Great Graduation Gifts with a Personal Touch

Graduation time is upon us, and everyone's read the same old graduation gift guide a thousand times. But little Johnny's parents (never mind that he was a center for Duke, he's still your little Johnny!) are already getting him a gold watch, and Sarah's Uncle Charlie has the market cornered on giving out cold hard cash. What can you give your lucky graduate that celebrates his or her accomplishments in an appropriate manner, but still has a personal touch? Here's a handful of graduation gifts beyond the usual. Because there's only so many gold watches little Johnny needs.

(1) Frame the diploma. Chances are, your graduate will get their diploma in a nice little folder, but why not put the sheepskin on the wall? For a high school grad, just head down to the local arts and crafts store and find a nice, tasteful frame; as for colleges, chances are the university already has a deal worked out with a company to sell special school-specific frames and has been cheerfully showering the graduate's parents with advertisements. What better way to give a graduation gift than in the form of something directly connected with graduation?

(2) A snow globe. Yes, we're serious. Somewhere along the line custom snow globes for many of the country's prominent colleges and universities sprung up, and chances are of all the things your graduate is expecting to receive, this isn't one of them; they'll probably be amazed that such a thing exists! A quick search for your correspondent's own alma mater, Northwestern, reveals globes showing off replicas of the academic campus, the football stadium and the sports mascot, and some even play music. A fun way to take home memories of college in a very surprising form. (If a snow globe is not your cup of tea, there are many other ways to show off school pride-glassware, throw pillows, bar stools and pretty much anything you can think to slap a logo on.)

(3) Help your graduate pursue their interest. Whether they're leaving high school to pursue a degree in history, or graduating film school and ready to take over Hollywood, see if you can find a book or a piece of equipment that will help them make the most of their academic achievements.

(4) A really fine bottle of alcohol. Well, why not; the college kids are adults now (and the high school kids, be assured, are capable of obtaining alcohol illegally anyway)-respect their grown-up status by giving something them classier to drink than a six-pack of domestic brewskis.

(5) Rather than just write a check on the big day, maybe there is a more specific monetary gift you can share. If student loans are involved, offer to help pay down a bit; every dollar put toward the loan helps out a lot when interest payments kick in. Or see about contributing to a savings account, certificate of deposit or investment portfolio for the graduate; whatever money you put in now will grow in the future, and it's a good concrete way to teach your graduate about responsible finances.

(6) Coordinate with other relatives! The whole family needs to figure out gift-giving, it being the occasion; why not get everyone together for one really nice group present rather than individuals? It might be even more useful than many small tokens.

(7) Maybe you're not comfortable breaking the mold; but why not put a personal spin on the tried-and-true. If you give your high schooler a gift certificate for books, for instance, put it inside a small paperback book you've picked out relating to the student's future major. If your college grad is moving into a new apartment, art for the wall is a traditional gift, but maybe you can pick an artist from a country you visited together, or a poster for a movie you both enjoyed.

It's always hard coming up with something for big gift-giving holidays, particularly when everyone else seems to have the same idea. Just remember that ultimately what your graduate will remember is that you made an effort. And if all else fails, hey, he'll never fault you for just writing a check.