Graduating from college is one of the most important days of a student's life, and with all the necessary preparations, it's easy to fall behind.
To help things go as smoothly as possible, Auburn University makes a checklist to keep seniors on track.
"Graduation day is such a big day," said Laura Ann Forest, University registrar. "We want everything well-planned out in advance and completed before the day of the event."
Forest said waiting until the last minute when dealing with graduation only causes trouble.
"Students tend to put off picking up their caps, gowns and cords because they're in the throes of finals," Forest said. "All of it is at the bookstore the Thursday and Friday prior to graduation. People don't pick them up and then expect them to be at graduation, and it's not going to be."
For students who fail to pick up their caps, gowns and cords up on time, their day becomes significantly more stressful.
"They'll show up to the stadium, and yes, we'll have extras laying around, but it'll be a hurry-up-and-wait situation," Forest said. "We won't be headed the right way to pick them up for another 20 minutes and the ceremony starts in 30 minutes, and now we've got a time crunch."
Students should also keep their parents informed of graduation day details.
"The traffic is outrageous, and if you or your parents haven't looked at the maps on the website, you're going to have problems," Forest said. "Or if you have grandparents who need a wheelchair or to be dropped off, these are considerations that need to be taken care of in advance."
Serious planning for graduation begins a student's second-to-last semester.
"I changed majors a couple of times, which made my credits more complicated," said Sara Humphreys, senior in English. "I met with my adviser, and we made sure I knew exactly what I needed to take next semester to finish on time."
Lacy Knight, senior in history, said it was important to check with a department adviser and a college adviser.
"Because my department adviser knew the classes better, he was able to catch a mistake in my schedule that my liberal arts adviser missed," Knight said. "Always double-check because if I had signed up for the wrong class, I wouldn't have enough credits to graduate."
Because professors have to turn in their grades earlier for seniors, students should make sure their instructors know they are graduating that semester.
"Most of my professors know me well by now since I have taken a lot of upper-level courses from them," Humphreys said. "But it is still good to let them know so that turning in grades is not a pain for them."
Another surprise delay could come from holds on students' accounts.
"Because students aren't registering for another semester, they don't realize they have holds on their accounts," Forest said. "It could be a parking ticket or some other fine, but your degree won't be given until that is paid off."
Knight said she is not letting the stress of graduation and what comes after keep her down.
"Graduating from college is a once-in-a-lifetime event," Knight said. "It is a huge accomplishment, and I can't wait to celebrate the day."
A link on the home page of Auburn's website contains the checklist, along with other graduation details. For anyone with questions, contact the Office of the Registrar.
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