College Graduation Gift for DD

Okay, so interview wear and bags out...how about getting her diploma framed after the ceremony (you could give a card with a coupon or gift card for that). My mom did that for me, and it was 3 digits to have it professionally done more than a decade ago, but it's beautiful and looked great in my office (when I had one)...so she would probably definitely appreciate that...

PS - Mine was an oversize diploma, so that probably contributed to the cost - made it even more impressive looking, though:)...

How about some luggage.
My DS is graduating on the 19th. He wanted a diploma frame. His university bookstore sells special ones with matting in the school colors, the school seal in gold. And they fit their oversized diplomas. I ordered his frame from the bookstore and had it shipped to our house.

The other thing we were thinking of getting him was luggage because he starts in August at Ernst and Young as a business consultant. He’ll be traveling most weeks Monday through Thursday. He’s going to need good luggage. But we decided to wait until he takes a couple of trips to see what his luggage needs actually are.
 
Our BIG graduation gift: Having paid for college so they start their professional lives debt-free instead of behind the eight ball.

Something I've done throughout college: Each semester I've bought them one professional outfit (scrubs for my RN daughter; simple basics such as classic styled skirts, etc. for my girl who'll work in an office) so that they have a small collection of nice professional things as they start out.

For graduation, we opted for a small family-only party and purchased a nice frame for their diplomas from the school bookstore.
 
My DS is graduating on the 19th. He wanted a diploma frame. His university bookstore sells special ones with matting in the school colors, the school seal in gold. And they fit their oversized diplomas. I ordered his frame from the bookstore and had it shipped to our house.
Yes, my kids' bookstore sold something similar, and the prices weren't bad.
 


Congrats on your daughter’s graduation! This might be kind of weird suggestion and perhaps not in the price range you had in mind, but I remember the feeling of getting a passport for the first time and it was surprisingly uplifting. Like I was officially a grown up, LOL. And the funniest thing is, I didn’t even have a trip overseas planned at the time. But knowing that if I wanted to book an impromptu trip somewhere, I could literally leave tomorrow if I wanted to. I also didn’t know it at the time, but the opportunities for those types of spur of the moment decisions would become increasingly rare as the obligations of adult life and parenting began to impede them.

If she doesn’t already have one, a passport could be both a useful, as well as a symbolic gift to suggest that now she’s completed her education, the world is her oyster. Kind of silly, I know! And what’s worse is it wouldn’t even be a gift you could give her that is ready to go “out of the box” as she’d obviously need to fill out the paperwork and pose for the photo, so it would take some creativity to pull off. Like I said, a very silly idea.
 
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Congrats on your daughter’s graduation! This might be kind of weird suggestion and perhaps not in the price range you had in mind, but I remember the feeling of getting a passport for the first time and it was surprisingly uplifting. Like I was officially a grown up, LOL. And the funniest thing is, I didn’t even have a trip overseas planned at the time. But knowing that if I wanted to book an impromptu trip somewhere, I could literally leave tomorrow if I wanted to. I also didn’t know it at the time, but the opportunities for those types of spur of the moment decisions would become increasingly rare as the obligations of adult life and parenting began to impede them.

If she doesn’t already have one, a passport could be both a useful, as well as a symbolic gift to suggest that now she’s completed her education, the world is her oyster. Kind of silly, I know! And what’s worse is it wouldn’t even be a gift you could give her that is ready to go “out of the box” as she’d obviously need to fill out the paperwork and pose for the photo, so it would take some creativity to pull off. Like I said, a very silly idea.

My DD had her passport long before she graduated college--she'd gone to Spain at 15, and actually had to renew hers, right before she left for college (she was barely 18--but now, it lasts her for 10 years). BUT--I found her a really nice, leather passport holder, that opens up to hold paper tickets, but then folds down to basically just the size of the passport itself. It small and classy--definitely a "grown-up" item. A little small for what I'd consider a graduation gift--maybe I'd give one to a niece or other young friend.
 


