Great Gift Ideas for Grads

Graduation season is upon us! That means food, fun, and family. Perhaps you’ll even get to celebrate some friends and family members that you haven’t seen in a while. So, what do you get for someone whose tastes you don’t know that well? Our tip rather than going for a fashionable gift they may or may not like, get a practical gift that they’re guaranteed to use!

At Rent-A-Center, we’ve curated a list of useful gifts for freshly-minted degree holders.

Here’s the rundown on our suggested gift gallery!

• A Shower Caddy (and flip flops)
  If the recipient of your gift is going to be using shared showers in a gym, dorm, or starter apartment–you can make their life easier with a shower caddy and rubber flip-flops. Help them keep their toiletries safe and their feet ick-free with this simple and affordable gift.

• A Tablet or Laptop
  Tech gifts always hit the spot! A tablet or laptop with a clear display and great battery life like the Lenovo Tab or Toshiba’s Touch Screen Laptop pictured below is great for full-time students and binge-watchers alike.

• Cooking Utensils
  It may not be the most glamorous of gifts, but the need for good bakeware and cookware is often underestimated by recent grads. Give them the gift of homecooked meals by enabling them to get creative in the kitchen with the tools, pots, pans, and ladles they’ll need most!

• Cellphone
  This is a gift for both the grads and their parents. Grads can use their phones for selfies and social media, while their parents can rest assured knowing their kids have a lifeline for their next step in life.

• TV
  A good show or movie makes for a great study break. A smaller, affordable TV is a great option for a dorm or small apartment too!

• A Gym Membership
  Help the new college student in your life avoid the dreaded freshman 15 with a gym membership in the town they’ll be living at. Trust us, they’ll thank you later!

• Jumper Cables
  Car batteries are usually ignored until there’s a problem with them. Jumper cables can help recent grads get out of a lurch quickly, even when they can’t call on their parents for help!

• Gift Cards
  Nothing teaches you about personal finance quite like living on a college student’s budget. That being said, there are few gifts recent grads will love as much as a gift card to their favorite store, restaurant, or even supermarket!

• A Subscription
  For a convenient and cheap study break, give them the gift of entertainment with a subscription to their favorite music or movie streaming service.
• Doc-in-a-box: A care package for when sick days force them to stay at home is a thoughtful gift for recent grads. Keep in mind, different people have different needs and sensitivities to certain ingredients so be mindful of that when you stock up their sick-day bundle! 

 Click any image below to view the gallery.