Hi hi hello ! It has officially been (basically) a year since I graduated, and although this might make me have a bit of an existential crisis, I still remember what it feels like to Not Know what on earth happens on the day – especially if you are first gen like me.
So, here is my unofficial official guide for Summer 2024.
First and foremost, I am going to encourage you to plug your graduation date into whatever kind of calendar or reminder app you use, and also ensure that you have booked your graduation gown, as they contain a little microchip that links your photo to you. You can usually pay for photos (or more photos) on the day, but the gown might be your sticking point. You can also sign up to attend the reception afterwards – this is usually where your class photo is taken.
For the day itself, this is how it goes:
Morning of
Collect your gown from Bath Pavilion. This opens from 8am, but unless you have a 10am ceremony, don’t turn up that early – there will be a CRUSH. Never been to Bath Pavilion ? That’s okay ! It is right by the North Parade stop when you are heading TOWARDS uni – right by the toll house and Better sports and leisure centre, or opposite the evocatively named Blowout Sax and the cricket grounds.
Someone will take your name at the front, then you will mill through a big hall, and someone will help you get on your gown and cap. I will warn you now, they are warm.
The key here is to keep remembering that you can always readjust your cap especially with just your thumb and eyebrows. To put the cap on, put your thumb at the point inside the hat opposite the label (it will make sense when you see it) and pop it on with your thumb between your eyebrows to make sure it is central. To keep your tassels in the right place, grab them and trace over your left eyebrow to keep them neat and on the right side.
Intimidating ? That’s okay – there are people EVERYWHERE who can and will help – but we move on to them in a moment.
An hour before
An hour before your ceremony start (e.g., 9am if your ceremony is 10am) the doors to the Abbey open – ushers at the door will ask guests to show their emailed tickets, and show you where to sit.
As a graduate, drop off your guests at the front door of the abbey, then go down the right hand side, where there will be a massive, covered desk.
Just give your name at this desk so they know you are here – they will give you a letter and number (like E13), which you tell the ushers (decked out in BRIGHT BLUE gowns) and they show you where you’re sitting.
15 minutes to go
Hopefully, you are seated by now – if not, the last check in at the registration desk is 15 minutes before the ceremony starts.
The Head Usher will give you a briefing about stuff like crossing the stage, clapping, photography, the works.
On your seat there should be your certificate, and a ceremony handbook thing – so you can see where you are in the queue of it all, and read about any honorary speakers.
The Ceremony !
In every ceremony, we start with the procession. The organ will start playing, and if you are able to, you stand up for this bit. The procession starts with someone dressed super fancily, followed by SU officers and our lovely chaplain Nigel, and then increasingly senior members of staff – typically ending with the VC. Someone at the end of the queue has a massive mace that they will put on a table at the back of the stage, everyone sits, and that is when it all begins !
A senior member of staff will then make a speech, followed by the SU if there is no honorary speaker, and then the presider (the person who you take a photo with).
Someone else will then go up the the lecturn and start calling out names.
As a graduating student, you are called up from your seat by the ushers and brought round to one side of the stage. Ushers there will double check your gowns, hats, and name so you are all ready to cross the stage. You walk up a small ramp, touch your hat towards the presider, and stand for a photo – then leave the stage and loop back round to your seat.
Want to see this in action? Here is me, sweaty and overwhelmed but so glad I am there.
After everyone has graduated, this is where you would have your honorary degrees. Honorary graduates are essentially hyped up by someone in the appropriate department, and then usually give a speech themselves.
There is then a closing speech by the presider, the music starts again, and the procession leaves, with the big mace and most senior going first. The ushers will get you to stand up, and you leave following the procession. As us officers are the back of the line, this is usually where we try to get a big ol’round of clapping going for you again.
After this, everyone tends to disperse around the side of the Abbey, and then you get the kind of “oh gosh I am glad I made dinner reservations I am so hungry” alongside “oh my gosh its over” of it all. With that, you have graduated – well done !
After
Get your photos, and remember to return your gown to the Pavillion, and then it is all done ! Your ceremony timings page will tell you the last time to get photos and return gowns.
Okay, so that is everything ! Officers process at each ceremony, so keep an eye out for us if you have a question, but you can also email graduation@bath.ac.uk in advance, as they are the true expert (and for half of us, it will be the first time at a graduation !)