My oldest is graduating HS this year and I'm looking for graduation present ideas. She has gone through a lot over the past 4-5 years. She was diagnosed diabetic Type 1 (pancreas failed), switched schools from our local HS to the STEM school and lost a lot of her friends in the process. She is majoring in Animal Science as she wants to be a Veterinary. Any ideas on something meaningful and useful would be most appreciated.


Thanks!

If she’s going to be a veterinarian and is going to be in animal science classes I would assume at some point there are clinical settings for some classes with hands-on learning.......how about a decent stethoscope, it would be a useful item to have for such clinical experience. Just a thought

Call Dave.

I gave both of my daughters a very nice military compass. Enclosed is a note about how many of there family have used a compass just like this and it doesn't tell you where you are, it helps you find your way home.

Away luggage. Great stuff.


https://www.awaytravel.com

Start her up a Roth IRA. Pick some nice blue chips while the market is down. I’d also go along with the suggestion to “call Dave”!

If she likes wearing jewelry, I'd vote to call Dave.

The great thing about jewelry is that if you buy the right piece, she'll be able to enjoy it the rest of her life. Get something that won't look dated in a couple of decades, which is where Dave comes in.

My parents gave me a ruby and diamond pendant when I graduated high school several decades ago. When I graduated law school they gave me a diamond solitaire pendant. I still wear both.

I can't begin to imagine what she might need. Are you open to suggestions about what she might want ?

Although she may have a computer, if not, or needs an upgrade, how about a MacBook Pro?

She got a car? My mom gave me a 1978 Cadillac and a banjo.

Toolbox with some basic home maintenance tools. Add to that a Milwaukee 12v battery drill and screwdriver bits.

Maybe a note to go with it all “If you know how to use these, you won’t need to pay some stranger $50/hr. to do it for you”

TP?

On a serious note, we bought our two oldest girls Macbooks for graduation. We loaded up on memory and got the fastest processor with the idea that it would work through college and maybe even grad school. We bought them through their university's bookstore to save on tax plus get the educational discount.

Most bookstores have a special deal with Apple where once a year, they can offer a better deal than the standard educational discount too. I would call the bookstore and ask if they have any Apple sales coming up. You will need to buy it using her school or your alumni ID (if you are one). It's practical but a great gift.

Dave for something meaningful, the above for practical.

MacBook Pro for our daughter, has got her through her first 3 years and is still going strong. I have no doubt it will get her through it all.

We bought my daughter a Mac book pro and upgraded memory and processor speed. It got her through college and then some. It died at the 8 year mark.

You notice that nobody is seriously recommending a Microsoft product? My one daughter is in nursing and the other general studies. My two nephews and niece all used Mackbook Pros through medical school x 2 and PhD in math. You daughter's major won't be a limitation on an Apple computer from what I've seen.

I've always tried to get something for grads that's an experience. Best one my have been for my cousin when I bought him a ride in a high performance aerobatic glider. Material things come and go, but memories of experiences last. Twenty years later and he still talks about it.

I've equipped two kids to roll out to college so far. Both times I chose the MacBook Air. I left the standard 8GB of memory as well. I can afford the Pro, and more memory, but I believe theft/loss/damage protection is the best upgrade you can buy for our troops on the fields of a college campus. And even for that, I forwent the coverage and just plan to take care of it when it happens. But as a gift, the extended support would be a nice upgrade.

Also I was going to buy them a cloud storage deal, but the colleges seems to have that. Make sure they use it so when their laptop goes missing, they don't lose their work. Impress upon them the importance of a good password manager and 2 factor authentication.

Other gift idea -- Paid Pandora account and AirPods. I hate that everything comes down to apple stuff, but it's the thing, and it's good stuff. Why fight it. From Legos to Apple, at least there's an easy go to.

Start a Roth IRA for her, after reading how difficult Veterinary practice can be (and how disproportional the pay can be) she will thank you later.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
I've always tried to get something for grads that's an experience. Best one my have been for my cousin when I bought him a ride in a high performance aerobatic glider. Material things come and go, but memories of experiences last. Twenty years later and he still talks about it.

We had a similar experience with our younger son.
After hearing that his older brother went to Airborne School he wanted to jump out of a perfectly good airplane...We signed him up for a tandem jump and the look on his face as he boarded the plane was priceless (Dad I was only kidding...can you get me out of this? Kind of look).
Anyway, he completed the jump and after regaining his senses he thought he was a total badass!

It was hilarious and as you said he still talks about it.

Give the gift that keeps on giving. Set her up with a sound financial plan.

There are several good articles on the web (motley fool, forbes, etc..) that illustrate how to ensure your child attains a sound financial posture and could even retire at 50 if done right. She's young and it's a good time to start.