4 Gift Ideas Grads are Sure to Remember
By Ardith Stephanson
5 min read
Finishing high school and celebrating graduation is a significant event.
Recognizing this milestone is important, but it’s not always easy to find a way to commemorate it. A worldwide pandemic has made it even trickier, eliminating the ability to have in-person gatherings with family and friends. Even if celebrations can happen, it’s still important to recognize the school years and celebrate the accomplishment with a thoughtful gift for the grad.
Whether your graduate is planning to continue schooling, is heading into the workforce, or is planning to take a year off, you want to give a graduation gift that shows you care. It’s not always easy to find the perfect present, one that reflects the graduate's new life ahead and looks back on cherished memories from high school or post-secondary school.
We’re here to help with 4 gift ideas that grads are sure to remember.
1. Tools For Post-Secondary Schooling
If your graduate is planning to carry on with post-secondary or graduate education, then gifts that support their schooling are valuable, functional and thoughtful.
A new university student may need a laptop, tablet, or other electronic device. A proper desk and desk chair will help the student when it comes time to do homework, or study from home if that’s part of their ongoing schooling.
If your grad is entering the trades, he or she may need tools, proper clothing, or other materials specific to their field.
These are all items that grads can’t necessarily afford themselves, but that will be important for them to have when summer turns to autumn and they return to school.
2. Items For A New Home
If your grad is moving out, either to attend school or join the workforce, then a gift for their new home is one they will cherish. If you’re celebrating graduation from university or trade school, there’s a good chance your graduate will be moving out and will appreciate one of these gifts.
Here’s a bit of inspiration:
A big-ticket item like a television or a new bed
A functional gift like providing Internet service for a year
A fun gift like a digital personal assistant (Amazon Echo with Alexa, for instance)
A subscription to a service the grad would love, like Kindle Unlimited, Netflix, or Amazon Prime
Help he or she navigate the kitchen with a subscription to a meal kit or food delivery service
Purchase something they may not buy themselves, like a weighted blanket or robotic vacuum
Equipment for the sports-minded grad, like a new bicycle or a gym membership
Everything they need for one room of the home, like setting up the kitchen, or buying living room furniture
Something more personal, like a collection of their favourite home-cooked meals compiled into a recipe book
3. Presents for the “Gap Year” Traveler
Some graduates decide to take time off from school or work and travel for a year before jumping into a “real” adult life.
If that’s the case, you may be wondering what to get the grad who has wanderlust. How about a gift card or money towards airfare?
Then there are numerous valuable travel items, which you could bundle together into a gift basket: portable chargers, a travel backpack or suitcase and a travel mug or water bottle. And how about throwing in a phone plan with unlimited international data, so they can stay in touch while away.
4. Memories That Will Last A Lifetime
For a gift that’s truly personal, and one that will last forever, consider a present that reflects the graduate’s time at school and collects their memories in one place.
A digital tool like memoryKPR allows you to build a memento that will last. This easy-to-use platform makes it simple to assemble a digital memory book, for instance, and create a story for your grad to cherish long past their graduation day. It’s also ideal for both high school and post-secondary graduates.
Young adults graduating now have grown up in the digital age, and are used to capturing life in social media and on their phones. They often care more about experiences than things. That makes a digital story one that will be even more cherished and stand the test of time as one of the best grad gifts.
With memoryKPR, there’s no end to the kind of story “books” you can create in a digital format. You can upload all kinds of files, with support for formats like JPEG, PNG, MP4, MP3, WAV, and more. You can also import directly from social media like Facebook and Instagram. You can record audio right into the story, or upload from your library.
Then, organize the memories the way you want. Invite others to contribute via email or with a QR code. Add photos, videos, and those favourite recipes if you want.
When you’re done, you can share the story with the grad and others by sending a link in an email. The grad can share on social media if he or she wants, since there are options for privacy that you control. You decide who contributes to the story, and who has access to it when you or the graduate wants to share it.
By using memoryKPR you can build a story of the grad’s school years, or include the entire graduating class. You and your graduate will have a wonderful memento. You can also provide the grad with the bonus gift of a subscription to memoryKPR, so they can continue to build stories and ensure their memories are protected.
Epilogue
Graduation is a significant stepping stone from youth to adulthood, or a major accomplishment for those in post-secondary education. A special and unique gift to commemorate the occasion is sure to be remembered for years.
If you’re looking for a truly heartfelt present, our 4 gift ideas are sure to be remembered by the graduate. And for a personal gift that goes beyond material possessions, and creates memories for a lifetime, use memoryKPR for a memento that’s sure to have an impact.
Ardith Stephanson is a freelance writer and journalist who shares some of her own stories at theardizan.com