Hooray! If you’re reading this it means you’re probably about to come up on a HUGE milestone in your life – Graduation! I’m sure you’ve been counting down the days, just like everyone who has ever graduated has. While it’s super exciting, there’s also a lot to do. Whether you’re graduating from high school or college, these tips can help you while preparing for graduation.
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9 Things to Remember When Preparing for Graduation
1. Pick your outfit out ahead of time
The outfit you wear to graduate is important, even though it will be covered most of the time. First, you want something comfortable because you’ll be wearing it for a LONG time. So nothing so tight that you can’t breathe and get a stomach ache. It’s also typically to wear nicer dress clothes, not jeans and a t-shirt.
Shoes are also very important. High heels might look cute, but you’re going to be wearing them for hours, and you do NOT want to trip while you’re walking across the stage to get your diploma. That would be terrible. If you really want to wear heels, then try some wedges, they are a little bit more stable. Also, flats are a good dressy shoe as well.
For the men, any dress shoe will do fine, along with a nice button up shirt and a tie. Boys are so much easier!
2. Pack a bag
Pack a bag to take with you in the car, and possibly have your family hold for you. Be sure to pack makeup for touch ups, hair pins, a hair brush possibly, water, snacks, deodorant, perfume, and possibly some extra shoes, if you decide to wear heels, as a precautionary measure. If your ceremony is going to be outdoors, you might want to bring some sunscreen and sunglasses.
*If you’re wanting to throw a graduation party but are limited on funds, check out this guide to having a graduation party on a budget!
3. Get your announcements and invites sent out early
You’re going to want to get out your announcements and invitations early enough that people’s calendars aren’t already full. One really great place to get graduation announcements is Basic Invite. They offer super customizable prints with almost unlimited colors. They even let you receive a printed sample of your invitation before you order. They have so many wonderful options for graduation invitations cheap, beautiful, and totally customizable.
They also have a lot of unique prints that are super cute, like their med school graduation announcements. If you or anyone you know is graduating with a medical degree, these are perfect!
4. Have your thank you notes ready in advance
It would be super helpful if you had your thank you cards printed beforehand so you can just send them out afterwards. You’re going to have so much to do after graduation, so the more you can do beforehand the better.
You can get a generic, simple thank you card. Or you can order thank you cards with your photo that are super cute and customizable. Basic Invite has some really great thank you cards as well, as pictured above.
5. Prepare for your party as much in advance as possible
If you’re going to have a party, you want to prepare for it as much as you can ahead of time. Buying your decorations early, as well as any party supplies. You can also prepare a lot of your food the night before so it’s easy to set out before the party. It would also be helpful to do all of the decorating and set up the day before.
Depending on where you live, it’s always good to buy things in advance because stores can run low on seasonal supplies and decorations, such as graduation themed things!
Be sure to check out these super cute graduation party ideas!
6. Have someone designated to take photos
Have someone with a good camera (even if it’s just a phone camera) take photos of you during your ceremony, as well as before or after. This can just be a family member, just be sure to ask them if they can take photos, and be sure to remind them.
Some people like to get professional pictures done for graduation as well. But during the ceremony, most new cell phones have really amazing cameras, so if you don’t have a nice camera, don’t sweat it. Your family can still get some really great photos of you.
7. Get there early
Get to the ceremony early. Parking is probably going to be crazy. You might need to fix your hair or something also. You might also want to take some pictures ahead of time, especially with your friends that you might not get to see as regularly after graduation. Take this extra time to just live in the moment, and enjoy your big day.
8. Don’t forget about everything that needs to be done before graduation
Preparing for graduation can be so exciting, but you don’t want to forget about all of the important things that need to get done before graduation. Finals are one really important thing that you need to make time for. Take time to study!
If you are going to college, make sure you get in your required essays and applications! Start saving for tuition, living expenses, college textbooks, etc. Starting the college process as early as possible will help you not have to stress about it when you are trying to prepare for graduation.
Also, you have to remember to order your cap and gown, and get tickets for friends and family as well. So you’re going to want to know exactly who is going to be attending. You also need to remember to send out your invites as well. You can also buy any decorations you might want for your graduation party well in advance.
Some people like to give gifts to their teachers, so if that’s something you wanted to do, make sure to get those picked out early. You can check out these teacher gift ideas to give you some ideas!
9. Ask for help
Be sure to ask for help from friends and family. Whether it’s with your hair, taking photos, or decorating and cooking for your graduation party. You can also have someone help you pick graduation announcements and invites, as well as send them out. Your friends and family are going to be so excited for you, and they are going to enjoy helping you celebrate this important milestone!
We hope your graduation day is wonderful! Hopefully you can use some of these tips to help you feel a little bit more prepared for your graduation ceremony.
Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest and Instagram, and you can check out Basic Invite on Instagram as well to see all of the different prints they offer!
Kayla is the content creator over at motviationformom.com. She is a wife and mother who loves to share all of the tips, tricks, and life lessons that she has learned over the years with all of her readers. Her primary focus is on children’s education, motherhood, and healthy family relationships!