Gifts For Grads

By: Connie Yan

Posted: 4/18/07

Caps and gowns are in stock at the Co-op. Spring weekend T-shirts are on sale. Laurie Best has posted another final exam schedule. The library is starting to get crowded. Another school year has gone by and it is time to say farewell to another graduating class.

Whether or not you are graduating, you must at least know someone who is. Although a lot of grads are looking to score some pricey jewelry or a new set of wheels this May, not all grad gifts require a loan.

Depending on your budget and how well you know the person, there is a wide range of meaningful gift options.

If the person was your best friend on campus or in general, you could spend a little more on some engraved jewelry or cufflinks, something they can wear during the transition to adulthood that is not glittery or made of hemp and seashells.

If your friend collects charms, the cliché diploma and mortarboard charm may be a good idea, or perhaps a charm that represents an inside joke or a memory, if you're looking for something more unique. For male graduates, a nice wallet with engraved initials makes a good present so he can carry all that dough from his first job.

Personalized gifts are probably your best bet. If your friend is going to be a teacher, a decorative chalkboard or pencil holder with his or her name on it would look great in a classroom. Look at what they will need after graduation, like a nice blouse or tie. If you don't know their size, a gift card to Ann Taylor or Express will be just as effective because chances are your friend will be trading in their UConn sweatshirts for some business casual attire. Grad school? Get a sweatshirt with the name of their graduate school on it.

Monogramming or engraving initials or a message adds some meaning and thought to a charm bracelet or a tie bar. Take a hint from Marylin Monroe, who gave JFK a watch with a little message engraved on the back.

Most male graduates are not looking forward to receiving an engraved bracelet.

Bling is not necessarily the only way to commemorate or congratulate; there are other less expensive ways.

An often overlooked gift that everyone needs is personalized stationary. Embossed cards and monogrammed letterheads are a necessity for those who will be writing thank-you cards and keeping in touch with college friends. They are classy and add a personal touch, and while you're getting a set for your friend, get a set for yourself as well.

If your friends are becoming grown-ups with apartments of their own, home and kitchen accessories are a great idea. I don't mean spatulas that they may have already accumulated from senior year; I mean cookbooks, picture frames and framed prints or tasteful décor.

If you can't find just one meaningful photo to frame, make a scrapbook. Although they are a bit cheesy, they will come in handy when your friends have moved far away and become homesick for their UConn family. Pick up a blank scrapbook at JoAnn Fabrics and make pages commemorating your first UConn concert or spring weekend. This is a perfect opportunity to reminisce, look through WebShots and press print. If you would like to combine scrapbooking with décor, make a memory board. We all have memory boards hanging on our walls right now, but take one of sophisticated patterns and plaster on some of your UConn ticket stubs, photos and knick-knacks.

Not creative? How about a gas card? Since nothing will be in walking distance and your friends will no longer be a five-minute walk away, a gas card is a great way to help fund a few visits over the summer.

It's been done to death and there is no way to avoid the cheese factor, but a mix CD still remains one of the top graduation gifts among friends. To avoid being cliché, make your mix CD graduation-song free. Compile some of your favorite songs from the past four years or those you have belted out at Ted's.

With finals and last-minute goodbyes in store, there is no need to waste time stressing out about what to get your graduating friends. There are options that are simple, cheap and very meaningful.