Helicopter parents kill me! I hope that she has success and finds a good path. Let me guess, only child??

BTW....2 kids. They are both learning to figure out their own paths at 13 and 17 respectively, not relying or depending on my wife and I.
More like loving supportive parents. Obviously it worked her dd is getting a degree. Nothing wrong with wanting to help your kids and being able to.
 
I work in a pretty casual setting. Everyone has a backpack briefcase. There are tons of them now, they have a place to keep a laptop and paperwork, plus extra space for lunch, clothes, whatever else you need to carry. Great for traveling for work, or just going back and forth to the office.
My other suggestion would be a nice carry-on sized suitcase. That is what my parents got me, and I used it all the time. Everyone needs a good carry-on.
My college gave each graduate a nice business card holder with their name engraved on it. If she doesn't have one, that could be an option as well, though I get less and less cards every year.
 
More like loving supportive parents. Obviously it worked her dd is getting a degree. Nothing wrong with wanting to help your kids and being able to.
The line between Helicopter and Loving /supportive can be pretty thin.
I work in a pretty casual setting. Everyone has a backpack briefcase.
That's a nice idea. I think I'll remember that for Christmas since my youngest will be doing her Capstone Internship in the spring semester, her last semester of college.
 
I work in a pretty casual setting. Everyone has a backpack briefcase. There are tons of them now, they have a place to keep a laptop and paperwork, plus extra space for lunch, clothes, whatever else you need to carry. Great for traveling for work, or just going back and forth to the office.
My other suggestion would be a nice carry-on sized suitcase. That is what my parents got me, and I used it all the time. Everyone needs a good carry-on.
My college gave each graduate a nice business card holder with their name engraved on it. If she doesn't have one, that could be an option as well, though I get less and less cards every year.
I like the briefcase backpack idea. Im keeping it in mind for Christmas. As a teacher I have no idea what the young business people or traveling business people are using these days. I figured DS would want to see what his contemporaries are using rather than have me pick something out (briefcase wise or luggage wise) that may not be hip or practical.
 
The other thing we were thinking of getting him was luggage because he starts in August at Ernst and Young as a business consultant. He’ll be traveling most weeks Monday through Thursday. He’s going to need good luggage. But we decided to wait until he takes a couple of trips to see what his luggage needs actually are.

As a road warrior myself, I recommend a Briggs and Riley carry-on spinner. You quickly learn to live out of a carry-on only, so that you can get to the airport later (since you don't have to check luggage) and get out of it faster when you land. Briggs and Riley are expensive - you might have sticker shock when you first look at them - but they are fabulous bags with a fabulous warranty. I still use bags I bought 30 years ago - they have seen the world and are still going strong.

Here's my favorite bag of theirs for business travel: https://www.briggs-riley.com/shop/c...domestic-carry-on-expandable-spinner-u122cxsp. It is professional looking, the fabric takes a nasty beating without missing a step and it lasts forever. My 30 years old bags are basically this style, although they've made a few updates to some of the internal hardware, etc. All of mine are in the olive color - while it shows dirt more than black, I feel like it's got just a tiny dash more style than the same old black everyone else has. The dirt can be scrubbed out most of the time, and when it can't then I just look at it as a war wound that I am proud of :) I also really like https://www.briggs-riley.com/shop/collections/baseline/baseline-commuter-expandable-spinner-u119cxsp - this one is a slightly smaller bag that will fit into overheads when other's won't. When I am travelling really light for just 2 or 3 days, this is the bag I reach for.

But if he's going to do any international travel, be sure to get one that is labeled "international carry on". The max dimensions are slightly different from the generally accepted domestic carry on size, and some of the international airlines can be really picky about making sure you match the size.
 
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I like the briefcase backpack idea. Im keeping it in mind for Christmas. As a teacher I have no idea what the young business people or traveling business people are using these days. I figured DS would want to see what his contemporaries are using rather than have me pick something out (briefcase wise or luggage wise) that may not be hip or practical.

