This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Kelly Xiong. Find her on Instagram at @k.3lly. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Do you know someone who’s graduating this spring? Maybe it’s a friend, relative, or even your own child. Graduating college is a big accomplishment and it absolutely should be celebrated. They earned it. But what should you get them to show congratulations? Now, you may be thinking, “are graduation gifts a thing?” Graduation gifts are fairly common. They are a way to celebrate the person. It’s kind of like birthday presents. The gift doesn’t have to be super extravagant or expensive, it should just be something that would make the graduate happy, something that you know they like. If you don’t know where to start, worry not. Here is a list of graduation gift ideas to help you get started.
Jewelry
Jewelry can be gifted to women and men, it all depends on what kind of jewelry. For women, there’s more versatility. You can get them a bracelet, necklace, ring, earrings, etc. Mid-priced, affordable jewelry brands such as Kendra Scott, Pandora and Swarovski are great options. If you have the means to go down the pricier route, brands like Cartier, Van Cleef and Tiffany are amazing options for a new graduate.
For men, the jewelry option is a bit more limited. However, that doesn’t mean there is none. If you know that he’s a watch guy, a new watch would probably make an amazing graduation gift. This requires more research and knowledge about what kinds of watches he likes and wants. Watches can be difficult to buy as a present if you are unfamiliar with models, sizing, brands so take this one on with a little more caution. But when done right, I’m sure your new graduate will be over the moon.
One piece of advice when buying jewelry for anyone is to know their color. Some are devoted silver people, others only own gold or rose gold. Some mix and match, and in that case, don’t worry about this part. But, it’s always safe to check what kind of metal the gift receiver prefers and wears before going ahead with the purchase.
Tablet/laptop
This gift is a little more practical, and will definitely be used very often. After four years or more of college, your graduate’s laptop or tablet is probably near its death. Gifting them a laptop or tablet that they can use for their new job helps save them so much money. If they already have an Apple ecosystem going on, this makes your present shopping so much easier. As most can attest, once you have one Apple product, they’re the only technology brand acceptable to buy anymore tech stuff from.
Work bag
This gift is also more practical, but also extremely useful. A nice, durable work bag can be super beneficial, especially for a newly grad who’s just entering the workforce. This does not need to be super fancy by any means. If anything, you probably shouldn’t get the super fancy one right off the bat. There are other brands that make great work bags that are fairly affordable such as Coach, Calpak, Lululemon. Fossil and Ted Baker.
Custom college/university merch
Custom college or university merch can make a great sentimental gift. A lot of them can be found on Etsy for a fairly affordable price. There are also some shops on Instagram run by college students. This gives them something to remember their last four years by. Filled with fun and wonderful memories as well as probably hours of studying. But that’s the college experience, and finishing is a bittersweet moment. On one hand, no more exams and quizzes, on the other, you’ll probably never be as close to your friends again with everyone moving to different places.
Coffee machine
A good quality coffee machine makes a great college graduation gift. I’m not saying you need to buy a Nespresso though. Although you can if you please. But, if that’s a bit out of budget or maybe you just don’t know them well enough to drop that kind of money on a gift, there are plenty of cheaper, but still good quality options. You can find a lot of them at Target or even Amazon. With this gift, your newly grad can make their own Starbucks or Dunkin drinks right at home! Not only is this gift a money saver, it also makes a great addition in their new apartment.
Now that you know graduation gifts are a thing and have gotten a few ideas, what are you planning on getting for your newly grad?
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