Posted May 5, 2017

Making a list: What to know for graduation day

Congratulations, grads! You’re officially, certifiably old. Now just a small reminder for graduation day: Don’t forget to pick out some cool shoes, bring your camera, charge your phone, remember your tickets, put on your sunblock, eat some snacks, drink water, wear your cords, smile a lot but keep it natural, show up early, see your professors, hug your friends, walk slowly, don’t trip, turn your tassel, take some pictures and oh yeah, enjoy it ’cause it’s not every day you graduate from Temple. Got it? Relaaaaaaxxxxxxx. Our graduation checklist has you covered. 

An iPhone with reminders in front of a graduation photo.
  • Your regalia.
    This means your hood, cap, tassel and gown (it would be very, very awkward if you forget your gown). If you’re struggling to put your hood on correctly, just bring it with you and ask for assistance from the helpers during the line-up.
  • Your cords, stoles and appropriate dress.
    If you received cords, or stoles (aka sashes), bring them, because their entire purpose is for you to (humbly) flaunt your achievements. This might seem like a given, but dress sharply, even if you’ll be obscured by a gown most of the day—or likely face the wrath of mom and dad.

  • Your tickets.
    Again this should go without saying, but...you’d be surprised. Lost tickets will not be replaced, so if you don’t have time to hand them off to your fam before the day of, leave them in the envelope until they get to the Liacouras Center.

  • Sunglasses, an umbrella, or both.
    Last year, the clouds opened up on the Class of 2016, so watch the weather closely and consider bringing an umbrella to protect your immaculate hair/makeup/spray tan. If it’s going to be sunny, bring the shades for those outdoor photos (and just to look cool). Sunblock is a good idea, too.

  • Portable charger/camera.
    We assume your phone doubles as your camera anyway, so that’s even more reason to stow a charger underneath your gown. It’s a 90-minute ceremony, so you want to make sure your phone makes it the whole day for all of your #TUGrad17 tweets (yeah, that’s shameless hashtag promotion), your Temple-geotagged snaps and the dozens of pics for mom.

  • A snack (or two).
    Maybe you sacrificed breakfast for prep time or skipped because of nerves, but you have a long day ahead of you. Grab something from your house to eat on the go.

  • Comfy shoes.
    If your school graduation is on the same day as Commencement, you’re looking at a full day of activities. We suggest bringing a pair of flip-flops to wear to the Liacouras Center until you need to slip into your fancy kicks.

Learn more about Temple's 130th Commencement