Good idea. Everyone I know uses a different type of bag. I have a tote-briefcase that is big enough to hold 2 laptops (1 belongs to my company and I have to use to access certain resources of theirs, 1 to my current client that I have to use to access their resources). Some people with the same problem like rolling computer cases. Others use backpacks. There is no one style that everyone agrees on - a lot of it depends on just what your personal carrying burden is LOL

Also, an informal rule many firms expect their consultants to keep in mind is that they generally should dress at least 1 notch up from their clients. (It's not a snub on them in any way, it is to show them that you take the fact that they are paying you seriously and want to impress and be professional in that relationship.) If the client site is casual, we typically dress business casual. If the client is business casual, unfortunately my suits generally come out. Accessories play a part in all of that too.
 
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Good idea. Everyone I know uses a different type of bag. I have a tote-briefcase that is big enough to hold 2 laptops (1 belongs to my company and I have to use to access certain resources of theirs, 1 to my current client that I have to use to access their resources). Some people with the same problem like rolling computer cases. Others use backpacks. There is no one style that everyone agrees on - a lot of it depends on just what your personal carrying burden is LOL

Also, an informal rule for consultants to keep in mind is that they generally should dress at least 1 notch up from their clients. (It's not a snub on them in any way, it is to show them that you take the fact that they are paying you seriously and want to impress and be professional in that relationship.) If the client site is casual, we typically dress business casual. If the client is business casual, unfortunately my suits generally come out. Accessories play a part in all of that too.

Yeah, the thing with bags is, you have to know your audience--or at least, the environment. My DD23 asked me for a "huge tote" for Christmas last year. She's a teacher, so I got her a Vera Bradley--I think it was a Weekender. Huge and lots of pockets for different things, plus it's washable. Not only did she love it, but she started a trend at her school--now a lot of the teachers have them. But, I would never use a VB tote in a more professional setting. If you're meeting with clients and executives, leather is the way to go IMHO, although there are some really nice, sturdy bags in other materials.

My DH currently only travels over one night, and uses a black Lug bag that he also uses for his gym clothes. If he were to travel longer, or more often, I'd look for a sturdy carry-on that had a suit carrier insert. He uses a backpack for work. But, he also wears Hawaiian shirts on Fridays, so he may not be the person you want to emulate!
 
As a road warrior myself, I recommend a Briggs and Riley carry-on spinner. You quickly learn to live out of a carry-on only, so that you can get to the airport later (since you don't have to check luggage) and get out of it faster when you land. Briggs and Riley are expensive - you might have sticker shock when you first look at them - but they are fabulous bags with a fabulous warranty. I still use bags I bought 30 years ago - they have seen the world and are still going strong.

Here's my favorite bag of theirs for business travel: https://www.briggs-riley.com/shop/c...domestic-carry-on-expandable-spinner-u122cxsp. It is professional looking, the fabric takes a nasty beating without missing a step and it lasts forever. My 30 years old bags are basically this style, although they've made a few updates to some of the internal hardware, etc. All of mine are in the olive color - while it shows dirt more than black, I feel like it's got just a tiny dash more style than the same old black everyone else has. The dirt can be scrubbed out most of the time, and when it can't then I just look at it as a war wound that I am proud of :) I also really like https://www.briggs-riley.com/shop/collections/baseline/baseline-commuter-expandable-spinner-u119cxsp - this one is a slightly smaller bag that will fit into overheads when other's won't. When I am travelling really light for just 2 or 3 days, this is the bag I reach for.

But if he's going to do any international travel, be sure to get one that is labeled "international carry on". The max dimensions are slightly different from the generally accepted domestic carry on size, and some of the international airlines can be really picky about making sure you match the size.

