Everyone has seen actors and musicians stammering nervously at awards shows, anxiously waiting to hear their name announced from the podium so they can recite a rehearsed acceptance speech.

Sports fans have watched college athletes anticipate their selection by a professional team, growing jittery as the remaining slots fill up.

Students who are not prepared for their graduation from Ohio State might have to suffer the same anxiety when it comes time to receive their diploma.

Some students might be unaware that graduation at OSU is not an instant outcome of completing the requirements for their major program.

“Contrary to what you might think, graduation at OSU is NOT automatic,” according to the allied medical professions Web site.

Academic departments and advisers alike are hoping to convey the necessity for undergraduate students to apply for graduation with their advisers, in some cases three quarters before they plan on graduating, if they wish to receive their diplomas as planned.

“When I was an undergraduate, I don’t think I applied (for graduation) in time,” said Andy Zircher, who studied psychology at OSU and graduated in 2000.

That was part of the reason that Zircher’s graduation did not come without conflict.

“I had some difficulties with some classes and planning for graduation, and didn’t get to walk with my class at commencement,” Zircher said. “I know that I missed out on a lot of fun stuff, and the closure that comes with attending your graduation.”

Zircher said he finds irony in the fact that he now serves as an academic counselor for the School of Allied Medical Professions, and is preparing 71 students to complete their academic careers at OSU this year.

“Students should be aware of their responsibilities because you don’t want to be stuck in a situation where you weren’t aware that you had to apply to graduate,” he said.

Academic planning is mostly consistent throughout all departments at OSU.

“We just don’t want students scrambling at the last minute as they get ready to finish up,” said Terri Hoying, an academic adviser for the Max M. Fisher College of Business.

“(The business college) asks the students to apply three quarters in advance so our auditors can go over their information and comb through it for any possible issues,” she said.

“(Your application) is input into the university system,” Hoying said. “It becomes almost a legal document, which shows that you are planning on graduating and organizes your information.”

It is necessary to apply for graduation in the business school because, once a student is marked for graduation, it triggers important information and e-mails regarding graduation to be sent to the student, Hoying said.

Hoying, with her team of four auditors, prepares graduation forms for all business students throughout the school year. She said students are required to follow a detailed timeline that outlines the conclusion of their academic career at OSU, and is provided on the Fisher College of Business’ Web site and distributed by e-mail.

She projects 1,000 students graduating from the business school this school year.

The engineering department supplies its students with deadlines to help guide them to graduation, while the College of the Arts recommends students make an appointment with their counselor when they reach senior status, according to their Web sites.

“In the School of Allied Medical Professions, we typically communicate with students about staying in contact with their adviser, notify them about the classes that they need to take, and ask them to apply for graduation two quarters in advance,” Zircher said, adding that he has yet to have an issue with a graduating student in his two years with the department.

“We just want students to have a general idea of when they’re going to be ready to graduate,” he said.

Other colleges at OSU follow a more standardized set of guidelines.

“We follow arts and science’s procedure,” said Diana Bevilacqua, a counselor with the department of mathematics who started working in the mathematics Counseling Office in 2001. “They allow you to apply for graduation up to a quarter before you want to graduate.”

Upperclassmen planning on graduating with a degree in mathematics meet with Bevilacqua to fill out a major program form, check off courses from their General Education Curriculum and plan out any other mathematics requirements, but there are no additional, required procedures unique to the mathematics school, she said.

The University Registrar’s degree audit system is one of the better ways for seniors to confirm their academic status, Bevilacqua said.

“Seniors use it to the letter,” she said. “It’s just a good way for advisers and students to check and make sure that everything’s in line, that’s all.”

“Even the new audit has a lot of the functions of the old one, with some new features,” Zircher said.

Dan Trares, a senior planning on graduating with a degree in computer and science engineering this spring, said he does not remember being notified about the need to apply for graduation.

“I just knew my friends were talking about it and I figured it was something I had to do,” he said.

“All I had to do was meet with my faculty adviser a few times,” Trares said. “I had to ask a few questions about electives, make sure all of my choices met the requirements, fill out some forms and I’m ready to graduate.”

If a student does not apply for graduation in time, they should take care of their situation as early as possible, Hoying said, suggesting that if there is an issue concerning required courses, they can be easier to take care of at the beginning of a quarter.

Zircher recognizes from experience the need for students to be prepared and organized when it comes to graduation.

“It will always be the responsibility of the student to recognize their plan to finish school in four years and make sure they have their t’s crossed and their i’s dotted.”