Graduating from college is a huge accomplishment – and one that deserves to be celebrated with a gift. Whether you’re a family member recognizing one of your relatives, a fellow college student rewarding a colleague, or purchasing a graduation gift for yourself, you’ll have limitless options to choose from. 

But what makes for the perfect graduation gift? What steps can you take to ensure the person receiving it gets the most out of it? 

Don’t Worry About Cost or Value

First, don’t worry too much about cost or value. Depending on the source, you might read that you should spend a certain amount of money on a graduation gift – like $100. But the reality is, most graduates aren’t going to be looking at the price tag. They’re going to be more interested in the thought you put into the gift and how it makes them feel. 

Because of this, you could spend $10,000 on an extravagant gift that falls flat. Or you could spend $0 on a DIY craft project that lights them up for years to come. You might have a budget in place, in which case, you should adhere to it – but otherwise, don’t sweat how much you’re spending. 

Recognize the Achievement Itself 

Ideally, your gift should give some recognition to the achievement itself – graduating college. For example, you can purchase a personalized graduation plaque that celebrates the person graduating specifically. You could also create something or buy something that alludes to the graduation event (such as featuring a graduation cap, the graduation year, or other elements). This could serve to remind the graduating student of their accomplishments for years to come. 

Understand the Person Graduating 

When shopping for a gift or brainstorming, make sure you understand the person graduating as much as possible. Depending on the person, you may be able to use information about their personal interests, styles, and tastes to get something you know they’re going to love; for example, you might get them a piece of jewelry, a new electronic device, or something for the kitchen based on their cooking hobby. 

But this is also a good opportunity to consider this individual’s personality – and what type of gift they might prefer. Some people love experiences more than things, and would therefore prefer tickets to an event or a day trip over a tangible item that improves their life in some way. Some people like practical things more than superficial ones, so they’d rather get professional clothes than a new TV or speaker system. Some people like to be surprised while others prefer something predictable. And let’s face it – some people are going to specifically prefer cash over everything else. 

That doesn’t mean you have to comply with this person’s requests or preferences exactly, but you should have a working understanding of how they tick before you make a final commitment. 

Make It Personal 

No matter what you get for a graduation gift, you should try to make it personal. In some cases, you can do this directly, like by etching a person’s name into a plaque, or tailoring clothes to fit a person perfectly. In other cases, you’ll have to get more creative. For example, you can write a personal note on the item in question or modify the item in some way to appeal to this individual. If you’re coming up short on personalization ideas, just include a card and write something heartfelt in it. 

Avoid Clichés 

Somewhere along the line, Dr. Suess’s book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, went from being an occasional and interesting gift to a full-fledged meme. Every year, millions of high school and college graduates receive a copy of this book, which looks forward to a future full of possibilities. Cliché graduation gifts tend to be clichés for a reason; they’re popular and generic enough to appeal to a mass audience. But for the most part, you should avoid cliché gifts if you can. Try to get something they’re not going to get from half a dozen other people. 

Seek Recommendations From Others

If you’re really struggling to think of something to get the college graduate you have in mind, consider talking to their friends and family members. They may be able to point you in the right direction. Just try to keep things under wraps so you can present the gift as a genuine surprise. 

Don’t Overthink It

Finally, try not to overthink the process. There are thousands of potential gift ideas out there, if not millions, and all of them have the potential to make an impact on the person receiving them. As long as you’ve put in a bit of time and effort, and you’ve done something in the sincere interest of rewarding the person graduating, it’s going to be well received.