A commencement is a bittersweet moment, which you may (or may not) look forward to. You're proud of completing your coursework especially if you're about to receive your double (undergraduate) degree. On the other hand, you would miss your friends who become your support system. You must prepare a graduation speech whether you finish on top of your batch or not.
Many soon-to-be college graduates, as well as professionals reminiscing during this time of summer, like to look at a commencement speech as a trend. There's more to it, though. If you're looking towards the future, then you can't help but think of an empire. Nothing wrong about dreaming big! If you've been in the work force for many years, then reading those commencement speeches prompts you to assess what you've become after all these years.
Writing a graduating speech may seem to be a walk to a park compared to writing an essay paper, but you still have to put a lot of thought (or emotions) into it. After all, you've worked hard to earn your degree. You deserve to say a word. Make it a hundred or less.
What to Remember During Commencement
Don't hold back. There's no place for regret, but you can't help thinking about it for a second or two. You could have done better in paperwork. You could have prepared for your examinations ahead of the schedules. You could have stopped the habit of procrastinating during your first year. Nothing wrong about recalling specific instances if you would put it in a humorous light. Always charge it to experience, as there's a high chance that you would encounter a similar incident. It could be more challenging than you imagine. (It will happen in the workplace unless you go back to school in the near future.)
Always remember the positives. No two students have the same (college) experience. Some might be luckier than the others, but you must not be disheartened if you aren't one of the privileged students. You must be proud if you've been doing part-time jobs. You should pinch yourself if you have been a recipient of a scholarship. You must not feel bad if your parents couldn't pay for your tuition. It should help you prepare for the real world, not having to make lots of adjustment during your first year on your first job. Think twice about making public about how you would handle your loans, though.
The world is your oyster. The Bard's words may have alluded to the advantage of having lots of money, but it doesn't have to be interpreted literally. If you're tempted to ask for your parents for a one-way plane ticket, then you must have liked the romantic notion behind hard backpacking, if not busking (in able to sleep for an extra night in a hostel). If you're really serious about the future, then you look at a world with gleaming eyes. There are many opportunities if you try hard enough. And you're relentless about your search. One setback won't stop from your quest. There should be no other approach.
Remember the moral lesson on your setbacks. A failure is better than not trying at all. It's a lesson that you would first learn during your first year in paper writing. You should recall the days when you weren't motivated to write a page, but you resolved to finish it. And then there were sleepless nights. Managing discomfort must be a rite of passage, also a red badge of courage for those who got high marks. It won't end on graduation day, as adult life would be more complicated than you suspect. Your failure (during your college days) should keep you from losing your composure, though. You've learned from it. You've lived with it. You've become better.
Be sincere. Remember that your coursemates might be obsessed with the perfect graduation speech, so don't expect them to be excited about yours. It might not be the case with the best of friends, but don't fret about the small details. Your words must touch them, as well as the faculty staff whom you have grown fond of. Be sincere about what you would write.
Don't Overdo the Following
There's no need to rehearse your graduation speech over and over again, but make sure that there won't be any grammatical errors and faulty sentence structures. You won't be graded here, yet you want your speech to have a lingering effect. Strive to put on a happy face. Try to muster a lot of enthusiasm while you describe the immediate future. No poor posture, which indicates a lack of positive energy.
One important thing you have learned from paper writing is how a repeated use of word or phrase can dull your assignment. The same also applies in writing your graduation speech. Always choose the simple words if you're struggling to come up with synonyms (or antonyms) of the same word. If you want to impress other people, then don't consider a highfalutin jargon. It could end in confusion.
It may help not to smile too often. Keep an eye contact, though.
