Volunteering at RGU’s Graduation as a Student

As part of my BA (Hons) Events Management degree, I’ve been actively seeking opportunities to gain real-world experience alongside my studies. One of the most valuable and enjoyable opportunities I’ve taken part in has been volunteering at my university’s graduation ceremonies.

Read more about my experience in this blog.

I’ve volunteered at several graduations now, and each time I’ve found it to be an excellent way to develop practical skills while contributing to an event that holds real significance for students and their families.

It also allows me to work toward the required hours for my Industry Experience Portfolio module, which focuses on building a set number of hours in different types of events experiences. This module is designed to help students gain real-world exposure in the events industry, develop our professional skills, and build our CVs with relevant experience that will stand us in good stead when we enter the world of work.

Why I Volunteer at Graduations

Graduation is one of the largest and most high-profile events at the University, and being part of the team behind it offers a unique insight into event delivery on a bigger scale. The days are busy and structured, with clear schedules and high expectations, which makes them ideal for gaining hands-on experience in live event management.

Graduations are such significant milestones for students, their families, and the wider University community. It’s a day full of joy, pride, and celebration—a perfect example of a large-scale event that requires meticulous planning and flawless execution.

When I first heard about the opportunity to volunteer, I immediately signed up because it felt like the perfect chance to gain hands-on experience while also being part of something meaningful. As someone aspiring to build a career in the events industry, I wanted to immerse myself in live event operations and witness first-hand the organisational skills and teamwork required to make such an occasion run smoothly.

What My Role Involved at Graduation

Volunteering at graduations involves a variety of tasks, including:

Welcoming guests and directing them to the correct locations.
Assisting graduates with gowning and photography logistics.
Helping manage seating and ceremony crowd flow.
Supporting staff with event set up.

The work is fast paced but well-organised, and each task plays a part in making sure the day runs smoothly. It’s also a great opportunity to observe how different departments coordinate during a large-scale event, which is something we often discuss in our course but don’t always get to see first-hand.

Linking to My Course and Industry Experience

One of the key benefits of volunteering is how directly it ties into my studies. Our Industry Experience Portfolio requires us to record hours across various types of events, and graduations has been an ideal way to contribute toward this.

Beyond simply logging hours, though, the experience allows me to reflect critically on what I’ve learned in lectures. For example:

Observing event managers adapt to last-minute changes reinforces what we study around contingency planning.
Supporting guest-facing tasks highlights the importance of customer service in events.
Seeing how timings are coordinated across multiple teams helps me better understand operational schedules.

These are insights I simply wouldn’t gain from coursework alone, and they’ve been incredibly useful for developing a clearer picture of what working in events involves.

Why I Plan to Keep Volunteering

I plan to continue volunteering at future graduation ceremonies because I find the experience genuinely worthwhile. It’s structured, relevant to my course, and provides a clear sense of how large-scale events are managed from behind the scenes.

It’s also a great way to build connections with staff and fellow students, and to keep developing my skills in a live, professional environment. Each graduation offers new challenges and learning points, and I can see how these experiences are directly preparing me for future roles in the events industry.

Overall, volunteering at graduations has been one of the most beneficial parts of my studies so far. It’s practical, it supports my academic requirements, and it’s helping me build a portfolio of experience that I can take forward into my career in events management.

Ellen Smith

Volunteering at RGU – From “just helping a friend” to making a difference

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