By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
Well, the time of year is upon us.
After (hopefully) just four quick years, the Class of 2026 graduation is just around the corner. With the big day approaching, the homestretch can often feel stressful and overbearing. That’s why I have compiled a list of tips and suggestions for the current graduating class to make their last week at Baylor the best one yet.
I present to all the seniors on Baylor’s campus: Dylan Fink’s official guide to graduating seniors.
Don’t forget to buy the regalia.
This may seem expected. Seriously, who would ever forget to go get the robes you have to graduate in? Simple, right?
Wrong.
Let me tell you the story of Rob Fink. Graduation day rolls around, and my own father in 1997 is more excited than anyone to become the newest Baylor alumnus in the family. Feeling fresh after applying the timeless combo of Irish Spring and Degree deodorant, Rob discovers there is no regalia in his closet.
Missing the iconic green-and-gold-hinted robes, my father did what anyone in his situation would do. He walked the stage in the Ferrell Center in a Simpsons T-shirt, home-bleached jeans and with pride in his heart.
As much aura as Rob Fink may have had on graduation day, your own mother’s wrath is not worth the photo op of shaking the president’s hand with “Eat my shorts” painted across one’s chest.
Enjoy Fountain Mall, go for a swim!
Nothing beats the end-of-the-day view as you walk home from class and look at the beauty that is Fountain Mall. That being said, the average Baylor senior has never taken advantage of the area’s best quality: a nice dip in the fountain after the most droning lecture you’ve ever heard.
One of the first things they tell you at Line Camp is, no matter what you do, do not swim in the fountain.
I’m here to tell you that, actually, you can get in that pumping water whenever you want. Realistically, who’s stopping you? Baylor Police Department may have a complaint or two about it, but no level of arrest can harm a good time.
I still reminisce with a grin about my own freshman year when Alexander Residence Hall lost all water for a week. The boys and I often spent an evening in the fountain to wash up. After all, nothing makes the most beautiful site on campus better than a bubble bath with your friends.
Don’t be afraid to skip that class.
If I miss my 8 a.m. one more time, I will not graduate. So do what you wish with this one.
Reminisce on the highest highs Baylor athletics gifted us.
OK, so maybe we didn’t get anything more remarkable than an eight-win season and a few round–of–32 exits, but don’t give up faith yet. Who cares that we’re the first graduating class in over a decade to leave Baylor without ever seeing a Big 12 championship game appearance in football?
The true test of a collegiate fan is how they follow their school after they graduate. Besides, the transfer portal just opened up for basketball. I know we whiffed on the last guy, and the one before that and the one before that … but trust me, this new one really is the one, man.
Get those senior photos done.
Everybody knows that the most important part about graduating is getting really tough photos on campus to post on social media.
Ten years from now, when you’re working 40 hours a week and are thinking back on the best parts of college, you’ll be so thankful that you spent $300 on the 10 most over-edited photos with max exposure that you took in front of the Judge Baylor statue.
I mean, how else are we supposed to think about memories? By actually remembering them?
Visit the Armstrong Browning basement.
I have discussed the immaculate beauty of the cellars of Armstrong Browning in my previous publication, “Ranking Baylor bathrooms from worst to best.”
But seeing as my time with The Lariat is coming to an end, I want to take the opportunity to brush on this subject once again.
If you haven’t taken advantage of the pleasures of the Armstrong Browning basement, please do so before it’s too late. We’re all about to head off into the real world, and the rumor is it can be quite cruel. Choose to live at least once before you walk that stage in May.
Take the trip to south campus and find your own inner peace on the coveted marbled seats that are tucked away in the Armstrong Browning Library’s basement chambers.
Enjoy every last moment.
In all seriousness, my time at Baylor has been the best four years of my life, and I truly hope it has been the same for everyone else.
Here on this campus, I have made the best of friends and had the greatest of experiences, and I could not be more thankful for it.
With roughly a week left until it’s all over, take in every moment. Don’t let the last bit of time we have left at this wonderful place go to waste. Gather your friends, find your favorite spots on campus and reminisce about old memories as you make a few last new ones.
