The next two months may seem like a whirlwind of chaos for seniors as graduation and commencement approach. On top of last-minute projects and assignments, seniors have to figure out what goes along with graduating. With all the final plans and plane ticket and hotel bookings graduating seniors need to do, it seems slightly impractical that announcements, class rings, caps and gowns are not offered to students until Wildcat Wind-up during the week before Spring Break.

We think that it would be helpful if the college increased awareness about purchasing these items before the Spring Semester begins. This would allow students more time to set aside money to purchase these expensive items because by Fall Semester, graduation really is around the corner.

After purchasing a cap, gown, graduation announcements and a class ring, costs can easily be more than $300. This kind of cash can be a burden for college students who already have to spend money on books, housing and food, and it might take a while to save up.

An earlier “wind-up” would also allow for better planning when it comes to travel should these item be available for purchase at the beginning of the semester. It takes three weeks for graduation announcements to be sent to students. This means that the people who are receiving the announcements will most likely not get them until the end of April, if not later.

It takes time for graduation attendees to book flights and hotels, and it would be helpful if students could purchase the announcements sooner so they can be sent to relatives and friends in a more time-efficient manner.

Overall, we hope that in the future graduation planning will begin earlier to ensure a more organized and less stressful graduation for students and their families.

-The Review Editorial Board