So you’re on the run-up to one of life’s most significant milestones – your graduation day. The flutter of excitement in your stomach is palpable. Yet, every wave of excitement brings a sense of nervousness that threatens to overshadow your big day. Wild visions of you tripping up on stage or falling down the stage stairs keep flooding your mind. As your graduation ceremony draws closer, each distressing thought of you losing your footing in front of the whole congregation becomes more vivid. If this is you, read on. In this post, we share some top tips on how to calm your fears of tripping up and feeling embarrassed in front of everyone during your graduation ceremony.
Acknowledge your fears and anxiety
It is not uncommon to feel anxious in the run-up to your graduation ceremony. Many grads-to-be experience some anxiety at the thought of walking across a stage in front of a large crowd of people. The idea of tripping on your robes, losing your balance or buckling up or down the stairs is cringy and fills many with a sense of dread. To some extent these feelings are normal. No one wants to feel embarrassed especially not in front of so many people. However, if these feelings are so intense to the point where you are no longer looking forward to your big day, keep reading and we will share some tips and proactive steps you can take to calm down.
Rationalise your fears of tripping on stage at your graduation ceremony
I know you don’t want to hear this but there is a chance that you might stumble or trip whilst walking across the stage during your graduation ceremony. Mishaps are simply a normal part of life. We have all at some point tripped, stumbled or fallen, and maybe it was awkward or embarrassing, or maybe a bit of both. But you overcame that moment, and in the unlikely event that this happens on your big day, you’ll overcome that too.
You might be worried that you’ll fall over in a dramatic fashion and the entire ceremony will draw to a halt as all eyes focus on you. However, realistically this won’t be the case. The actual time you spend on the stage will be mere seconds. By the time you’ve got to the top of the stairs, the person behind you will already be ascending. Simply put the whole ceremony is designed to be extremely efficient to present everyone’s award in a relatively short amount of time thus the amount of walking you’ll do on stage will be minimal and you are unlikely to trip.
If you do buckle slightly, there’s a high chance that anyone in the audience will notice or even care – I know that sounds harsh but for the most part, the vast majority of people in the audience will have long zoned out, or be on the lookout for their family member or friend who is graduating. I can assure you that they won’t be watching your every step. There’s just simply too much going on with this focus on minor miss-steps.
Ok let’s address the elephant in the room, let’s say you’ve gone up on stage, shook hands with a professor in the middle of the stage and on your way down, instead of walking down the steps gracefully you slide down on your back and land on your behind. Yes, this will likely result in a brief all eyes on your situation but it won’t be anywhere near as embarrassing as you think. The likelihood is there will be someone close by to help you get back on your feet quickly to minimise disruption to the ceremony. I wasn’t joking when I said that these ceremonies are designed to run efficiently. Also, most decent human beings in the audience will instantly feel empathetic and concerned for your well-being if you took a tumble. Only a select few (including your siblings perhaps) would find it remotely humorous.
Remember, the idea of falling or tripping up on stage might seem like the worst thing that could possibly happen but in the grand scheme of things, it’s pretty minor and a normal occurrence. Chances are you’ll be absolutely fine and the whole walking across the stage thing will be much shorter and way less scary than you anticipated. Trust me, I say this from experience.
Visualise walking across the stage
So if the countdown is on and you are feeling a bit anxious about your time on the big stage, take a few deep breaths. That’s it, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Visualise yourself confidently walking up those stairs and greeting the professors on stage with pride knowing that those all-nighters in the library and 9 am lectures were all worth it. Then picture yourself walking down the stairs catching a glimpse of your loved ones who share your pride in that very special moment. That helped you didn’t it?
Now, what I want you to do, is repress that same visualisation when you take your seat in the graduation ceremony hall if you begin to feel nervous again. It will all be ok. –
Take proactive steps
Hopefully, by now you are feeling a bit calmer and thinking a bit more rationally. Next, let’s help you to feel a bit more prepared for your big day.
In advance of your graduation day, pick out what shoes you are going to wear. Now, if you’ve never worn heels before, or do not have much experience of wearing heels, now is maybe not the time to dust off your 6-inch stilettos. Instead opt for a comfortable, sturdy shoe that goes well with the rest of your attire.
Also, make sure you put in your robe hire order in advance to ensure you get the right fitting robe that will be less likely to trip you up on the day. ==
Honestly, those are the two most practical bits of advice if you are worried about tripping or slipping on your graduation day. I mean if you’ve got some extra time you could practice walking confidently beforehand but there really is no need generally and like I’ve said before, you’ll be absolutely fine!
Ok, but what if you are prone to tripping or maybe have an injury, or impairment that increases your chances of falling, which is making you feel more anxious? In this case, don’t feel ashamed to let the event organisers know! They can help put accommodations in place to support you on the day. That might involve having someone accompanying you as you go across the stage allowing more time for you to go at a pace that is comfortable for you, or ensuring that there is a railing on the stairs to offer extra support.
Final thoughts
Your graduation day will always have a special place in your memory. Hopefully not because you tripped up or stumbled. But in all seriousness, it truly is a day for celebrating your academic achievements and creating a sense of closure for your time at university whilst marking the beginning of a new adventure. Whatever happens, even if you do trip slightly, the emotions of pride in your accomplishments and the joy of being in the presence of your cohort that you’ve got to know deeply over the past few years as well as the presence of your loved ones will outshine any feeling of embarrassment or awkwardness. So prepare your footwear in advance and visualise yourself walking the stage with pride and confidence. On the day, in that very special moment be mindful, take each step at a time and most importantly, enjoy it.
If you’ve not yet got yourself a graduate job lined up, we can help you. In fact, we’ve helped over 5000 graduates turn their degrees into careers with our 1-2-1 career coaching and interview preparation. Get in touch via our contact form, drop us a line about yourself and what job you think will suit you and attach a copy of your CV and one of our coaches will be back in touch explaining how we can help you land your dream job.
Read more:
- What to do if you feel unwell on the day of your graduation ceremony
- Are You Guaranteed a Job After a Graduate Scheme?
Featured image by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels
;)