# Advice, please: graduation gifts **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2001, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539 "2001-05-26T02:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sparteye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Sparteye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparteye)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/1 "2001-05-26T02:39:11Z")
Help! We know five people graduating from high school this June. For last year’s batch of grads, I got monogrammed beach towels, thinking the towels would be unique. But nooooo, one grad got three monogrammed beach towels. I hope to avoid duplications this year, and yet still get gifts the grads can use. I believe that they all will be attending colleges in the fall. So, all you high school and college students out there - what should I get for the grads? ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/2 "2001-05-26T03:26:28Z")
They don’t want towels. Give cash. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/3 "2001-05-26T03:27:15Z")
Yep, I second that…Cash is always good. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/4 "2001-05-26T13:12:48Z")
I third that. Show them the money. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/5 "2001-05-26T18:08:47Z")
I’ll vote for some really nice writing implements. A fine pen and pencil set is always well received. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/6 "2001-05-26T18:15:37Z")
The best h.s. graduation gift I got was the awesome roll in the sack my g.f. at the time gave me. Assuming you don’t want to get that personal, I would recommend either a nice watch or a good-sized (like $50) gift certificate to Blockbuster, Sam Goody’s, whatever music/video superstores you have in your neck of the woods. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/7 "2001-05-26T18:17:49Z")
Cash money.$$$$$ High schoolers love money. Make them happy, give it to them. Writing implements? feh. That’s a joke, right? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/8 "2001-05-26T18:23:06Z")
As someone who is graduating in 2 weeks, I have to vote for CASH!!! Do NOT get picture frames. If I get _one_ more picture frame, I’m going to scream. So far, I have been given five. :rolleyes: I don’t even have that many pictures of myself. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/9 "2001-05-26T18:40:10Z")
Although gift certificates seem boring, they are both useful and appreciated. In addition to the ones already named, you could go with phone cards, rolls of quarters (for laundry and vending machines), or movie theater passes. I’m not a student, but I work at a college. These are the things that are always the most popular prizes and give-away items in the dorms. ---
**Author:** ![eLunatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@eLunatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eLunatic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2001, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/10 "2001-05-27T10:48:46Z")
When I graduated, I was given and dictionary and thesaurus. I never use the thesaurus, but I can’t live without the dictionary. Do you know if/where the graduate is going to college? You could get him or her a gift certificate to the bookstore. (Seeing how the price of books is OUTRAGEOUS, I’m sure this would be appreciated.) How about a grammar handbook? Just about every college student has to take composition. ---
**Author:** ![Studi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Studi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Studi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/11 "2001-05-27T16:09:31Z")
I disagree about giving simply cash. The idea of money for text books is good, though. Studi ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-graduation-gifts/66539/12 "2001-05-27T22:52:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by August West \* > **…Writing implements? feh. That’s a joke, right?** Only if you’re illiterate…