The College Graduate’s Checklist

Published on Tuesday, July 19th, 2011 by Dania Mallette Category: 4 Year Colleges

You’ve put in the time, the work and made the grade. Now you’re officially on your way towards becoming a college graduate–congratulations! Before you continue with your celebrations, however, there are some important items that should be checked off your list to make sure that your transition from college life to the “real world” is a smooth one.

Turn in Your Application/Petition for Graduation Checklist for Graduating Students

Finishing college actually involves filling out an application that allows the college or university you’re enrolled in to make sure that you meet all of the requirements necessary to walk the stage and receive your diploma. Failing to turn in this application and its accompanying documents on time (or late) will delay the process and could end up pushing your graduation date back farther. Note all deadlines and turn in everything as early as possible. Doing so will also give you much needed time to correct any mistakes or clear up any misunderstandings that may occur with your application.

Pay Your Dues

Before leaving your college campus for good, make sure to double check that you’re all paid up for the semester/quarter. This includes tuition, applicable fees and other outstanding balances. Even something small such as owning money to the library for overdue books could have a negative affect on whether you’ll be able to graduate on time or not. Clean the slate, pay your dues and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Caps, Gowns & Tickets

Soon-to-be college graduates are responsible for not only ordering and paying for their caps and gowns, but picking them up as well. Another responsibility is getting the right number of tickets for your guests. No ticket, no entrance. If you’ve got a big family, plan ahead of time to make arrangements to buy extra tickets if available. Or you can ask your other friends that are graduating with you if they’d be willing to sell you some of their tickets. Don’t forget to attend the rehearsal as well. You’ll want to make sure that you know where to go and when to go in order to avoid any mistakes or mishaps during the ceremony. This is also the time to double check that your name is spelled right in the program and that the person announcing the names knows how to pronounced yours correctly.

Start the Job Hunt

There is no rule that says college graduates can’t start looking for and applying to jobs before they actually graduate. In fact, the search for your dream career should begin as soon as you’re able to plan what semester/quarter you’ll be graduating. Many employers hire students fresh out of college but it helps for them to know when you’ll be available to start. What better way to enter the “real world” than by already securing a job before you’ve even received your degree and walked across the stage?

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