Graduation is one of the busiest times for seniors. Everything you’ve worked for over the past 13 years of primary school is finally coming to a close and you want your big day to run as smoothly as possible. Parties to attend, dinners to plan, family in town, transportation to figure out, there is a lot going on! Here are my 7 tips to ensure you can celebrate stress free.

• Pre-pay for parking

With the HEB Center hosting all LISD graduations there is a constant flow of cars coming in and out of the parking lot. It will be much quicker if parking passes are pre-paid and ready upon entry. Not only is this quicker but also cheaper, passes will be $13.50 beforehand and $15 the day of.

• Find a meeting place for after graduation

There are over 450 people in the 2026 graduating class. Exiting the HEB center is going to be crazy, especially as you will not have your phone to contact your family. A couple days before graduation, sit down with those attending and find a meeting spot for after the ceremony. Find a place away from the entrance and exit to avoid the crowds.

• Have family arrive early to find seats together

Once again, the 2026 graduating class is huge. If every student has their family attending, seats are going to fill fast. The best advice you can give your family and those attending is to arrive as early as possible, especially if you have a large group coming to support you. Doors will open at 5 p.m., so the closer to this time your family arrives the more likely they will be to find seats together.

• Decorate your cap early

Trust me, the last thing you want on your graduation day is to be running around with pieces falling off of your cap that you decorated so meticulously. To avoid this, make sure you decorate your cap early and test it out to avoid any extra stress.

• Pin your cap

Graduation caps are not exactly the easiest thing to wear for two hours straight. The easiest  solution to keeping it on and straight for the entire ceremony is to bobby pin it to your hair. There are also headband inserts you can buy off of Amazon that will also keep your cap perfectly in place all day. Who wants to have a crooked cap in all their graduation photos?

• Plan your graduation meal

You are going to want to celebrate with those who came to support you, so make sure you plan a meal while everyone is in town. Glenn’s graduation is late, starting at 6 p.m. and going until around 8 p.m., so having lunch with everyone before the ceremony may work better for you than going out for dinner afterwards. Remember there will be two other graduations happening the same day, so restaurants will be packed! Make sure to make reservations in advance to avoid waits.

• Make it memorable!

This is your high school graduation, something you have been working towards for years and will only get to experience once! Remember to take some time to sit and appreciate the moment. Vlog parts of your day, take lots of pictures, have fun! This is the day you’ve been waiting for so make it memorable.