Ways To Make Your Graduation Special

Graduating from high school marks an impressive achievement. You’ve made it through four (or more) years of cramming for quizzes and tests, attending extracurriculars, applying to colleges or job opportunities, and more—in the midst of a global pandemic, no less! Your hard work and determination deserve an award. For many students, the best kind of award they can receive is their diploma.

Unfortunately, this year’s graduation season will probably be similar to the last. There are some high schools that have decided to have in-person ceremonies with strict safety guidelines in place, but there are also many that have chosen to play it safe by holding virtual ceremonies instead.

If you’ll have a virtual graduation, you might feel disappointed about not celebrating your accomplishment the traditional way. But just because your graduation isn’t in-person doesn’t mean that it has to be a flop. There are many ways to make your graduation special, regardless of the circumstances. Here are just a few.

Organize a Video Party

Even if you can’t meet in person, you can still celebrate your graduation with family and friends. Popular video hosting platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, allow you to organize calls with over a hundred participants.

All you have to do is send out the invites; then, set up a call on the day of the graduation broadcast. You and everyone else can watch the graduation ceremony together and then have a virtual party afterward. There might not be cake, snacks, and balloons, but you can still chat with each other and play online party games.

Walk Down the Stage

Holding your own ceremony is another way to make your graduation special. If you long for the experience of walking down the stage and being handed your diploma, why not create your own graduation reenactment?

Seat your friends and family in the living room and use the next room over as a stage. You can ask a special person, such as one of your parents, to hand you your diploma. If you don’t have your actual diploma yet, a rolled-up piece of paper will work as a convincing substitute.

Don your cap and gown, walk across the stage, proudly accept your diploma, and recite an insightful speech. It might seem silly, but you’d be surprised how fulfilling it can be to act out the event instead of just waiting to hear your name on a pre-recorded broadcast.

Forge Your Own Traditions

There are plenty of graduation traditions that already exist, but most of them are hard to do when you’re stuck at home on graduation day. Instead, why not forge your own traditions?

If you’re not attending an in-person ceremony, graduation day can become whatever you want. Maybe graduation day means celebrating with pizza, ice cream, and a well-deserved nap, having a barbecue with your family, or marathoning your favorite high school and college-themed movies, like High School Musical, Legally Blonde, or Van Wilder. Make it fun!

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