Graduation Gift Ideas
The best and worst day of my life is less than a week away: college graduation. If you asked freshman year me four years ago how I was going to feel right now I would have told you that I was too excited to get the h*ll out of college and be a real adult. Now, 5 short days away, after going through my sororities alumnae ceremony and senior sendoff, my business school's senior bbq, and even my job on campus giving me a senior gift, I am more centimental than ever.
Graduation Goggles are real (thank you How I Met Your Mother), and the combination of being really excited to start my job and strat my adult life is being fought by my overwhleming saddness of leaving my rommates and sisters, moving away from all my guy friends, and just knowing that college is actually.. done.
After graduating high school I was so excited to get baskets from my friends and parents with little 'survival' kits for college, and now that I'm about to start real life I've been thinking a lot about some things that would help in making that transition.
A 'BIG GIRL' TOTE
Something I've been thinking about since I was maybe 16 is the day I would buy a 'big girl' bag. Getting a tote bag that is structured, leather, simple, and in a neutral color is something that can really help set the tone for a professional career. Some of the totes I've been looking at forever are the Tory Burch Robinson Leather Tote in Cardamon Tan (my favorite) and the Kate Spade thompson street large sam in black.
NEW WORK CLOTHES
Something that I realized while I was interviewing is that even though I was in business school and had more appropriate clothes than the average college student, clothes for work was something I was going to need to invest more heavily in. Thankfully, my job is a casual to business casual environment so my post-graduate wardrobe won't be as expensive as if I were to be working somewhere that required business professional attire; but regardless investing in new clothes at the end of college can be daunting and expensive.
Getting a friend or family member some staple pieces (or a gift card to a store you know has appropriate attire) will help them more than they know!
If you are about to enter a job with a more relaxed dress code below are some pieces I've been looking at to add to my wardrobe from Madewell and Nordstrom. Madewell and J.Crew are great places for gift cards if you are unsure, as they have both formal and casual attire!
SORORITY / UNIVERITY JEWELERY
One of the toughest parts about graduating is leavng behind my sorority. While it's not against the rules to still wear all our t-shirts all the time, it's definitely not something I'll be doing post-grad. Having something nice to remember my chapter by like a necklace, bracelet, or badge ring, brings a little bit of your chapter into your professional life.
If you or whoever you need to buy a gift for was not involved in greek life, jewlery or memorabilia from their university or even a club or sport they were heavily involved in will still give them that sense of sentiment.
Are you graduating this semester? What's something (other than money, duh) that you think would help you transition into beign a real adult?!
xoxo
AME
