Every semester, thousands of graduating seniors embark on a new and exciting journey—graduation, a career and life after college. Here aresome interesting gifts that upcoming graduates may like to receive for their special day.
Because graduation is not only about their accomplishments in college, but also the aftermath, why not give that special grad an elegant suit they can wear to their first job interview? One needs to make an impression and let their future employers know that not only do they have the smarts for the job, but also the imagefor it. Suits will show employers that graduates are professional and serious about the potential that they will bring to the job.
One of the most common graduation gifts, and one that is always useful and a powerful reminder of the education the graduate has received, are pens. Elegantly designed pens are a simple, yet effective gift for a college graduate.
It seems that every year technological innovations advance the ways we can communicate with each other. Why not share these with graduates and give them gadgets such as digital cameras, in which they’ll be able to share their favorite moments with everybody—they’re sort of ideal for graduation. Gadgets such as smart phones that are either iPhones or Android always create a big buzz when released and can be perfect multipurpose devices that are capable of not only communication, and provide entertainment for the users. The ever-increasing world of apps such as Job Search or USA Jobs can help graduates find the right jobs they want. Since graduation signals the beginning of their professional world, why not offer them new tech products that they can use for presentations or other career highlights.
Gift cards from stores such as Amazon and any other graduates’ favorite stores can be great gift ideas since they will have the option of buying something that they really want to get.
Books are a major part of college and they’re certainly useful after graduation, whether it’s a book for inspiration such as, “The Giving Tree,” by Shel Silverstein and “All the Places You’ll Go,” by Dr. Seuss, to something just for entertainment like the “Harry Potter” series or books for future studies. There is no denying that books are also great gifts and help ease the transition. There are numerous books that will make useful gifts as well, since you might want to give the graduate a useful book dealing with tips about finding a job. Other options could be “Life After College,” by Jenny Blake, or “Getting from College to Career,” by Lindsey Pollack. These essential guides might comfort your graduate as they wait for their airplane to land at the city where they will begin the next chapter of their lives.
Now if the graduate enjoys films, why not give them something related with graduation? One of cinema’s most iconic portrayals of post college life is Mike Nichols’ “The Graduate,” (1967). The landmark film, starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katherine Ross is both funny and dramatic. This movie tells the story of Benjamin Braddock’s life after college and the many things he discovers about himself.
Other films that may help graduates feeling overwhelmed after graduating from college might be, “Adventureland” (2009) and “Into The Wild” (2007), as these two films give a new perspective on the many adventurous and unexpected journeys the graduate may take after graduating.
There are many more gifts that may be useful for upcoming graduates like apartment appliances for those moving out of their family home, office supplies and décor. Anything from a desk to professional chairs can make graduates feel that something new and exciting is happening.
Another good gift would be a diploma frame—what better way to represent the graduate’s accomplishment than by displaying it in their office? This will certainly make the graduates confident on their first day at work and proud of the journey the’ve taken to get to where they are.
Whatever the case may be, graduation is a chance for celebration, the opportunity to recognize the graduates’ merits of finishing their college education and prepare them for the future that lies ahead.
Oscar Garza may be reached at [email protected].
