Sunday, May 31, 2020

20 Gifts for the Class of 2020

Well, it's been a time to graduate. It can be hard enough to find a gift for a graduate during normal times, but in the pandemic-stricken world we now live in there are fewer available options and perhaps more pressure to find a gift. In any case, here are 20 gifts for the 2020 grad in your life. 


-Graduates walking away from 2020


Disclosure: The links below that are through Amazon are Amazon Affiliate Links, and the writer of this article may earn a small commission from purchases through these links. 


Under $20 - You know this person well enough to get them a gift, but the budget is real.


1. Cute pair of earbuds or a phone charger, assuming you know what kind of phone they have. A nice way to say "I don't know you that well, but I acknowledge you graduated."
2. A quirky new board game, like the Oregon Trail or Unstable Unicorns for all this indoor time, or perhaps a 500-piece puzzle.
3. House slippers, because that's an item that's been working overtime.
4. Bath bomb set, the classic "I hadn't the slightest what to get you, but I appreciate your occasion nonetheless."
5. Home-decor cheat sheets, so they can plan their dream home while living at their parents' house. Honestly, this cute little book is just a great gift for anyone with a house, not just recent graduates.


$20-$60 - These gifts are thoughtful, but are generic enough most grads can use them. 


6. A steamer. It's like an iron, but more Millennial-proof.
7. A set of dishes. If they didn't have dishes in college, this is a great way to say "I believe that the pandemic will end, you will get a job, and not have to live with your parents." If they already have dishes, they probably don't have that many and odds are they're pretty beat up.
8. A decent set of cutting boards. Another way to say "I believe in your capacity to adult."
9. A scratch map of the world or the U.S., as if to claim "one day we will be able to travel again."
10. $20 one dollar scratch-off tickets, so they can try their luck.


$60-$120 - These items require knowing the grad well enough to see if it’s something they’d use. 


11. A nice house robe, maybe even a monogrammed one.
12. A gift card to their favorite store, so they can pick out the gift.
13. A cocktail making set, so they can toast their diploma.
14. A decent sewing machine, if they've been trying to make masks. I’m a beginner and I’ve made ~75 masks and I like the Brother Pacesetter PS100.
15. A three month subscription to a subscription box they'd like. There are literally hundreds of subscription boxes-there has to be something they’re into. 


$120+ - These gifts you should coordinate with the grad in question, to make sure it’s their style and that they don’t already have something like it. 


16. Spotify premium subscription. Well, a gift card for one. They're soon to be kicked off of Spotify student (which comes with premium features like Hulu and no ads), so you can give them the next year of premium for about $120.
17. Fitted suit set-you could go out with your student when this all passes and pick one together.
18. A good watch they can wear nearly every day.
19. A nice or designer card holder for all the business cards they'll collect looking for jobs.
20. Get their diploma professionally framed, assuming they're willing to coordinate.

It's a Brave New World (no, my degree isn't in literature-it's in German & Public History) out there, but the graduate in your life will appreciate these gifts!

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