- Book your hotel room as soon as they become available. While things may change with the opening of the new hotel on Route 1, rooms at the Marriott College Park sell out quickly. And I mean before late morning on the first day they are available. Check with hotel in May to see when the rooms for next May will be available to book (it's slightly less than a year). The UM shuttle to Xfinity Comcast Center alone is worth the price of the room to save on dealing with parking. The hotel also does a great job of making a big deal of graduation - very festive decorations, welcome treats and a special menu at their restaurant, The Common, (limited choices to get express service) that was really very good.
- Schedule an appointment for senior photo in the fall when you get the email. You do not have to buy the senior photo, but if you do not get your photo taken, you will not be in the yearbook.
- Understand that being in your senior year is not an "automatic" graduation. You need to get clearance from your department that you have met all your requirements for graduation. Here's the checklist http://commencement.umd.edu/students.html. Note that your department may have additional requirements so check their homepage. For example, the engineering graduation info is here http://www.eng.umd.edu/advising/graduation
- Getting clearance to graduate is not the same thing as applying to participate in the commencement ceremonies. You need to "sign up" for that.
- Buy your regalia at the bookstore grad fair. It's not cheap (close to $100) but take comfort in the fact that at least it's not the several thousand dollars of doctoral robes!
- Students need to apply for tickets for the main graduation on the same site they do for athletic games. This year, there were 4 tickets given - one for the graduate, and 3 for family. As the date grew closer, and not all tickets utilized, they did offer 1 extra. However, students can check with friends for extra/unused tickets.
- You can preregister with grad images for graduation ceremony photos...it was nice to do because you can see the photos faster - saw them by next day. https://www.gradimages.com/Preregistration
- Yes, the main ceremony is worth attending. Most people shrug it off because they are not called up as individuals and only go to their departmental where they are. However, President Loh is an awesome speaker (and highly entertaining), there are streamer shooters randomly going off (so festive) and that's the ceremony when you actually get your degree conferred so everyone gets to move their tassel to the other side. The other nice thing about attending the main ceremony is that despite what they say to sit with your department, friends who are not in the same major actually can and do sit together.
- For the departmental ceremony, students can sit with friends in the same major only. If you find yourself on the "wrong side" to get that front pic of shaking hands, look to the jumbo cam...you can get a great shot that way. Figure out some way ahead of time that you will help your family spot you in the crowd. Lots of people held up their phone flashlights as a beacon. While the speakers are not as lengthy, the conferring of degrees is...doctoral candidates go first and get "hooded"by their advisers, then masters (no hooding process), and finally undergrads.
- If your department has a reception (engineering does just prior to their ceremony), it is well worth attending. Everyone goes, despite what they say, and so it's a great photo op with friends and profs.
- Take advantage of having cap/gown ahead of time. All the favorite/classic photo ops have lines - McKeldin's Testudon, the ODK fountain, the flower M at the circle, so if your family is local, have them come to take photos of you in cap and gown at these locations the weekend before graduation. Also a great opportunity to get photos with friends without all the crowds.
That’s all that comes to mind for now…hope this helps to know. Congrats to all upcoming graduates!