by Keegan Malan

To our PUC graduates, congratulations on your upcoming graduation! Before graduation weekend, there are a few things you need to do to make sure everything runs smoothly, and that when that day comes, it deserves to be a celebration of your success.

Check With Records

How bad would it be to think that you are graduating when, in fact, you are a few credits shy of doing so? How terrifying! You should check at your student Flashlight account first to see if anything seems amiss, and then email the Records department to ask whether you have all the credits needed to graduate. When you have confirmed you have, breathe a sigh of relief, and then move on to the next task.

Order Cap and Gown

An email will be sent out to all prospective graduates with a link to a site where you can order your cap and gown, and instructions on how to do so. You will want to order your cap and gown as far in advance as possible because they normally take a while to get here, and if there’s a delay, you don’t want that headache. You cannot walk at graduation if you do not have the cap and gown that PUC has approved for you. For different majors, the cap and gown may differ, and for different degrees, there may be a slight difference as well. So order just as quickly as you can, following the instructions to the letter, and you will be fine. 

Take Graduation Pictures and Send 

Once you get your cap and gown, it is time for graduation pictures. (If you want to wear them in your graduation photos.) This is not something that is required by PUC, but it is something you should do for posterity’s sake. It is important to capture these moments and share them with friends and family so they can share in your joy. Find a photographer, or have someone you know, take your pictures, and share them with your loved ones. Include them in your invitations so that you can tackle two tasks at once and have all the people you want with you on your big day.

Get References For Job Applications

Be prepared to look for jobs and send out resumes and applications. If you have any teachers you think would give you a reference, ask them ahead of time if they would be willing to serve as one of your references. It is always good to have a professor’s reference from your given field of study. Then look elsewhere for people you think could best represent you as a person and as a worker, and ask them as well. Once you have these references, complete your resume, look for work, and be confident that you have the right people backing you up.

Graduate

Put on that cap and gown one last time and get ready for the culmination of all your years of study. There will be a run-through of the ceremony two days before the actual graduation, which will prepare you for how and when you will walk and how you will line up. After that, when the actual ceremony commences, you will know everything you need to make it run smoothly. 

Enjoy this time in your life and have fun. Smile for your friends and family, and know that you have done a good job, and that what comes next will be beautiful. Congratulations!