Your commencement day ought to be a time to rejoice. But in actuality, it often finally ends up being all concerning the silly, floppy, no good hat that refuses keep in your head and the next perils of commencement hat hair. I do know: It ought to be a time whenever you get an excuse to relax with family and friends, and revel in every others’ firm. It ought to be a time to memory on the years it took to lastly earn that diploma, and each paper and examination that made you query your sanity. It ought to be a time to lastly take a breath and put together for the subsequent massive transfer in your life. But it is simply not!

Let’s throw it again to my highschool commencement. It was the ultimate occasion to complete off that four-year expertise. And after homecoming, promenade, banquets, and varied dinners, I used to be able to be accomplished. But I nonetheless needed an excellent, traditional, movie-type commencement the place everybody was blissful and appeared like they may very well be photographed for {a magazine}. Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, that didn’t occur. Although I used to be with household and was glad to be round my friends for one final hurrah, I couldn’t cease fidgeting with the silly hat I needed to put on that stored on sliding down my head, finally ruining the hair that I’d labored so laborious to make look good.

So, in preparation for my college commencement (University of Tennessee — Knoxville, Class of 2015!), I did some analysis on how you can make that terrible hat not solely look good, but in addition match effectively, keep on, and maintain my hair wanting the way in which I would like it. I gained’t let this foolish hat destroy one other commencement, and it shouldn’t destroy yours both. Here are 5 tricks to keep away from letting a commencement cap destroy your massive day.

1. Practice Putting It On

The idiom “keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer” doesn’t simply apply to folks you hate. It additionally applies to hats you hate. And in the event you’re like me and may’t stand your commencement cap, one of the simplest ways to treatment the scenario is to spend time with stated cap, perceive it, and take it for what it’s. No, your commencement cap isn’t going to look as cute as your favourite huge brim fedora — you already know, the one which makes you seem like a bohemian goddess. But you’re sadly required to put on it nonetheless.

Most colleges make it necessary that you just purchase or lease your cap and robe just a few weeks earlier than the precise ceremony, so in that point attempt in your cap and look at the way it works finest in your noggin in entrance of a mirror and away from one. This method, whenever you’re sitting on the precise occasion and somebody knocks your cap off your head, you’ll be capable of rigorously place it again on with out the assistance of a mirror.

2. Clips And Bobby Pins Are Your Friends

While I attempted the bobby pin trick at my highschool commencement, what I didn’t understand is how strategic the bobby pin placement should be to work. Thanks to Pinterest, now I’ve all of the keys to creating these bobby pins truly work with my cap as a substitute of in opposition to it. Instead of lining the pins in opposition to your cap, cross them collectively, as pictured above. This method, the cap will keep fastened within the appropriate place even when a gust of wind comes by. Also, attempt to decide bobby pins which might be near your hair colour, and keep away from putting them near your face if attainable. You don’t need your bobby pins to be the star of your commencement images. Trust me.

3. Try Out Different Angles

Sure, you is likely to be graduating, however you continue to have some final minute homework to do. So after you’ve practiced placing your cap on and securing it with pins, apply taking images in it as one among your final assignments. Ask a pal to take your images, or put your selfie-taking expertise in use to experiment with how the cap seems finest in your head. This won’t solely make it easier to with putting and securing your cap, however you’ll additionally know precisely what angle to offer the photographers who will inevitably be taking your photograph that day, whether or not it’s knowledgeable or your aunt Cathy who is decided to embarrass you as a lot as attainable.

4. Style Your Hair Accordingly

Because you’ll be sporting a cap, you don’t precisely have the chance to do a lot along with your hair. Unfortunately, a bun or ponytail or perhaps a braided up-do gained’t do you any favors with combating the horrible cap. So, you’re primarily restricted to having your hair down and comparatively coiffed. That being stated, it’s most likely for the very best. The very last thing you wish to do is have a look at your commencement images and remorse placing it in a protracted braid or crimping it (who even crimps anymore?). So although you may assume it’s boring, leaving your hair down might be the most suitable choice.

5. Avoid Cap Hair

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Last, however not least, this tip is for whenever you’re lastly by way of with the graduation, the ceremony, and taking images with everybody you already know. You can take off your cap! Huzzah! But now you might have cap hair and it’s not your finest look. To keep away from frizzy and flat cap hair, spend money on some journey dimension bottles of hairspray and dry shampoo. Before you head off to your subsequent gathering, pop into the toilet and run some dry shampoo by way of your roots to infuse some quantity again into your hair. Next, tame fly aways with a spritz of hairspray (that must also assist with any humidity that is likely to be within the air). No one likes hat hair, particularly in your commencement day.

So, con-graduation! It’s lastly time to say goodbye to highschool, and howdy to the subsequent step in your life. With any luck, you may survive by way of commencement with out that foolish hat providing you with any bother!

Show that hat who’s boss!

Images: Author’s Own; Giphy