Here’s how your uni’s graduation plans compare to everyone else’s

This week, final years should be sweating while waiting to get their graduation robe put on, and fretting over whether to dab while shaking their VCs hand. Instead, with Miss Rona cancelling in-person ceremonies, they’re having to make do with cut-outs of comedy actors and congratulatory videos.

Alongside the virtual celebrations, some unis have treated the class of 2020 to one last treat before a life of pain. From poems, to TikToks and messages from royals, some have pulled out the stops.

We asked your uni about its plans for this summer’s graduation. Here’s how it compares to everyone else’s:

Sussex – Cut out of Sanjeev Bhaskar and a TikTok of him dancing

Yes, Sussex is doing what pretty much every other uni is, in holding a streamed graduation. But they’ve gone the extra mile.

Every grad has been sent a cut out of famed sitcom actor and Chancellor Sanjeev Bhaskar, along with some seagulls. Getting a high five, dab, or plain old handshake from Sanjeev at graduation is a rite of passage for Sussex grads.

Unfortunately, it’s not life-sized and you have to print it yourself. The opportunity to give Geography grads a version they could colour in themselves was sadly missed.

Sussex also uploaded a video to TikTok of Bhaskar dancing, inviting students to “record their own high five or dance with Sanjeev virtually.”

Aberdeen – A message from Camilla

Not Camilla from Love Island, before you ask, but the one married to Prince Charles.

Birmingham – Digital yearbook and a virtual afterparty

It’s something. Although a virtual afterparty doesn’t offer the chance for one final hookup before your library crush disappears into a lifetime of accountancy.

York – Asking grads to send in videos of them dancing

“You’re the most important part of your graduation ceremony, so we want to crowdsource videos of you singing or dancing to a song, to be played as part of the virtual ceremony. But first we need to pick the song,” York told its grads.

“You can submit as many suggestions as you would like, and the planning group will pick a shortlist of songs to be voted on by all students.”

Cambridge – Students can wait a year to graduate

Cambridge stress that once students have graduated, any in-person ceremony will not be a fake graduation.

The uni is reluctant to just do a fake graduation next year, when realistically it should just recreate the opening scene from Mamma Mia 2.

Students can either choose to delay graduation until next year, or graduate in absentia with a celebration when possible.

However, the uni warns: “Congregations may not resume for some time and possibly not for more than a year.”

Nottingham – A poem

Alongside all the virtual celebrations on offer, Notts grads are getting a poem written for them. Sweet. Although, realistically, what rhymes with Lenton?

Virtual ceremonies and celebrations

The bulk of unis are opting for virtual ceremonies of some description, including Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Lancaster, and Newcastle.

St Andrews confirmed that each grad would at least get their name individually read out.

Nothing virtual, just postponed

At Brookes, students were given the choice and voted against a virtual graduation.

Coventry and Bournemouth – who have their graduations quite late anyway – are holding fire and hosting in-person graduations when they can.

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