High School Graduation Gift for Male

[jmarie]

I need some help. He is really an intelligent guy.

I read the Thread about promotion gifts thinking there might be an idea there, and thought about the Mental Floss Magazine...but am thinking the Mental Floss Magazine might not work....

I transported him to Governor's School for the past two years. Actually, I quit when husband and I separated, but am lucky enough to be able to transport him for his last week of school.

I thought about a nautical clock, ehhhhh....but nothing there really tickled my fancy. I thought about a weather system, but the ones I thought he would like were a bit pricey.

He is the kind of person who I know would prefer a gift to a gift card.
He is not into music, but into fantasy games and has read about every fantasy book out there. He plays Dungeons and Dragons with his family, well his mom, brother and sister and a friend. Never heard him speak of Suduko or crossword puzzles...

SO! Out of breath....Any ideas for something cool in the $50.00 to $60.00 range? If I have to order it, that's fine, I still have a little over a week to get it here!

[cumulus]

He is the kind of person who I know would prefer a gift to a gift card.

Honestly, when I graduated high school, the last thing I needed was another trinket. I was moving into a dorm, and literally had about 20 square feet of space :)

I don't think a gift card is a bad idea at all! Especially if you made a thoughtful card filled with warm wishes and congratulations.

Not trying to dissuade you, but just attempting to be practical.

[LaraW]

Do you know where he is going to college? Maybe a sweatshirt or t-shirt with the name of the school on it. You can get a nice sweatshirt for $50.

I agree with cumulus - I think particularly when you are graduating from HS, you might not know exactly what you need to set up your dorm room. A gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond or Target might really come in handy for some of those things you don't know you need until you get there.

[RunnerKim]

What about $50 in quarters for doing laundry :D

A backpack or satchel might be an option.

Kim

[BucknellAlum]

What about $50 in quarters for doing laundry :D



Kim

One of the best gifts I got was a coin holder with coins for the laundry machines and snack machines in college.

However, I have just read that many colleges' machines now take the ID cards or credit cards for this sort of thing! Coins are a thing of the past.

Makes me feel old!

[MaryMac]

Along with some cash or gift cards I give a book called, The Experts Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do. Written by, Samantha Ettus. It gives instruction on everything like ironing a shirt, making eggs, writing a thank you note or just the proper way to shake hands. I feel that it's a great book to send them off into the world.

[jeanrw]

Almost all graduates want cash the most - unless they already have everything.

Something you could do as an add-on to your gift - I saw this done last week. Include one or more cards self-addressed to you and a note that says whenever the college student feels homesick or wants a care package to mail a card off to you. And you will send him a care package right away with some of his favorite things.

[Peggy]

Something you could do as an add-on to your gift - I saw this done last week. Include one or more cards self-addressed to you and a note that says whenever the college student feels homesick or wants a care package to mail a card off to you. And you will send him a care package right away with some of his favorite things.


Great idea! I might do that for some of DD's friends.:)

Peggy

[mikex1337]

Why not get a personalized academic gift? That's something he will probably treasure for the future too. I recently ordered from this site: http://ivycoveredhalls.com and was very happy with their work. I bought a desk box with my nephew's name and school engraved on it. Don't know if it's within your price range though.

[ErinM]

My friend Meghan gave me the best idea for male grads going off to college (which is what I'm assuming here). For her relatives, she is getting them a bunch of gift cards to eateries around State Street as they will be attending the UW. So, gift cards to Starbucks, Chipotle, Noodles and Company, Chin's Asia Fresh, Subway, anything like that so they can grab a meal while they're on campus. Guys always love to eat, and being away from home for the first time may be a little frightening for them! This way, they will be able to give themselves "good" food without resorting to the unhealthy fast food places of the world. I think you can even order some of them online, but I'm not certain.

And while I think Mental Floss is a great idea, he may not have time to read it, what with getting used to a whole new way of life (schedule, studying, meeting new people, etc)

[JuliN]

I cannot claim this idea -- it came from my friend.

She gives every grad the same thing -- a set of stamped, preaddressed postcards (they are addressed to her). They say the same thing -- "Redeeming for a box of homemade cookies. Send ASAP!!!"

This only works if you like to bake.

Juli