UC Davis students and alumni discuss their worries surrounding commencement registration and the stress from previous years’ website crashing
By EVELYN SANCHEZ — features@theaggie.org
As spring approaches, it is nearly time for every graduating student, undergraduate and graduate alike, to walk across the stage during the commencement ceremony. Wrapping up years of intensive study, commencement finally awards students with the certificate of their name and degree built on all-nighters, stressful breakdowns and last-minute cramming.
However, one final breakdown UC Davis students might face rears its head at the last minute: commencement registration. Natalie Chrisman, a fourth-year human biology major who planned to walk in June, said she faced technical difficulties while registering.
“I’m worried about registration, because when I tried to register to graduate, the website was down,” Chrisman said.
Chrisman commented that she attempted to register right as the application opened. Spring Commencement Registration opened on Feb. 25 for the spring 2025 graduation ceremony and offered three days for UC Davis’ large pool of graduating students. Possible dates include Friday, June 13 for either 9 a.m. or 2 p.m., Saturday, June 14 for 9 a.m. or 2 p.m., and Sunday, June 15, with only one session at 9 a.m.
Despite offering a pool of selections, it is possible for students to find it difficult to accommodate other days if their first choice isn’t available.
“I think everyone and their mother is trying to get Saturday commencement,” Chrisman said. “My parents have to take time off work, and I think it would be more of a hassle to do Friday.”
Perla Guzman, a fourth-year cinema and digital media and design double major who plans to graduate in the spring, commented on her graduation day preferences.
“I am trying to register for Saturday, at [any] of the times,” Guzman said. “I want this day because this is the day my sister preferred, but personally, I don’t have a preference. I just want to graduate.”
Analisa Haidinger, a spring 2024 alumna who graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in sustainable environmental design, commented on her experience registering for spring commencement.
“My biggest worry was just not getting the day I wanted, which was Friday at 2 p.m.,” Haidinger said. “I ended up getting that [day], thankfully, since, I think, Friday is the least-desirable day.”
Amanda Li, a fall 2024 alumna who graduated with a B.S. in biological sciences, commented about her differing experiences with registration.
“[Registering] was easy — there was no website crash and it was pretty straightforward,” Li said. “My only concern was being on the website too soon and it [not being] open yet.”
Chrisman conveyed that, if she is unable to register for her preferred time, the lack of organization on the commencement website could result in an anticlimactic end to her four years.
“I’d feel really disappointed, because I feel like [graduation] is an achievement I’m proud of,” Chrisman said. “I [want to] share it with people that have heard me ranting about midterms and the worst [times], and it’d suck to be with these people for four years and get separated just because the site crashes.”
Fortunately, Chrisman was able to get the Saturday 9 a.m. time slot.
The website did crash as soon as the commencement registration link went live on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. As soon as the website was refreshed, a blank webpage with the words “Service Unavailable” continued popping up on students’ screens.
By 10:15 a.m., the Saturday ceremony reached full capacity.
Two years ago, one Reddit user on the subreddit r/UCDavis also noticed some discrepancies within the website, asking how the Saturday at 2 p.m. commencement time slot met capacity just minutes after the registration portal opened.
Their screenshot showed that the 2 p.m. slot was unable to be selected due to full capacity. Other users noticed that the link went live well before 9 a.m. and didn’t alert students, adding to the confusion.
“The site is going to crash,” Chrisman said. “Definitely.”
Guzman instead expressed ambivalence to the idea of a website malfunction.
“If I don’t get Saturday, then I’ll try to get Sunday, and if I don’t get Sunday then I’ll try to get Friday,” Guzman said. “I’m just hoping to get a day.”
Guzman was able to find a spot for the Sunday at 9 a.m. though it wasn’t her ideal choice.
“A little irritating, but I’m graduating, so whatever,” Guzman said.
Despite not registering for the chaotic spring commencement times, Li still recalls what her friends, who were graduating in spring, experienced.
“I remember being at my internship back when it was happening in spring and people were refreshing the page and the website wouldn’t work,” Li said. “Glad it wasn’t me — stay safe out there. I am fortunate to not have faced that hardship.”
Commenting from first-hand experience, Haidinger commented on the annual crash.
“Since everyone is interfacing with the website at the same time, no matter what day you want, [the website] just couldn’t handle it,” Haidinger said. “So, after repeated crashing at various stages, I finally got it.”
Guzman expressed that she is primarily concerned with the outcome, rather than the time.
“I’m not too nervous about the website potentially crashing,” Guzman said. “If it crashes, there isn’t anything I can do about it. I just know that I’ll end up registering for something.”
The actual commencement ceremony has also seen its struggles. Traditionally held at the UC Davis Health Stadium, spring 2022 saw record heat waves since the reimplementation of in-person ceremonies following COVID-19. The June 10 ceremony was continually pushed later into the day, resulting in overheating on the plastic turf within the enclosed stadium.
The Los Angeles Times reported that there was a lack of water, shade and organization that led to the eventual 36 heat-related medical calls. Makeup ceremonies had to be organized last minute and many students were unable to attend the listed dates.
Since then, commencement ceremonies have been held at the air-conditioned, shaded Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Commencement registration has sparked frustration and confusion among UC Davis students. While some emerged from spamming the refresh button with victory, other students across campus couldn’t say the same. Regardless of commencement time slots and dates, UC Davis students look forward to the ceremony and celebration of their years of hard work and dedication to their academic careers.
Written by: Evelyn Sanchez — features@theaggie.org
