Seniors are about to embark on a new journey as they leave the hallowed halls of high school, and most likely the comfort of home. They deserve a special gift after they’ve taken the SAT, crammed for finals and AP exams, spent years training for sports, and put in countless hours of community service. I’ve done the ground work for you, and compiled some creative gift ideas for that hard-working grad no matter what your budget.
Just for Fun
- Cloud 9 Living – When you work hard, you deserve to play hard. Give an ‘experience gift’ to the adventurous teen in your life.
- Samsung DualView Camera – This cam is great for those who always want to be in the picture without cutting off heads. New York Camera Of Princeton can order it for you to receive in a couple of days.
- Customized Converse Sneakers – The Chuck Taylor must be one of the most popular sneakers in the world, appealing to both males and females. Grads can express themselves by designing their own kicks!
- Beats by Dr. Dre – Music is so important to young adults, and a pair of these would make anyone happy. These beautifully designed over-ear headphones now come in colors!
- Retro POP Handset for iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Android Phones – This allows them to answer their cell phone or skype with an old school handset.
- Big Jambox – The big brother of the original compact bluetooth speaker is great for laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices. They enhance listening to music, watching videos, or gaming.
- Do it Yourself DJ – All work and no play… you know the rest. This is fun for parties.
- Image Arts – Have their varsity jacket (or team jersey) custom framed for their dorm or room. Get permission first!
- Metropolis Spa Salon – Treat her to a body treatment, hair styling or color, mani-pedi, and/or a massage.
Dorm Life
- College Survival Kit – It’s time to cut the cord, and this will them deal with life away from home.
- DesignYourDorm – They can order dorm needs online, and have them shipped directly to the university. Roommates can even collaborate.
- Starbucks Gift Card – Get one of these if there’s a coffee shop near campus. They’ll often need a jolt from a good cuppa.
- Tailgating Cooler With Grill – Great for homecoming!
- Concierge of Princeton – Student support services available for the grad coming to the Princeton area.
- MyRegistry.com – They can get WHAT they want from WHERE they want it, including local shops.
- Pinterest – This is another way of doing the above. They can pin things they want from their shop of choice, and share the link. Easy peasy!
- Kopp’s Cycle or Jay’s Cycles – If cars are not allowed for freshmen at their chosen university, get them a shiny new bike to get around campus and town.
- Blue Ridge Mountain Sports – A Swiss Army knife with scissors, a can opener, screwdriver, etc. can really come in handy.
- Budget iPad 3G – iPad 2 Wi-Fi Model + Mobile Phone + App = an iPad 3G on the cheap!
Take a look at last year’s blog post for more graduation gift ideas!
You are sharing great graduation gift ideas but these are all too expensive. All parents or relatives can not afford these gifts. I think graduation tassels and gowns are the most affordable and memorable gifts to give graduate children.
Sam, there is a mix of items at all price points listed. A Starbucks card could be bought for as little as $5, the retro handset and a manicure are about $20, and the survival kit is $49. I find these items affordable. There are some items which are more expensive, but I included them because they’re unique or fun.
As each of my children go off to college I get them a digital camera (I buy it on Black Friday when prices are low!) as well as all of the necessary dorm suplies from Dormco. They ship right to their school!
Great idea about getting the camera on Black Friday! Thanks for the Dormco tip.