing so. There are so many inspiration photos on Pinterest, and even inspiration photos on graduation poses for your photos. So, Pinterest has been my best friend in preparing for my college graduation. I will have leftover graduation invitations and I am actually sending them to my favorite companies in the mail, which is something I heard on TikTok. Lastly, my outfit… which will be a full day’s worth of shopping to find just the right one. I am taking some time to pick out what I want to wear, so that I feel comfortable and pretty at the same time. Going to a mall, or an outlet mall seems to be the best way to find something good to wear and it will definitely be time consuming.
Graduation is nearing, don’t be late, and don’t procrastinate.