High school graduations are coming up pretty soon, meaning graduation parties are right around the corner. While a pile of cards with monetary gifts are always appreciated, maybe you could use a little creativity and bring a gift that will stand out in the sea of envelopes and cards.
Themed gift basket
Incoming college students have to get a lot of stuff in preparation for their first year away from home. A really fun and helpful gift is to take care of some of those small items that they might not have thought of. Try a bathroom basket including a towel, washcloth, toothbrush holder, hair dryer, cotton swabs and loufa all wrapped in a bathroom trashcan or a cute wire basket. Other themes include Office Supplies (take care of the pens and pencils, the stapler, scissors and all those things that might be needed for projects and homework), In the Closet (include some hangers, a closet freshener and maybe one of those closet organizers).
If you don’t want to go with a specific theme, you can go for a general gift basket. My personal favorite was the “ABCs of College” basket that my cousins put together. There were single-serve, non-perishable food items as well as hand sanitizer, a small first-aid kit and highlighters. Because everything was small and cheap, the basket didn’t break the bank. Just make sure to include a list of the ABCs and each item that goes with each item!
Photo Collage
This is a perfect gift to give to your friend that’s going off to college. Purchase a collage frame-or just a BIG frame and gather a bunch of pictures. Pick out photos that have great memories attached to them-like that time that you and your friend went white-water rafting or photos from getting ready before each school dance. Once you’ve picked out the photos, arrange them in the frame and include a note that lets her know how much you love her and are looking forward to hearing all her college stories.
This is a great idea because it allows your friend to bring something to college that will definitely remind her of all the good times she’s had with you and your friends. It’ll help her feel better in her times of homesickness and it’ll provide her with great stories for her new college buddies.
Subscriptions
Sure, college is a time for studying, but all work and no play? A girl’s gotta have a little fun! One way that college students like to unwind is watching movies-so a gift subscription to Netflix or a similar movie service is perfect. She won’t have to ever worry about running out of movies to watch and, like Netflix boasts, she won’t have to deal with any late fees. Netflix is also a great way for the college student to make friends. All she has to do is check with her floormates if they want to watch with her.
Another great subscription idea is one for magazines. If the graduate you know loves fashion, a subscription to Vogue, Nylon or Style is right up her alley. Every month she’ll have a new present waiting for her in her mailbox. She’ll appreciate the chance to read something other than a textbook or that Russian novel for once. And magazines are a great way to decorate a dorm room. It’s easy enough to go through magazines and cut out editorial photos to make a collage on her walls.
Lights
Girls are not like most guys-they cannot deal with the harsh lighting provided in dorm rooms and expect to be happy. I mean, there is a reason that there is a stereotypical love for candlelit baths. Unfortunately, candles are one of the biggest college No-Nos. To remedy this, get her a few battery-operated candles. You can pick some up at Wal-Mart, Target or a similar store for pretty cheap. The graduate will feel a little more comfortable in her new abode with her faux candles. They’ll help her relax, and since most are scented, they’ll help her room smelling nicer than most dorm rooms.
I would probably pair these with another gift-maybe a gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond so that she can get some of her dorm essentials.
Board Game
Okay, maybe this seems a little lame, but I have one board game in mind that would make the college graduate you know quite a few friends. Have you heard of Apples to Apples? The premise is simple: you match up nouns and adjectives in ridiculous ways that keep everyone laughing. Maybe it sounds a little dumb to you, but trust me when I say that I would gamble that Apples to Apples is the most popular game on college campuses.
I also recommend Taboo, Boxers or Briefs and Scrabble. This will be a good way for the new college student to make friends and have fun in their free time.
College Memorabilia and Gift Cards
By graduation season, most people know where they’re going to be headed for college. And luckily you can hop on the school’s bookstore website of the graduate in your life. Coffee mugs, lanyards and T-shirts are great ideas, and you can also get a gift card for the bookstore. This means the new college student has some money to spend on more memorabilia or some money to go towards books. And those books can really kill a college student’s bank account.
When all else fails…
Cash.. with a catch.
It’s classic; it’s useful; and when you don’t have any other ideas, it’s perfect. No graduate is going to be bitter about a graduation card with some cash or a check inside. Graduation is a time of celebration, sure; but graduates are painfully aware of the upcoming expenses in life. Thanks to the monetary gifts from my high school graduation, I was able to afford my laptop without breaking the bank.
But with those worries of affording college, many college graduates are unable to think about the fun that they will have during the summer. I know I really didn’t take into consideration the potential fun I would have. For this reason, I really appreciated the money my brother and sister-in-law gave me for graduation. Attached to the check was a note telling me that the money was not to be used on books, office supplies, not even my computer. This money was not to be used for anything school related. I used it for dinners out with friends, admission to amusement parks and pedicures. I recommend you advise your graduate to use some the money to enjoy themselves during the summer. After all, it’s for celebrating their accomplishments.
Okay, so most of these have to do with college and dorm life, but what’s more exciting about graduating high school than the excitement of impending college life? It’s also a lot to prepare for, so by thinking of little things that will help her adjust to college life will be greatly appreciated by the graduate.
