When you’ve come to the end of your time in college and have that degree in hand, it’s time to celebrate! Your hard work over a period of years has finally paid off. After all, a college degree isn’t just proof that you showed up for four years. It is a vital step in your life. It has taught you time management skills and organization, and it has allowed you to network with the people who could be working with or for you in the future. And on top of all that, your degree will help you make more money, too. That alone is cause for celebration!
No matter which benefits you consider most important from your degree, you absolutely must celebrate earning it. Here are five ideas for toasting your achievement.
Light One Up!
The tradition of smoking a cigar after a major achievement has been in place for decades, and it’s no less popular today. In fact, cigar consumption has almost doubled in recent years, a clear sign that more and more celebrants – from the newlywed to the newly-promoted – are indulging in fine cigars.
There is just something about gathering with a group of your fellow graduates and lighting a fine cigar. Men and women alike are known for partaking, so don’t let anything get in the way of taking a moment to allow four years of stress to go up in fragrant, beautiful smoke.
Hit the Road!
Maybe your new career doesn’t start for a few weeks, or maybe you haven’t nailed down a job yet. Maybe you’re still tossing around some ideas for your job. Whatever your status is as you march out with that diploma, you might enjoy a road trip.
Think about it. You may have some graduation gifts burning a hole in your pocket, you don’t have career and family commitments yet, and some windshield time might be just the cure for your stress and uncertainty. If you’re willing to relocate, your travels just might accidentally take you to your new hometown. You might also find that the time away gives you some much-needed clarity about what you want to do in life. Throw in a couple of friends and you’ve got quite the recipe for a great experience.
Celebrate with Service
For some graduates, travel for fun might not be fulfilling. They would rather strike out on the road in search of opportunities to help others. This follows the recent trend of service-based spring break trips, which pull students away from the bars and beaches in favor of everything from disaster relief to church mission work. You can apply the same thinking to your graduation celebration.
A service trip after graduation can serve some of the same career goals that a fun trip can, such as networking, inspiring career ideas, and getting to know a new geographic area. However, even if none of those things amount to much, a service trip still leaves you with a great feeling of satisfaction and gets you thinking about helping others from your first days in the workforce.
Toast It in the Kitchen
If there’s anything you’ve learned during your time in college, it’s that you always benefit from trying new things. You may not seek to be a gourmet chef, but now that you’re leaving behind the noodle soup and takeout pizza, it probably would be a good idea to learn how to make some things happen in the kitchen.
To celebrate your graduation, you could enroll in a cooking class through a local college of university extension service. You’ll upgrade your culinary repertoire, and won’t it be fun to take a class with an instructor who doesn’t grade you?
Rocking Your Mortarboard
Having your own party is great, but why not cash in on one being thrown with 20,000 other people? If the timing of your favorite musician is right, you might be able to turn “cum laude” into “some loudness”. Getting tickets to a live concert is a great way to blow off energy and stress after your long educational journey, to say nothing of its value as what could be a once-in-a-lifetime performance by a unique collaboration or an act that’s taking their final tour.
A post-graduation concert provides the entertainment, food, and drinks with no setup or cleanup on your part. Dress up, go in, and rock out as your college days start to move into your rearview mirror.
Written by Taylor McKnight, Author for Cheap Little Cigars
SEE ALSO: Productive Ways College Students Can Leverage Their Time at Their Parents House
