Two weekends in late May
Most US high school commencements fall in the second or third weekend of May. Most US college commencements fall in the weekend before or the weekend after Memorial Day (the last Monday of May). For families with both a graduating high school senior and a graduating college student, the two ceremonies are usually one or two weekends apart and almost always require travel.
Print May early
The right time to print the May monthly calendar is the previous fall — September of senior year. By the time the fall is over, every weekend in May will have a commitment competing for it: the high school commencement, the college commencement, the AP exam aftermath, the spring sports state tournament, prom, and Memorial Day weekend. Marking the commencement weekend on a printed calendar in September is the single best way to protect it.
The travel logistics
Most college commencement weekends are tightly packed: a Friday baccalaureate, a Saturday commencement ceremony, a Sunday move-out, and a Monday departure. Hotels in college towns book up six to nine months in advance for commencement weekend. The printed calendar is the place to record hotel confirmation numbers, ceremony start times, and move-out deadlines so the family stays coordinated through the weekend.
The Memorial Day question
Many college commencements fall the weekend before Memorial Day (commencement Saturday, families travel home Memorial Day Monday) or the weekend after (Memorial Day weekend at home, then a one-week break, then commencement). Both patterns produce different planning windows for the family. Confirm the commencement date against the printed May calendar before booking travel.
The graduation gift window
The four-week window between AP exams and commencement (early May to early June for high school students; mid-May to early June for college students) is the right time for graduation parties, family dinners, and gift exchanges. Mark the window on the printed calendar and treat it as a single celebration period rather than as a series of unrelated weekends.