Good idea. Everyone I know uses a different type of bag. I have a tote-briefcase that is big enough to hold 2 laptops (1 belongs to my company and I have to use to access certain resources of theirs, 1 to my current client that I have to use to access their resources). Some people with the same problem like rolling computer cases. Others use backpacks. There is no one style that everyone agrees on - a lot of it depends on just what your personal carrying burden is LOL

Also, an informal rule many firms expect their consultants to keep in mind is that they generally should dress at least 1 notch up from their clients. (It's not a snub on them in any way, it is to show them that you take the fact that they are paying you seriously and want to impress and be professional in that relationship.) If the client site is casual, we typically dress business casual. If the client is business casual, unfortunately my suits generally come out. Accessories play a part in all of that too.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Your advice and recommendations are really helpful!

Yeah, the thing with bags is, you have to know your audience--or at least, the environment. My DD23 asked me for a "huge tote" for Christmas last year. She's a teacher, so I got her a Vera Bradley--I think it was a Weekender. Huge and lots of pockets for different things, plus it's washable. Not only did she love it, but she started a trend at her school--now a lot of the teachers have them. But, I would never use a VB tote in a more professional setting. If you're meeting with clients and executives, leather is the way to go IMHO, although there are some really nice, sturdy bags in other materials.

My DH currently only travels over one night, and uses a black Lug bag that he also uses for his gym clothes. If he were to travel longer, or more often, I'd look for a sturdy carry-on that had a suit carrier insert. He uses a backpack for work. But, he also wears Hawaiian shirts on Fridays, so he may not be the person you want to emulate!
I totally hear your daughter about the big teacher bag!
 
When my DD got her Associates I got her a simple ring with the inscription “Almost There” on the inside. (Her name is Tiana and Tiana is her favorite princess.) Not sure what I will do for her Bachelors. I like the idea of a nice briefcase/messenger bag.

3 kids and how are you getting from my post that I'm a helicopter mom?ha I'm so the opposite of that.

Not that I owe you an explanation but she lived at home and paid for whatever school her scholarships didn't cover. She has MINIMAL debt. We qualified for the American Opportunity Tax Credit all 4 years and I SAVED that money in an account earmarked for her(it's enough to pay her loans in total). If she gets a job making big bucks, I'll probably let her pay her loans off herself and save the AOTC $ for a wedding gift or whatever.

She'd crack up if she read your post. She's worked since she was 11 years old had a community paper route, refed community youth soccer games, umpired softball games, and she was an all star varsity athlete in 3 high school sports. Ran Cross Country and Track at her D1 college for 2 years before her engineering schedule just got too much for her to be a year round athlete.

So please, don't label me because I'd like to get my hard working daughter a token for her graduation.
You don’t have to justify your decisions to that person. My DD’s story is much the same, pays her own bills and school. That first year we gave her the tax credit but after that she made too much for us to claim so she got to claim it. She has a nice fat savings account and will be leaving the nest debt free. Congrats to your daughter and job well done to you.
 
For those that have grads that will be traveling for work soon, maybe TSA precheck and then they can figure the bag out later. Or see if any of your/their credit cards offer it as a benefit that you can use if you haven't already. I travel 3-4 times a year and have it, there's no way I'd travel weekly without it.
 
For those that have grads that will be traveling for work soon, maybe TSA precheck and then they can figure the bag out later. Or see if any of your/their credit cards offer it as a benefit that you can use if you haven't already. I travel 3-4 times a year and have it, there's no way I'd travel weekly without it.

They should also check to see if their employer will pay for it. Some professional services firms pay for things like this, to mitigate the stress of being on the road weekly as much as they can. You'd be surprised what you can get covered if you just ask :)
 
For those that have grads that will be traveling for work soon, maybe TSA precheck and then they can figure the bag out later. Or see if any of your/their credit cards offer it as a benefit that you can use if you haven't already. I travel 3-4 times a year and have it, there's no way I'd travel weekly without it.
This is a great idea. I asked my son about it right after he got hired. He said he wanted to wait and see if it was something his company would pay for before we spent the money ourselves. We both agreed it’d be totally worth it even if we had to pay for it.
 

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