What really makes your graduation special

Graduations at UNSW are many things all at once

For some, they are a rite of passage – it doesn’t feel like you’ve actually finished your program of study until you walk up onto that stage and get your certificate. For others, graduations are a celebration. Years of hard work that deserve to be looked back on with pride, satisfaction and “OMG I actually did that”.

And even then, for the absolute go-getters, graduations are all about what’s next. Where do I go as a UNSW alumnus? A comfortable 9-5, something entrepreneurial... or (higher) higher education? The world is your oyster farm.

But if there’s one thing all of us look forward to about graduations at UNSW, it’s the sense of community and joy that radiates through campus.

Even if it isn’t your graduation, you get to witness the sea of grad caps (well, mortarboards) and gowns as you walk past the Library lawn. Those sunset pictures will be all over your feed.

You hear the hustle and bustle in the air, the voices of graduates and their loved ones, chatter interspersed with the odd squeal. @unswstudents is probably interviewing some of those graduates. Who knows, they might star in the next reel...

And, of course, bumping into more and more people who clearly aren’t students on your way to class or lunch. Maybe a jetlagged grandparent or someone’s baby cousin? That’s grads week for you. Despite the crowd and the chaos, there’s something rejuvenating about it. It breathes life into the campus the same way as O-Week.

In fact, just like seeing the new first years finding their way (in life and across the campus) during O-Week makes you 'flashback' to your own first days, the collective celebration during grads week makes you reflect on your own academic journey.

Graduations are community