After working hard for three years, the time has finally come to celebrate your academic achievements with your friends and family at your graduation ceremony.
Your graduation day is a day for celebration, but also requires a lot of logistics.
We’ve put together a guide on how to prepare ahead for the big day:
Register for your graduation ceremony
In order to attend your ceremony, you must have registered. Anyone eligible for the graduation ceremony will normally be sent an email with instructions of registration and booking.
You must have completed your studies in order to attend. Once you have registered and paid for your tickets you will normally be sent a confirmation email.
Graduation gown and cap hire
Once you get details of your graduation ceremony through and you’ve registered, the most important thing to organise is your graduation gown and cap.
Your university will be able to guide you on which graduation gown and cap you require as well as your graduation gown hood colour, as most universities are slightly different.
Most people hire their academic gowns, but of course you can buy yours if you prefer. If you’re unsure whether to hire or buy your graduation ceremony robes check out our blog.
In order to hire your your graduation ceremony robes you’ll need the following details:
- Student name and ID number
- Your height (from your head to the floor)
- Your head circumference for your cap
- Your card details for payment
Pick your Graduation outfit
Your graduation attire isn’t just about your graduation robes, the outfit you wear underneath is also important.
Your graduation day outfit should be relatively formal, a smart suit, trousers and shirt or a smart dress. It’s best that your outfit isn’t too short or too long and that it’s comfortable for you to wear all day.
Your graduation ceremony involves a lot of walking around so you’ll want to consider comfortable shoes that you can confidently walk across the stage in to collect your award.
You might want to consider taking some spare shoes to change into if you’re wearing heels.
Make sure your certificate name is correct
You’ll need to make sure that your certificate name is the same as your legal name.
If the name on your student record is different, ensure that this is updated by contacting your faculty office in advance.
It’s really important you do this, as it’s a legal requirement.
Book accommodation
If you no longer live in the place you attended University, then you’ll need to think about booking accommodation. It’s best to do this as soon as you know the date of your graduation. A lot of hotels and booking companies use dynamic pricing whereby the prices go up with demand. With lots of graduates and their families requiring accommodation, hotels can easily get booked up or go up in price, so get accommodation sorted early to avoid unnecessary stress.
Sort out your travel
You’ll need to think about how you’re going to travel to your graduation ceremony.
If you’re travelling by car, car parks may be busy so plan ahead by researching an array of nearby car parks.
Some cities have Park and ride options which might be a good idea if the centre is very busy.
If travelling by taxi, make sure you book it a few weeks in advance to avoid taxi companies getting booked up.
If travelling by train or bus, ensure that you give yourself ample time in case transport is delayed or cancelled.
Book your photography
Your graduation day is a real life milestone, so you’ll want to make sure you capture the day on camera.
There are lots of photography packages to choose, from digital galleries to full print packages.
At Evess we also offer Gradtag technology that captures the moment you are officially awarded your certificate on stage.
Check your graduation ceremony Itinerary
Your graduation day can be pretty full on, so you’ll want to make sure you know where you’re supposed to be and what time. You’ll need to know where to collect your graduation cap and gown, and ensure that you have ample time to put it on and head toward your seat ready for your graduation ceremony.
Ensure you know the order in which your degree level and class will be awarded, so you are on standby for collecting your award. There are usually ushers who will guide you.
Make sure you’re on time for your professional photographs too, so as to avoid queuing for too long. Keeping to your itinerary will mean you have more time to celebrate and soak up the day with your family and friends.
Make sure guests have booked their tickets
Any guests who would like to attend your graduation ceremony will need to make sure that they have booked tickets in advance. It differs across universities, but most graduates are allowed 2-3 guests. If capacity allows then extra tickets might be sold after the deadline.
Also make sure guests have also arranged accommodation and travel if needed.
Pack your essentials
There are a number of things you might want to pack for graduation day:
- Spare shoes for walking
- Hair grips to help keep your cap in place
- A bottle of water
- Safety pins for keeping your academic gown in place
- Mirror
- Sun screen
- Graduation Ceremony tickets
- Graduation gown and cap order number
- Snacks
Return you Graduation Cap and Gown
Your graduation attire will need to be returned the same day. There will usually be a designated return point.
Make sure that you return your gown and cap on time as you might receive penalty charges if handed in late.
Plan further celebrations
Your graduation day is a day of celebration, so you’ll want to make the most of it. After your ceremony and photographs you might want to celebrate further by going out for a nice meal or for some drinks with your fellow graduates.
Restaurants and bars near your graduation location will get notoriously busy, so be sure to book something a few months in advance to avoid any disappointment on the day.
Make sure you receive your certificate
After you graduate, you’ll be sent a copy of your degree certificate. This will normally be posted to the address your university has on file. It’s important to check that your University has the correct address on file as you might need to produce a copy of your certificate when applying for jobs.
You can also request an eDocument certificate at some Universities. If you lose your certificate you’ll most likely need to pay for a new copy. It might be worth considering purchasing a back up copy anyway, just in case you misplace your original one.
If you do not receive your certificate within a few weeks of graduation contact your university.
At Evess, we take the stress out of your graduation day. We offer graduation gown and cap hire, as well as the option to purchase gowns, photography and Gradtag.
Cover all your graduation ceremony needs in one day with Evess.
Unsure where to start? Contact our friendly team, who will be more than happy to assist you with finding the correct items for your graduation day.
