Be Grad Glad: How to Celebrate Graduation in Style

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About the author: My name is Sophie Layton, and I’m an MA International Public & Political Communication and BSc Biology graduate from the University of Sheffield. I am currently the Managing Editor of WILD Magazine, Editor of Ed Fringe Review, and Newsletter Editor for the Essex International Jamboree, as well as former Arts & Theatre Editor of Forge Press. I am also the Digital Media Officer for the Student Publication Association. I am a keen thespian with the Sheffield University Theatre Company, with interests in culture, LGBTQ+ issues and political science.

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The hard work has been and gone, and it’s time to celebrate your graduation! Here’s our top tips for commemorating your special day.

So, it’s all over. After three, four, five, six years or more of studying, dissertations, assignments, lab reports, exams, portfolio reviews, presentations, showcases, and everything in between, you’ve done it. Your results are in, and your degree is confirmed - congratulations!

And with your eyes now firmly fixed on your future, there’s one last university party to get planning before it’s all over - your graduation! So, how should you celebrate graduation? Here are my top tips for marking your biggest achievement yet, from someone who’s been there and done it (twice!).

Top tips on how to celebrate graduation

A picture says a thousand words

Your graduation day is sure to be one of the biggest achievements (at least in education) of your life. Everyone goes to school; most go to college or sixth form; many arrive at university, but fewer than that finish it, with numbers decreasing further as you move into postgraduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral study.

For a day you’ll look back on forever, you’ll definitely want the perfect pictures to remember it by. Take advantage of the photo opportunities set up around the venue, get those cute group photos with your family and friends, and don’t miss a chance to grab a selfie when you can!

If your guests are willing, why not ask them to get some candid pictures when they can as well? You and those around you will likely be beaming from ear to ear at several points on your special day, so catching them might just present your favourite photos of the day. Seeing as you can delete any photos you don’t like on the way home, why not grab as many as possible - you miss every shot you don’t take!

The way old friends do

As you walk around your graduation ceremony, the buzz of a city and graduates alike all around you, you’re not celebrating this moment alone. Chances are, your course mates, friends, housemates, society members, sports team, and more are in that hall around you, living their special day alongside you. So take this opportunity to see them again, free from the trappings of studying, assignments and responsibilities, find out what they’re up to and how they’re celebrating - you never know when you all will be together again!

But you may also find yourself sitting alongside people you don’t know, especially during the ceremony itself, so make friends with your neighbours. What did they study? Do they have a job they’re going to? Where are they travelling from? Your degree may be over, but it’s never too late to pick up an extra friend at university!

Relive the memories

For many, graduation marks a return to a place they’ve come to call home. It’s a chance to walk the streets of your old stomping grounds - passing the places where you lived, worked, studied, slept, and perhaps spent one too many nights out. If you’re looking for something (slightly!) calmer, take a walk around your campus and your city, and take a moment for all of the memories.

If you have family with you, it’s a great opportunity to grab some meaningful moments, as well as to become the city’s most qualified tour guide! Your city is your home, and graduation is a fantastic time to revisit it properly.

Sweet treat?

A staple of any graduation celebration has to be a nice lunch or dinner with those who made it all happen; graduating is hungry work, as it turns out! Once the gowns and mortarboards are safely stowed, it’s a prime time to get yourself a celebratory meal with those that you love.

Be sure to book ahead of time to make sure you get a table and give yourself extra time to get there; with thousands of graduates and their families descending on the city’s eateries, it’s likely to be busier than usual!

A cheeky Vimto (or something stronger)

If you’re fancying a tipple to finish off your graduation day, you won’t be alone! Many graduates end up enjoying a cheeky beverage or two to round off their day, but the choices from there are limitless.

Whether it’s a bar or club, or even a quick one in Wetherspoons, it may be a great opportunity to call back to your student days, and those of your parents too. And from there, the night is yours; your graduation day could end at 9 PM or 9 AM, depending on what you fancy!

Whatever YOU want

Above all else, your graduation day is just that - your graduation day. How you choose to spend it, what you choose to do and who you choose to do it with is entirely your choice, and no one else’s. You can make plans aplenty, or make no plans at all, but don’t be afraid to switch it up on the day, depending on how you’re feeling. Graduation is an overwhelming day at the very best of times, but it still remains your day, and on such a special occasion, you call the shots.

Graduation is the moment you’ve been building towards, the moment your efforts bear their fruits and the moment you finally get to put the rubber stamp on the past few years of dedication. Celebrate graduation and enjoy it however you see fit. Have a fantastic day - you’ve earned it!

And remember - check out my blog post on what to expect after graduating for more insights!

Looking for postgraduate accommodation?

Once you’ve finished celebrating your graduation, you might want to plan ahead for the future. Are you planning on tackling postgraduate study? Or a graduate job with a young professional house share? Whatever is waiting for you in the future, consider planning in advance by checking out UniHomes’ bills-inclusive accommodation.

Secure a room today and give yourself one less thing to stress about!

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