Let’s go… the tricky job of planning graduation made possible.
The time, the money, the hassle, the stress... all for just a couple of hours of graduation.
Your friends and family may not be able to make it as they live far away, registering seems complicated or the hotels are too expensive to come over and stay. These are all the things you have to hear when thinking about your graduation and maybe it’s a lot to think about, especially since the last month at uni here. It’s all on you.
Do you feel like maybe it’s not worth it?
Well, honestly, I think it’s more than worth it and this blog will hopefully open your eyes to why. My last blog really aimed to hit home about the importance of this ceremony so I won’t be rambling on about that again. But, what I can do is give you a breakdown of not only how easy and simple it is to register for graduation, but how you can find your way around the expensive travel and accommodation and all the other little stresses that come along with organising everything.
I truly believe that ‘where there's a will, there's a way’ which means I will not stop until I’ve found the best possible solution to a problem. And honestly guys; planning graduation shouldn't be a problem, chore, burden or annoyance. It should be a fun, simple and enjoyable task. However, this isn’t always easy to obtain so you do have to be prepared to ‘get stuck into it’ a bit, meaning you ‘work hard, play harder’.
But, won’t it all be worth it in the end?
I also truly believe that ‘why put off 'til tomorrow, what you can do today?’ (thanks to my wonderful boyfriend Joan who’s taught me to deal with problems quick and not to put them off, otherwise they follow you around and weigh you down).
In any case, as I plan to share with you, this planning your graduation thing really doesn't have to be hard work at all.
So, with that, if you haven’t already, jump onto PIP and register for graduation under the ‘My graduation planner’ tab. Then, buy your tickets for however many people are coming and BOOM - you're already on your way. Just five little minutes out of your life and one of the biggest days of your life is on it’s way to becoming reality. Registering is as simple as that.
But now, what about the family/friends? Where are they going to stay? How are they going to get here? Relax and never fear.
One of my most loved activities is planning and booking travel and accommodation - which I know a lot of people can’t stand! I’m aware that not all students will be on a budget and everything is sorted so far - SO, from here on in, you don’t have to read along. However, if you are - let me try and help you out.
Flights
Tip: Don’t just look at flights to London. Birmingham is actually closer and sometimes cheaper! You can get a National Express bus to Oxford direct from Birmingham International airport and if you book early enough - it’s about £4 one way, as opposed to a hefty £28 return from Gatwick.
Tip: Look across the whole month not just the exact dates (select ‘whole month’ under dates). This lets you see alternatives based on lower prices, as well as better times, meaning you're not restricted to one expensive day.
Trains
I always use National Rail or East Coast Trains to search and book. Again, if you book now or as soon in advance as possible, you’ll save heaps.
Tip: To try and save money, look to see if there are any changes. Then, try and look at prices of the two different journeys separately. E.g. instead of Newcastle - Oxford, look at Newcastle - Birmingham then Birmingham - Oxford. This sometimes turns out to be cheaper.
Buses
I mainly use buses to get around the UK as they are the cheapest form of transport. Yes they take longer, but when you're on such a tight budget, sometimes you don’t have a choice.
So, hop onto National Express or Megabus.
Tip: As above, break up the journey to see if it’s cheaper.
Tip: Buy a young person's/family coach card - it’s around £10 and can save ⅓ on all journeys so is worth it if you're sticking around in the UK.
Accommodation
Everyone stays somewhere different, depending on their situation and budget. For me, it’s all about budget at the moment. 7 people, 2 nights (Wed 18th and Thurs 19th June 2014).
I looked at hotels and WOWZA. How expensive are they! I like to use Late Rooms, Booking.com or lastminute.com. The cheapest I could find at the time was £800, but now you're looking at way over £1000! They usually put up prices in high demand and popular seasons, cheeky - isn’t it? AND they are almost all sold out from my research.
So I looked and B&B’s in Headington near uni, and beyond, and guess what - DOUBLE WOWZA! The cheapest I could find was £540 in total, but now in Headington itself is around £700+! They were lower than hotels, but higher than expected.
I managed to find a cottage for £210 for 2 nights for 7 PEOPLE! WOW, how good is that? This is 10 miles outside of Oxford (Didcot), but we’re only going to the ceremony for a couple of hours so that’s totally cool. There are many options all over Oxford, so GO explore the idea.
***Note: accommodation is rising in price; there’s little availability left as lot’s of students are graduating at that time. You may have to stay in one of the surrounding villages but if you don’t have a car, you’ll have to get the bus or train which is an added expense and time-sucker, but the transport services are pretty good around here***
So that’s a little bit about how I’ve planned so far. I’ve registered, bought tickets, organised and paid for accommodation for everyone and it was all sorted in a jiffy. If you have any questions about the things I’ve mentioned, just comment below or jump onto the Brookes Website.
Remember... Anything is possible if you just set your mind to it, I hope this helped :)
The next graduation blog will look at when, where and how to book/buy a gown and also other details, feelings and plans as we approach graduation. I’m already getting quite emotional to be honest but I’m happy to know everything is coming together nicely!
See you on the flipside,
Lola
Click me to find out more about the writer's story!
See why Oxford rocks here...
Take me to why Graduation is super!
All info and images supplied are from the website of each company mentioned (link supplied) and the quotes are from pinterest.
Click me to find out more about the writer's story!
See why Oxford rocks here...
Take me to why Graduation is super!
All info and images supplied are from the website of each company mentioned (link supplied) and the quotes are from pinterest.
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