Fun Ways to Celebrate Your Graduation This Year

It takes a lot of hard work to receive your diploma, so go ahead, make a big deal of your big day. After all, you’ll want to recognize all that you’ve accomplished as well as the friends and mentors who have supported you along the way.

Looking for ideas on what to do? Here are three fun ways to celebrate your graduation. 

Hold your own ceremony.

Many schools aren’t holding traditional graduation ceremonies this year because of the pandemic. Instead, they’re getting creative with drive-in graduations and virtual ceremonies.

So why not get creative too? You can hold your own ceremony in addition to the one you attend with your school. Gather your close family and friends—whoever’s in your pod—and hold a small outdoor celebration. You can stay safe by spreading out and keeping your PPE handy in your Fifth Avenue Fanny Pack.

Because it’s just your group, you can all have more time in the spotlight. Instead of a valedictorian speech, have everyone in your circle of friends give a speech about each other. If it’s family-only, your loved ones are sure to want to share how proud they are of you...and maybe even a slideshow of how much you’ve grown.

Find a way to say thank you.

Graduation is about celebrating what you’ve accomplished, but you didn’t get here alone. Your teachers, family, and friends all played a big role in helping you get to where you are today.

Let them know how much you appreciate their support. Sign yearbooks outside with your friends so you can write down what they mean to you while creating a unique memento of your time together. Send a letter to your favorite teacher or professor; they’re sure to appreciate you taking the time to sit down with a paper and pen to say thank you. As for your family, show them how much you've grown with some serious adulting: Cook them a special dinner so you can celebrate this milestone together.

Start thinking about what’s next.

For some people, the thrill of graduating is looking back and remembering all that you’ve accomplished. For others, it’s about looking forward and anticipating what comes next, whether that’s college or your career.

If you fall into the latter group, or if you just want to extend the celebration, don’t close out this chapter of your life without starting the next one. That might mean making a special purchase, like finding the right bag to help you carry your laptop between seminars or to work. Or it could mean making plans. If you’re moving, scope out your new city. Make a list of all the places you want to try and things you want to do once you get there. Depending on how close it is, you could even pack a bag and drive there for the weekend to get a preview of where you’ll soon be living.

If you’re starting classes in the fall, flip through the course catalog and see if your school is holding any virtual events over the summer for incoming freshmen; you might be able to start making friends before you even arrive on campus.

Congrats grads! We want to see you in your cap and gown. Tag us on social media with #LifeUnzipped.