Grad Day’s Just a Month Away

…what you need to do to be ready.

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BAHS students’ families have an option to display a senior banner in the cafeteria with positive notes of encouragement.

Jenna Kohler, Staff Writer

The high school graduation ceremony is a tradition of saying goodbye to not just your teenage years, but also where you spent the last four years of your life building connections with teachers, friends, and others.  If you’re a senior with graduation coming up, you might feel underprepared in making sure you are ready for the event. This is a guideline for you to know how to be physically and mentally prepared for the big day.  

Stay up to date with your work. As you reach the end, it is common that many students start lacking on their schoolwork.  Keeping up with your assignments ensures you won’t be stressed out by the end of the year and will avoid you from failing a class and possibly not being able to graduate. Many students have exams coming up, so it is also critical to work hard and study. Receiving a good score on your test can be beneficial down the road as you many have one less college class to take.  

Make sure you pay any outstanding fees to the school. On the last day, go through all your belongings and make sure everything has been turned in including library books, uniforms, laptops, etc. Failing to do so could also result in your not receiving your diploma. 

Reach out to your favorite teachers, classmates and school personnel. Make it a point to visit the people who have positively contributed to your experience as a student. Give them a thank you and let them know what it means to you. This is a great for many future opportunities as well that include line up recommendations or references for the future.  

Plan your graduation party. Graduation parties are a great option for people who want to celebrate finishing high school by kicking back and enjoying time with others. Plan it out at least a month in advance and hand out cute cards to your friends, family members, neighbors, etc.  

Pick out your graduation outfit. If you haven’t decided what your wearing, you aren’t the only one because I haven’t either. Even though we have our obvious cap and gown, formal wear is usually worn under the gown. The dress code for the event says that you must wear white or light colors close to white. Don’t stress out too much in this part, as in the end of the day we are all going to be wearing the same thing. 

When the day has arrived, it is important to get plenty of sleep the night prior. You will probably be a little nervous, however, this is perfectly normal. It is not easy for everyone to be able to walk across the aisle with hundreds of pairs of eyes looking at you. If you need to physically prepare, you can practice your work across the aisle, and accepting your diploma with a smile. Be sure to stand up straight and hold your head high, walking at a normal pace. If you want to have a fresh look for graduation, make sure to set appoints for hair, nails, etc. early in the day.  

Seniors, I give you all my luck and support throughout the last few days of school as you prepare for you graduation day. Enjoy the moment and celebrate it with pride as we are going to be reaching an incredible milestone for our futures.