As the school year is coming to an end, the class of 2024 is preparing for graduation. From sending out graduation party invites, taking graduation announcement photoshoots, and finalizing future plans, this year’s graduates are gearing up for a significant celebration of their achievements, ready to step confidently into the next chapter of their lives. With graduation comes your cap and gown, the universal uniform for graduates. Students will commonly decorate their caps with their college or future plans. Whether students choose to decorate their caps or not, it is how one wears the cap that matters. TikTok and other social media platforms have a high influence on students, showing them the incorrect way to wear their caps without knowing it. Many users are teaching others to pin their caps on the back of their heads, use headbands to stabilize the cap or fold the cap inward to make it sit pretty on the back of one’s head. While it can be understandable that wearing your cap folded or pinned back to either fit around your hair or to make your hair look better, it is not following tradition or protocol. Although wearing your cap incorrectly isn’t necessarily disrespectful, many people do see it that way.

The cap should be arranged so that the point is in front and over the forehead. The elastic part of the cap should be worn in the back. Mortarboards should be worn horizontally, or parallel to the floor. It should sit evenly and be straightened. Gowns are to be zipped up throughout the entire ceremony. Keep it unzipped until after the ceremony when people typically take photos. Keeping your gown unzipped is improper. Make sure your tassel is brushed through before the ceremony. The tassel should be on the right side of the cap at the start of graduation. Graduates will flip the tassel to the left side, signifying the transition from student to graduate once everyone in the class has been announced. With guidance on cap and gown etiquette, graduates will ensure their transition is marked with respect for tradition and a celebration of their accomplishments.