Wow, it feels like every day, I get at least five invites to graduation parties. My calendar is overflowing! It’s getting pretty difficult trying to plan my own party when all of my friends and classmates have claimed dates and times for theirs. Anyways, with the next month filled, here are some tips and tricks for grad parties, being a guest and being a host.

Going to Grad Parties:

• Go to as many as you can.

This is such an exciting moment in every senior’s life; make each one feel loved and celebrated. It will be so nice to see your friends and acquaintances, some of them for the last time before leaving for college in the fall. If stuck with multiple grad parties in a day, then get a group of friends and try to hit up each one, even if just for a little bit. Most parties these days are open house where people can just drop by when they are able to.

• To bring a gift or to not bring a gift?

To most people, gifts are not of extreme importance. As nice as they are, just having people present and celebrating together is enough. Because there are so many people having parties, there is no need to get a gift for every single person. That is a lot of money and everyone still has to pay for necessities for their own college life. I would say if one is thinking about getting a graduation gift for someone, it be for a close friend that they know they will keep up with in college. Whether it be something really meaningful to the friendship or just a basic item they need for their dorm, they will be sure to appreciate it. Just remember, it will be appropriate to leave at least a congratulatory note!

Hosting a Grad Party:

• Send invitations.

I have seen a variety of types of invitations this year; from formal prints in the mail, to emails, to Facebook invites, there are many different options. Choose a format depending on how formal the event is and how many people are being invited. Usually they are separate from graduation announcements, but they do not have to be if everyone being sent them is invited to the party. Be sure to send them out at least two weeks before the date.

• Make sure to greet all guests.

Although it will be a fun social gathering for the host and they will see their friends, it is important to make way around the party, mingling with all guests. They are coming to celebrate the host, so it is nothing but rude to pass up people. Even though it might be tiring to talk to everyone and say the same things over and over again (where attending college, plans for summer, hopes for the future, etc.), a good idea would be to make up a script to loosely follow ahead of time. Try not dread this small talk; think of it as a good time to reconnect with people and just have fun and be courteous.

• Make it a night to remember!

There are countless creative ideas out there to make a grad party unforgettable. Look on Pinterest for some cool ideas; a lot of them are pretty inexpensive, too! One clever one I saw was a cookie bar with a sign that said, “One Smart Cookie Bar.” Another one that I liked was a memory jar and some notecards and pens so that guests can write down their favorite times with the graduate and leave it for them to read. One more that would be a really cheap decoration/food idea is a bowl of ring pops with a sign that says “Class Rings of 2016.”

I am Jessica Borla, and I am a second semester senior here at Lambert High School. I am SO ready to get out of Forsyth County and go on new adventures in college. However, it has just recently hit me that my whole life that I’ve known here is coming to an end very soon; I do not want to take it all for granted. My column, “Last Lambert Moments”, is specifically for seniors, capturing how to make the best out of the final months, weeks, days at Lambert.