College grad gift ideas, please?

[Spryte]

What did you/would you give your college grad for a grad gift?

 

Need ideas.  :)

[Jackie]

I do love spending other people's money, but an idea of the budget would be good.

 

(And just a bump.)

[Spryte]

No idea on the budget. :). We're not in "new car" territory. Does that help? I honestly have no idea. How much does one spend on college grad?

 

My parents didn't do much when I graduated. I think my father and stepmom sent a small check, and my mother gave me a small gift. My friend's parents, who were close to me through school, gave me a few small things that were meaningful.

 

Any ideas?

[Annie]

Gender? (Sorry, I'm mobile and can't see signatures.)

 

For a girl, maybe a nice pair of earrings?

[Mrs Mungo]

Is this your kid or someone else's kid?

 

Jewelry?

Laptop?

New job hunting clothes?

Stuff for apartment?

Photo book?

 

Gift card for any of the above?

 

Eta: I agree that luggage is a great gift.

[MomtoCandJ]

If doesn't already have : luggage, things for own apartment

[plansrme]

These are things I received from my own college and grad school graduations that I still remember and thought were particularly helpful and/or meaningful:

 

1.  When I graduated from grad school and had a job lined up, a very nice leather purse or tote that would hold notebooks, files, etc. (a laptop these days).  

2.  A couple of pieces of furniture for my new apartment that were a big step up from my student furniture.  Or a washer and dryer.

3.  A really nice office chair for working at a desk at home.  Not an Ikea or Office Depot chair, but a really nice one.  Would mostly be useful if she will be working from home at all.

4.  My diploma framed.  Still have that.  (Received this twice.  Still have both of them.)

5.  Luggage.  Not that I did any major traveling when I was freshly-graduated and poor, but I did use it for many years.

6.  A nice piece of jewelry.

7.  Clothes for the new job.  I was in a career that wore suits at the time, and suits were expensive!  Professional clothes may not take such a bite out of one's wardrobe budget these days, but it was hard to have enough clothes for that first week of work.

 

Congratulations on the graduate!  

 

[Ali in OR]

I still have and use a few things my parents gave me:

-nice Seiko watch with my university's seal on it. Have used it every day for the last 25 years.

-lifetime membership to the alumni association

-nice framed picture

 

My nephew graduates this spring. We'll probably just give him $50.

[Jenny in Florida]

We gave our daughter a trip to NYC to see a couple of Broadway shows. She and her brother also got to go to the Tony Awards with a group of theatre kids (which, of course, required formal clothing for both of them). It was expensive, but we made a family vacation out of it.

[carriede]

I'm getting my brother a slow cooker.

[ThisIsTheDay]

I'm getting my brother a slow cooker.

 

SO funny. Thanks to a suggestion here a few weeks ago, we just gave the son of friends a slow cooker for his graduation. Dh was mortified, he thought it was weird.  But my friend also thought it was a great idea.  :)

[carriede]

SO funny. Thanks to a suggestion here a few weeks ago, we just gave the son of friends a slow cooker for his graduation. Dh was mortified, he thought it was weird. But my friend also thought it was a great idea. :)

Oh boo. It's an easy to use cooking device. No bachelor should be without one! ;)

 

I was 6 months away from getting married when I graduated college, so we received lots of wedding registry stuff to help us get started in our first apartment. I realized that my brother is getting HIS first apartment WITHOUT a such an influx of home goods, so I just tried to think of what a newly wed registry might contain.

 

A toaster oven would be another good choice. :)

[Spryte]

Thanks!  These are all excellent ideas!

 

I didn't give enough info, but you all gave great ideas anyway.  :)

 

Here's the info:  he's male, he's ours, but he won't be moving out on his own for some time, so new apartment stuff is out.  He lands firmly in the camp of a person who has everything.   :blushing: 

 

I love the idea of a lifetime membership to the alumni association type things.  He's in theater.  There must be something for that?  Any theater parents here?

 

 

[Spryte]

If he's going to tour on the road, a 3 in 1 coat is handy.

I like that! And yes, you're on the right track with his next few years. :)

[creekland]

We gave our guy a GPS and a nice check.  He had been using a phone app for a GPS.  I think an individual one is better, but he'd have never bought it for himself.

[In The Great White North]

 

 

I wanted to buy gold wings for Navy girl when she Winged, but she said no.

So what did you give her for graduation?  

 

Ds graduates in two weeks, then heads to flight school.  They live in dorms for two more years, so no apartment stuff, he has everything he needs (well, I'm not buying a car either), already got the AOG membership and I don't remember Mom and Dad getting me anything so I have no idea.

[Angie in VA]

I second:

 

money

watch w/ the college/uni's emblem (or cufflinks or for guys)

lifetime membership to alumni or a professional association for his/her field*

 

I like the idea of a new (or new-to-him/her) car, paying off a loan for a car or musical instrument, but we would not likely be in a position to do that. My mother made sure to give me fun stuff for birthdays and Christmas during college, but I also got things to set up my first home. She stored them for me at her house till I moved out. I didn't appreciate them very much when I received them, but I sure have ever since. I still have a few bowls and salad plates left from that dish set too. :)

 

*I hope to do this for dd when she graduates. She wants to be a Suzuki teacher, so a lifetime Suzuki Association membership would come in handy!

 

 

[Jackie]

If a lot of on-the-road traveling is in his near future, then I'd think towards traveling stuff. Good luggage, clothes that travel well, an iPad/tablet for reading and communicating. If he's just starting to make money, paying one bill (such as his cell phone) for a set period of time.

[Spryte]

We're set! Thanks for all the ideas!

 

We went with membership to a professional org, and an electronic gadget to take on the road. We might round it out with a check, too.