Graduation Day Tech Checklist – Protect Your Phone at St Andrews Graduation
Graduation Day Tech Checklist – Protect Your Phone at St Andrews Graduation
How to Protect Your Tech at St Andrews Graduation
Graduation day at the University of St Andrews is one of the most photographed days of the year. Families travel from around the world, everyone’s phones are out constantly, and the Younger Hall and St Salvator’s Quad are packed with people capturing the moment.
It’s also a day when phones get dropped, batteries die at the worst moment, and storage fills up mid-ceremony. Here’s how to make sure your tech is ready.
Charge Everything the Night Before
This sounds obvious, but graduation day is long. Between getting ready, the ceremony, photos outside the Younger Hall, photos at St Salvator’s Chapel, photos on The Scores with the sea behind you, lunch, and celebrations – your phone will be in heavy use for 8-10 hours.
- Charge your phone to 100% overnight
- Charge your portable battery pack (you do have one, right?)
- If family members are visiting, remind them to charge their phones too – your mum’s phone dying before the cap-throwing photo is not ideal
- Turn off Bluetooth, reduce screen brightness slightly, and close background apps to extend battery life
If your phone battery already struggles to last a full day, get it replaced before graduation. An iPhone battery replacement takes under an hour – don’t risk your battery dying during the ceremony.
Free Up Storage Space
Graduation generates hundreds of photos and videos. Check your storage now:
- iPhone: Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- Android: Settings > Storage
If you have less than 5GB free, you’ll run out during the day. Clear old photos (back them up to the cloud first), delete apps you don’t use, and clear your WhatsApp media cache (Settings > Storage and Data > Manage Storage).
Protect Your Phone in the Crowd
The areas around the Younger Hall and St Salvator’s Quad get extremely crowded after the ceremony. Hundreds of families all taking photos in the same space.
- Use a wrist strap or lanyard – when you’re holding a bouquet, a programme, and trying to take a selfie, your grip on your phone is not reliable
- Keep it in a zipped pocket when not in use – pickpockets are rare in St Andrews, but phones get knocked out of hands in crowds
- Watch out for the cobblestones – North Street, South Street, and the quad all have uneven stone surfaces. A phone dropped from waist height onto cobblestones will crack
If your screen is already cracked, the vibration of hitting cobblestones can shatter it completely. Get your screen repaired before the big day.
Camera Tips for Better Graduation Photos
Your phone camera is probably the only camera you’ll use. A few tips for better photos:
- Clean the lens – wipe it with a soft cloth before the ceremony. Fingerprints and smudges cause hazy, low-contrast photos
- Use portrait mode – for posed photos of the graduate, portrait mode (available on most phones from the last 5 years) blurs the background and makes the subject stand out
- Take burst photos – for group shots where someone always blinks, hold the shutter button for a burst. Pick the best one later
- Video the procession – you’ll want to relive walking across the stage. Ask someone to film it on your phone
- Back up immediately – turn on iCloud Photos or Google Photos auto-upload so everything is backed up as you take it. If your phone breaks after the ceremony, your photos are safe
What If Something Breaks on the Day?
We’re at 1 City Rd, right in the centre of town. If your phone screen cracks, your charging port stops working, or your battery gives up – walk in. We understand the urgency of graduation day.
Screen repairs for most phones are completed in under an hour. If your phone breaks in the morning, you can have it back for the afternoon celebrations.
Before Graduation Day Checklist
- Phone fully charged
- Portable charger fully charged
- At least 5GB free storage
- Camera lens cleaned
- Cloud backup enabled
- Phone case on (with raised edges)
- Screen protector in place
- Any existing damage repaired
Congratulations to All Graduates
If you’ve spent your time at St Andrews visiting us for repairs, screen protectors, or charging cables – thank you for your custom. We wish every graduate the best.
And if you need us one last time before you leave town, we’re at 1 City Rd. Call 01334 478866 or walk in.