With the end of the spring semester right around the corner, the Class of 2022 is thinking about one thing, and one thing only -- graduation.

Graduating college is a big deal! It takes a lot of work to get a degree -- not to mention tough classes, long nights of studying, and absorbing a lot of important information. For the last four years, college and making your way through your degree program has been your whole life, and now, it's done. It's exciting! But there are a lot of questions that need to be answered now, too.

What's next for you? Will you continue your education, begin a career, take a gap year, or take a different path? You still have some time to think about these plans, but you should be seriously planning what you will do with your degree after you receive it. 

When you graduate, your college or university will give you your diploma inside of a certificate cover that is usually stamped with your school seal or crest. It’s easy to put your diploma inside of a file cabinet or storage bin and call it a day -- however, you might want to do something more with your degree.

Your diploma serves as everlasting proof of your hard work, perseverance, and determination to graduate college. Afterall, you did go through four years of studying, exams, projects, presentations, papers, and a final project for your major. This was no easy feat, so you should be proud of your accomplishment and want to show it to the world! 

While you reflect on your college career and decide your future steps in life, we’ve put together a few ideas for a modern way to display your diploma. You can take one of our ideas and merge it with your own personal style to create a method of displaying your diploma that works best for you! 

Here are the modern diploma frame ideas we'll be covering today:

• Traditional Diploma Display 
• Graduation Shadow Box 
• Wall of Accomplishments 
• Diploma Photo Display 

🎓Traditional Diploma Display 

A Sleek, Sophisticated, and Stylish Option For Any Newly Minted Grad

We said modern diploma frame ideas, but the truth is -- traditional diploma frames never go out of style. A classic black mat board with your university name and crest surrounded by a hardwood frame will always be elegant, sophisticated, and professional. These frames are modern because they fit a variety of environments. Whether it’s on your wall at home, in your office, or in a display cabinet, this type of frame will fit any aesthetic. 

If you already know that you plan on continuing your education with a master’s degree or even a professional doctorate degree, then this might be the best option for you. We say this because after completion of further degrees, you will most likely go on to one day have your own office space. 

Diploma frames look great in office spaces for a few reasons -- the first is that they keep the memory of your accomplishment alive. Even though you have moved on to different stages of life, reflecting on the nostalgia of your college life is something that you will always cherish. So, you should never let that part of your personality go. 

Secondly, if you work in an office building, or a practice, diploma frames that include your bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate, and other certificates help establish your credibility. This is crucial for jobs that assist the public. Your clients, customers, collaborators, etc will want to see that you are qualified for the job and your degrees will reaffirm their peace of mind. The more comfortable they feel with you, the better the experience will be for the both of you. 

Classic diploma frames are professional and sophisticated. You can hang them above your desk, or set them on your desk. If you want to personalize your space to make it feel more unique, then consider adorning your diploma frames with graduation gifts that you have received, or school spirit. You can hang a shadow box that includes graduation memorabilia -- more on that later. 

Overall, classic diploma frames will always fit a modern aesthetic and can be personalized to your liking. Hanging your degrees in your office space is a great way to keep the momentum going -- keep this in mind as you decide what to do with your upcoming degree. 

🎓Graduation Shadow Box 

Capture Your Most Important Memories in a Beautiful, Modern Display

We’ve already briefly mentioned shadow boxes, so let’s talk more about them. They are a fun and unique way of displaying your graduation garb and other attire that usually makes its debut only once then goes in a storage box soon afterwards. We’re talking about your graduation cap (which you probably spent hours decorating), cords, stoles, medals, pins and bangles, tassel, or anything else you received on graduation day that you want to preserve its memory. 

Creating a shadow box is extremely easy and we’ll tell you how! You’ll need a few basic items, your graduation accessories, sewing pins, and the shadow box itself. Once you have these, you’re ready to get started. 

Simply being by opening your shadow box and removing the base. Then arrange your items to your liking -- spend some time on this step, because your items will be pinned in place. So, make sure you have your ideal layout before moving forward. 

Next, take your sewing pins and start pinning the items in place. You’ll probably need a decent amount of pins. You want to keep your items securely fastened, that way when you lift the shadow box upright, your items won’t move. 

Once you think you have everything pinned down, lift the base and see if anything moves -- if it does, add more pins. Repeat the process, and once nothing moves -- place the glass overtop of the base and you’re finished! 

When it comes to deciding where your shadow box will hang, consider the office setting we just talked about. Because a shadow box is a great way to add individuality to your wall of degrees. You could also consider hanging it in your home or apartment and smile every time you walk past it. The bottom line is, we love shadow boxes because they are a fun way to style your achievement and use the items that you most likely would throw into a storage bin.  

🎓Wall of Accomplishments 

Give Yourself a Boost Every Day with a Reminder of All You've Accomplished (So Far!)

We know how a wall of achievements might sound, but in reality it’s a great idea. Achievements are well earned, no matter what and you should be proud of them because no one earned these specific achievements but you! 

We know that someone supported you during your college experience, whether it was parents, family members, friends, professors, or someone at work -- they are proud of you and so you should be too. Everyone wants to see how your hard work paid off and your degree is the ultimate representation of that! 

A wall of achievements can change as you age too, so don’t think you need to keep your high school basketball trophy on the wall forever. You can add a college medal, or graduation cords, then in a few years you might display the cover of your doctoral thesis along with your diploma frame. 

🎓Photo Diploma Display

Keep Your College Memories Close As You Start Your Post-Grad Life

In the age of technology, everyone is taking photos and we know you are one of those people! You might have hundreds of photos just from graduation day alone -- now add in the rest of your four year college experience. You probably have thousands, but we know that everyone has their favorites. So, you probably have yours selected already. 

To take your traditional diploma frame to the next level, consider surrounding it with some of your favorite photos. You can place your frame in the middle and surround it with small 4x6 photos. The smaller scale photos will offset the large diploma frame -- this way your eye will be drawn to the frame first and then gravitate to all of the little photos around it. 

Another great way to do a photo wall is to place your diploma frame off center from the rest of the pictures. The will still look like a cohesive unit, but the eye will be drawn to them individually. 

If you don’t think a traditional diploma frame is enough for your -- photos are perhaps the best way to individualize your achievement. Pictures of your friends will make you happier about graduating knowing you did it together, and pictures of family will help reinforce your notion of the support you had during your college years. Overall, this kind of display is modern and unique, and sure to bring a smile to your face every time you see a picture and remember the memories associated with it. 

There are many ways to take a traditional diploma frame and make it uniquely your own. Surround it with other degrees and certificates, achievements, or photos to make the frame pop! Once you’ve done that, create a shadow box out of the rest of your graduation attire and place that with your diploma as the ultimate remembrance of your special day. Happy graduation!