The Gifts Grads Really Want (and Need!)

This month, thousands of collegiettes^TM all over the country will officially become ex-collegiettes^TM and start the rest of their lives as real adults. Congrats class of 2011!
 
Graduation really is a bittersweet moment, especially when you go to a school you love as much as we Wake students love Mother-So-Dear. You’ll miss the amazing friends you’ve made the last four years, and all the little things that make Wake Forest University so special, from peaceful strolls in Reynolda Gardens to stumbling upon an intense donut-eating contest on the quad.
 
But then again, there are so many exciting things about graduating: knowing there will be no more nervous breakdowns in the ZSR, the satisfaction of completing four years at a prestigious university, the excitement of going out into the real world, and of course, getting awesome presents!

 
That’s right, graduating HS and college seniors all get awesome prezzies this time of year in honor of their four years spent studying hard to get that degree. YAY GIFTS! While not all of us are lucky enough to be graduating gift-getters right now, all of us have a special friend, sister, cousin, or whoever that deserves the perfect graduation present! So what makes a great grad gift?
 
Well, when I headed to Google for the answer—the answers to any life question can be found via Google or Cosmo—the gifts didn’t look so great. Every gift idea was either way expensive or way sappy. Now I love my graduating friends, but giving them fabulous (and pricey!) jewelry? I’ll leave that one to the parents. And as for the mushy gushy grad stuff? We get enough of that with sappy graduation songs – cue Vitamin C.
 
So what makes the perfect gift? Something that grads will really be able to use in the future, but something that’s also stylish and cute (because all collegiettes^TM are both super cute and have killer style)! So what fits the bill? I came across Dormify, which turned out to be a great starting place for grad gift inspiration!

What could be better than giving your graduating friends something to decorate their new home, wherever that may be? The key is to keep things classically trendy, the kind of trendy that always seems to be in style.
 
Let’s get specific here. Cute sheets are a must for any bedroom, and the Dormify site has adorable bedding available in both Twin XL and Queen –perfect for graduating high school seniors heading to college and graduating college seniors who get a bigger, real-person sized bed! Bed, Bath & Beyond and even Target have comfy, affordable, and cute options, too!

Wall decals are also perfect presents. They’re simple, classy, and can be personalized. Think letters from A-Z and all the Greek letters, too! Anthropologie always has great fabrics and fabulous beading. Give a graduating high school senior their new college initials (like WFU), or grab Greek letters for a graduating sorority sister. The letters can all be personalized in tons of different colors for endless options. Like the Her Campus Wake Forest designs we came up with on Dormify?

Lots of sites and stores let grads make registries. That way, you won’t get stuck with 5 totes and endless toiletry sets. No more guessing, no more re-gifting – so everyone’s happy! Check out Dormify and other dorm sites for more info!
 
Buying graduating high school or college seniors something for their future rooms, whether in dorms or in the real world, is always tricky. Cater to grads’ actual needs – the things they’ll be buying in the near future no matter what. That way, you can’t go wrong!
 
*Photography from Dormify