by Laura Chartier
It's that time of year again—graduation season, when we start
searching for gifts for both the college bound and newly minted degree-holders.
If you're not sure what type of present to give a graduate, a safe bet
is cash, which is universally welcomed by recent grads—especially
post-college students heading out to face the real world with a heaping
pile of loans. But you may prefer to give a more concrete gift to mark
the occasion—something your family member or friend will be able
to hold on to-so we've put together a list of grad gifts from the fun
to the classic that'll help you find the perfect present.
Aside from loan payments, a big financial challenge for college graduates
can be preparing a business wardrobe for a new job. After four years
of sweatpants and flip-flops, it can be quite expensive to stock up
on the shirts, skirts, shoes, and various other items that will be necessary
in the working world. Buying a new suit for a graduate
could be a big help; offer to take him shopping and let him choose his
(or her) own power outfit. A leather briefcase or portfolio
is also a nice gesture.
Stock can be a fun gift for grads, and you don't need to buy much—
a single share will work fine. Choose a high profile company, like Starbucks
or Disney, or just an organization the graduate likes, like a favorite
clothing line.
The website Oneshare.com offers gift plaques featuring one share of
stock from a choice of well-known companies like Apple Computers, Microsoft,
and EBay.
A classic graduation gift, and a tradition for many, is the Dr. Seuss
book Oh the Places You'll Go! This and other choices like 1000
Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz are easy presents
when you need to buy for a lot of grads (like friends of your own children)
and are a good gift to accompany a card or check.
Anything that helps defray costs for a recent grad setting out on their
own will be appreciated, and if you know where, or in what position,
the person will be working, you can tailor your gifts for their needs:
buy a one-month Metro Card or train pass for grads
heading to New York City, purchase a subscription to the local
newspaper of their new location, or cover the subscriptions
to their favorite magazines for the next year (if they're starting a
job in business, think about subscribing to Forbes or Fortune).
For students moving into a new place, or into an apartment for the first
time, you might want to consider getting them something they'll need
at home: either something practical, like a coffee/cappuccino maker
(to save money on coffee shop stops), or something more luxurious, like
a painting or other decoration. For the gastronomically-challenged,
who are making the transition from round-the-clock pizza to cooking
three meals a day, you can put together a homemade cookbook, collecting
favorite recipes from relatives that include easy instructions.
An object for the home that every grad could use is a Money
Tree—yes, there really is a plant by that name.
According to redenvelope.com (which offers a variety of other gifts
for grads, as well), "Feng Shui masters believe in the plant's
power to deliver wealth and good fortune," and so this plant has
become known as the "money tree." Other plants, like bamboo
and traditional bonsai trees, are also considered good luck.
Another Feng Shui recommendation is a globe, thought to be particularly
favorable for students. Many companies make beautiful globes using lapis
lazuli or other semi-precious stones; search online for the best options.
If you want to give something truly different, you can avoid objects
entirely and purchase an experience for the grad. Give a gift certificate
for a set of dance lessons, a gourmet cooking course, yoga classes,
or some other activity they're interested in. You can also give gifts
of adventure activities, like SCUBA or sky-diving lessons—just
make sure to purchase a certificate for two, so they can take a friend
along (possibly you, if you've played your cards right).
For those planning on traveling after graduation, you could offer to
cover a leg of their journey by purchasing a plane ticket or rail pass.
Many students, by the time they graduate, will already have things like
digital cameras and iPods, but you may want to consider buying accessories
for these often-used items—like an extra memory card for their
camera or a waterproof iPod case for outdoors-lovers.
It's hard to go wrong with gifts for college graduates, because as they
start out on their own they can use just about anything and everything—so
be creative with what you give. And as useful as a monetary gift might
be, graduations are an opportunity to give something memorable that
a graduate will have for years. Presents don't have to be elaborate
(one of my favorite graduation gifts was a wallet—from a brand
I couldn't have afforded on my own—and I use it every day), they
just need to be thoughtful and if you know where a graduate is headed
next, the right gift can help get them going on their way.
