Graduation is always an accomplishment to be proud of. Whether it’s from high school, college or a PhD program, you worked hard to earn that diploma, and you might as well make the most of your graduation day. And according to Forbes, the percentage of adults in the United States with college degrees has been on the rise since 2009, shooting up from only 38.1% to an impressive 54.3%.

While a degree might simply seem like a piece of paper to some, it can be extremely valuable. College Transitions notes that graduates are 50% less likely to be unemployed than those who simply have a high school diploma. And those who have earned a degree are also 3.5 times less likely to fall below the poverty line in the future. This is partially because college grads have a median income that’s $36,000 more than those who didn’t get a higher education.    

Graduating from college is a great achievement no matter what your situation is, but getting that degree in four years or less is even more impressive when you realize that most people take a bit longer (or never finish at all). According to the Pew Research Center, only 62% of Amerians who start a degree or certificate program actually graduate within six years. 

And when it comes to the most common degrees students earn, Pew reports that business degrees are the most popular bachelor’s programs, making up nearly a fifth of all degrees earned. Health professions are the second most popular, while the least common degrees between 2019-2020 were in military technologies and applied sciences, library science and precision production.  

If you’re wondering if all of the late nights, stress and student loans are worth it to get that college degree, well, we can’t say for sure. But statistically, you’re likely to graduate without regrets! Pew reports that the majority of college graduates say their education was extremely or very useful in helping them grow personally and intellectually, opening doors for their careers, and developing specific skills and knowledge that they would later use in the workplace. 

While it’s certainly not necessary to have a college degree to be successful, depending on the field you plan on entering, having one is likely to provide access to many opportunities you couldn’t have had otherwise. Northeastern University notes that college grads have 57% more job opportunities than those who didn’t earn a degree, and these jobs might be even easier to find. Apparently, 80% of jobs for workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher are advertised online, while only half of jobs asking for a high school diploma can be found online. 

Having a college degree can also be extremely beneficial for networking opportunities. We all know that LinkedIn is a great way to get connected with people we know or work with, but it can even help you find out that some of your fellow alumni work at the company you’re applying for. If you find a mutual connection, you might be able to have them put in a good word for you and get your foot in the door. Networking can be exhausting and frustrating at times, but when you can use connections to help land a great job, it’s definitely worth it. 

If you’re graduating this year and you’re looking for a creative way to celebrate your big day, we’ve got you, pandas. Good Housekeeping has plenty of recommendations of ways you can upgrade your graduation attire or party! For walking across the big stage, you might want to spice up the tassel on your hat by adding beads or paper flowers. Who says you can only decorate the top?  

And when it comes to your graduation party, you might want to think outside the box as far as activities. If the weather is nice, you can play yard games outside or have a pool party. It might be fun to set up a photo op as well, so you can take photos with all of your guests to commemorate the occasion. You can play games with friends and family to find out who knows the most about the grad’s college experience or even rent a karaoke machine for everyone to enjoy!  

You can even keep the food at your graduation party on theme. You might have a cookie platter that says “You’re one smart cookie!” or a cake with your university’s colors. You can turn candies into tiny graduation hats with a little bit of creativity or even have bottles of alcohol (or sparkling juice) that say things like “Sip sip hooray!” and “Cheers to the grad!”  

Are you feeling inspired to go back and earn another degree so you can graduate in a more creative way next time, pandas? Regardless of whether you have a PhD or you’re still in high school, we hope you enjoy scrolling through these pics, and remember to keep upvoting your favorites. Then, if you’re interested in checking out even more creative graduation photos, we recommend reading this Bored Panda article next!