Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gift and graduation

I think they provide the recruits with coats.

explosion — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:09:20 -0800

What's a good present for someone going into the Navy? My little brother has joined the Navy and is going to basic training this fall. However, because his friends are going to college in the fall, his "going away" party is next weekend, so I have about 10 days to find a good present.

To be honest, we're not that close, he's 10 years younger than me, and growing up in different households (we share a father, but have different mothers), he is more like a cousin. That said, he's a good kid and I love him, I just don't know what he's into, aside from kind of generically knowing he likes cars.

So, uh, what do you give an 18-year-old who's joining the Navy? I'm looking to spend somewhere between $30 and $100.

Oh, and he'll be training in the Great Lakes area, I don't know if that helps.

What should I get as a graduation present for my sister - quickly?

Kirn — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:19:22 -0800

What should I get as a graduation present for my sister - quickly? My sister is about to graduate from university/college and is hoping to work in mental health. I've only got a couple of days before I go up to see her so I need to pick up a little present quick - I was thinking a really nice book would be ideal, but I wasn't able to find one just browsing. (Ideally it'd be both a beautiful hardback book and something appropriate to the occasion - about life after university, or life in your early to mid-20s, or something..) However I only have a couple of days to get this, so speedy suggestions much appreciated!! Not only books, anything else as well (I was also thinking a nice pen or journal or something) but something I can probably pick up where I am (Brighton, UK) without having to order online. I was thinking up to about £40-50 or so but don't let that be a factor in your speedy and helpful suggestions!! :)

What can I buy my brother?

nuclear_soup — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:55:10 -0800

Help me pick out a graduation present for my Yale-bound brother. My brother is graduating soon and will be off to start work on his Ph. D. at Yale. We come from a pretty lower-middle class family, and the successes of my siblings are very exciting to all of us. I want to get him a very nice graduation/birthday present, but I don't have much money to spend. He's notoriously picky, so getting him a gift is difficult, but everyone here always has great ideas, so I thought I'd ask.

A bit about him: He's 22, loves coffee, doesn't drive, used to work at a bike co-op and is still interested in biking, likes silly/wacky things (was going to buy me a poster of different types of beards for Christmas), has a macbook, will be living in Yale graduate housing and will be working on a degree in Chemistry (his undergraduate degree is also in Chemistry, with a minor in math). Oh, and he'll be spending a month in Taiwan this summer. I have only about $50 to spend (a bit more, if it's a really good gift). Any ideas? Bonus points if anyone knows any good books about New Haven, because I was thinking of getting one to go with whatever else I get him.

Thanks in advance!

Ideas for a graduation gift for a psychology student

jinatrix — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:19:18 -0800

Graduation gift for a psychology student My girlfriend is graduating from undergrad soon and will be pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology after graduation. I am looking for ideas for a graduation gift, whether related to her field or not. :)

What do you wish you had when you graduated?

AceRock — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:13:27 -0800

What (item) do you wish you had when you graduated from college? My brother is graduating from college after this semester and I want to get him a present he will end up really appreciating. So, what (item or items) do you wish someone had given you when you graduated from college, or otherwise entered the real world for the first time?

I don't want want to limit ideas in any way, but if it helps to inspire: he's graduating with a degree in engineering, but he loves writing fiction.

Adult grad gift ideas.

thewalrusispaul — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:54:05 -0800

Help! I need suggestions for a college graduation gift for my 48 year old brother in law that says... I'm really proud of you, you beer drinkin', deer huntin', north woods redneck, wall street worshipin', 80's caine sniffin', Reaganite, mustachioed, b@strd. From your loving, granola crunchin', sandal wearin', organic pimpin', Utne reading, Wellstone worshipin', green believin', bleeding heart, pain in your arse little sister in law. I love you man, way to go!

Graduation gift for a future homeless counselor?

scottso17 — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:43:22 -0800

My sister graduates college this week, and I want to get her a gift that will be useful for her at work. She'll be counseling homeless people at various shelters and other locations in Washington DC. Besides pepper spray (our running joke), what are some practical gifts I could get her? Price is not important. This will be her first time in the workforce, so some general work stuff might be good, but I'm at a loss for ideas. Also -- something that a mobile worker (i.e., without a regular desk) could use might work too.

I tend to buy her techie gifts, but that's certainly not a limitation. She's very stylish and loves trendy things.

Thanks for your ideas.

Gift ideas for H.S. grad going into architecture

JeremiahBritt — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:50:28 -0800

My sister is graduating high school and heading to Lawrence Tech. to study architecture. What are some gift ideas for things she'll find useful/necessary in her classes? She already has a drafting table and some of the basic t and l-square things, and the university provides laptops. I'll probably be getting her a nice set of Prismacolor markers, but I'm not sure if there is a basic set that will have all that she'll probably need without going over the top.

I don't know that much about architecture to begin with, and I know that X field of study has different material requirements in the professional and educational fields.

Other than the markers, are there any other items a budding architect would find invaluable in their toolkit?

Not a briefcase: what's a good gift for a graduating law student?

anotherpanacea — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:58:56 -0800

My partner is graduating from law school and I'd like to get a really nice gift for her. The caveat: she's adamant that she doesn't want a briefcase. Any ideas? Alcohol-related gifts are also out. I'm not sure if this helps, but she'll be working in DC for a federal agency.

Gift suggestions for disillusioned grad?

quarterframer — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:06:16 -0800

A dear one is graduating with high honors from grad school. She is uncertain at this point if she wants to continue in her field despite years of hard work and a pile of debt. What can I get to inspire her? I would like to get her something inspiring or comforting. I'm avoiding mentioning her field in this question because at this point I think a gift that focuses on it would be a source of further anxiety to her (and she probably has the specific tools she needs anyway). She's going to be taking some "time off" before she decides what to do next.

She is somewhat spiritual but not particularly religious. She's encountering doubts of being able to succeed in her field because she's a very quiet and not particularly assertive person. A voracious reader (though for a gift for this occasion, any book suggestions should be remarkable). She's older than the vast majority of the other grads (in her mid 30s).

I've thought of spa or massage gift certificates but that's less personal than I'd like.

I'm usually not stuck with gift ideas but this one is killing me, even after a search through posts. Budget is $150 or under. Super bonus points for anything I can get my hands on in the next few days, but a late gift will be OK in this case.

Asia travel ideas for 18 yr old karate lover?

RoadTripPlanner — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:48:39 -0800

Can anyone recommend any martial arts learning opportunities (camps, workshops, lessons, etc) in Asia that an 18 year old would enjoy? My nephew in the US is a karate brown belt and he would like to travel to Asia when he graduates from high school this year. I am trying to help him find some interesting travel opportunities which relate to karate. He loves karate and has been searching for something to do in Japan or India for Summer 2008 but we haven't found anything yet. Thanks for any tips.

Gift ideas for a new PhD moving to Africa

parkerjackson — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:36:25 -0800

Any ideas for what a new faculty member (who has to transport everything to Africa) might find useful or nice as a graduation gift from her research lab? The senior grad student in my lab just finished her PhD in Educational Psychology and is moving to Africa to take an academic job where she’ll be setting up Christian educational programs (which incidentally is not related to our lab work). Our advisor wants me to come up with a graduation gift we can give her. He’s thinking something engraved and formal that she might leave in the US, I’m thinking something practical but formal that she could take with her.

She’s very down-to-earth, not into TV or pop culture or having lots of stuff. She'll be living in a largish Nigerian city with an American family. What kind of gift would you suggest for such a person?

Gift suggestions for architecture student?

mullacc — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:17:46 -0800

GiftFilter: Help me pick a graduation gift for my brother, who is headed to grad school for architecture. I had a gift picked out, but that was when he had plans to find a job in finance (his undergrad degree). But now, thankfully, he's decided to pursue his passion and go back to school for architecture. So now I'm trying to come up with something that would be useful to an architecture student.

My budget is ~$300. I know he would like a Wacom tablet, but I'm unsure how wise it would be to buy one before he gets a better idea of the equipment his new school (Michigan) will have and whether he'll get a big student discount. He also mentioned something about a portfolio case. Any guidance on the above or new suggestions would be appreciated.

WTB grate gift 4 english (an othr) teachrs, plz help?

theiconoclast31 — Sun, 06 May 2007 08:08:49 -0800

What are some brilliant, thoughtful, practical, interesting gifts for my high school teachers? I'll be giving gifts to 3 English teachers (American Lit, European Lit, and Journalism), a Math teacher, and a US History teacher. I'm willing to spend up to $50-ish on a gift. Thanks!

Practical military graduation gift

loosemouth — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 09:43:23 -0800

Help me select a useful gift for my daughter's graduation from Army chemical school ... She's 21, about to graduate from Army chemical training school, and is being sent to Hawaii alone. Her husband will remain in the continental US until August, when he goes to Iraq for a year.

I want to get her something that is practical for a military lifestyle but which says "I'm proud of you even though I really, really didn't want you to join the military". It can't be too large or frivolous. We are definitely not a military-type family, so I'm at a loss.

Gift for a graduating nursing student?

flipmiester99 — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 06:22:26 -0800

GraduationFilter: The wife is graduating from college this december to be a RN(Registered Nurse). Can i please have some ideas for a very thoughtful gift to give her for graduation? Im looking for something that is unique and thoughtful, not something that is a standard cooking cutter gift. Thanks Everyone!!!

Gift for future pediatrician?

grouse — Sun, 29 May 2005 09:03:53 -0800

Suggestions for a gift for a graduating med student friend who will be a pediatrician? My friend starts her pediatric residency in a few weeks. I'd like to get her a gift in the $5-$20 range (I'm poor, and it's really just a token). I live in the UK, so something I can order off of a US merchant for shipping to Texas would be best. I've already seen these threads, but nothing there within my price range seems right. Any suggestions?

Gift for a Law School Grad

boombot — Tue, 17 May 2005 19:26:50 -0800

A friend is graduating law school on Saturday, I'd like to give him a gift to mark the occassion. My only qualifiers are that the cost not exceed $100 and the present not be something obvious, which is to say something that he might get from someone else or buy himself. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Gift for nursing school grad?

gatorae — Sat, 23 Apr 2005 09:15:33 -0800

Giftfilter: My best friend graduates this week from nursing school, and I want to get her something relatively inexpensive, clever, life-changing, useful and/or meaningful. I only have up to $40 or so to spend, but I can't think of anything very interesting. She's going to work in the oncology unit. She already has tote bags, scrubs, clogs, and a fancy stethescope, and I'm unsure what the jewelry policy is there so I don't want to get anything she can't wear at work. Thanks!

Med School Gratuation gift

contessa — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 09:47:37 -0800

What's a great thing to get someone graduating from medical school? A family member is graduating soon from medical school. I have no idea what gift to get them to mark the auspicious occasion. I know it is common to buy a recent graduate a good stethescope, but in the field my relative plans to enter (psychiatry) it probably wouldn't get much use. I have a budget in the $200 to $300 range. I would like it to be something that would last a long time and/or have meaning to her chosen field. Any suggestions? My mind is a complete blank.