The robe. The gown. The photo with the degree. We’re edging ever so close to graduation season. And for all the lucky students out there who will buckle down ever exam season, revise like there’s no tomorrow and pull it out of the bag, there’s cause for celebration.

If you know someone in the midst of exam concern and are wondering what would be a good gift idea when it comes to graduation day, don’t worry, we have covered.

This short guide has some quirky ideas that will make for great graduation gifts, broken down into gifts for guys, gifts for girls and fail-safes for anyone you know.

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Graduation gift ideas for guys

Idea 1: Personalised Wallet

Handing someone a gift like a wallet on their graduation day might seem weird. Handing someone a personalised wallet with their name or monogram is a class act. Getting a personalised wallet isn’t difficult or expensive. High street shops like Next and Fossil can do it for you in store, while ETSY is chock full of unique designs and wallet types, especially the recent trend of minimally designed micro wallets.

Idea 2: Beer Foamer

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: credit: Amazoncredit: Amazon

The big day is a cause for celebration, especially for graduations in the summer. The last thing the lucky chap needs is a flat beer to cheers with. You can now buy different products to help revive a flat beer in no time at all. Freezable beer stones can be popped in any pint at a moment’s notice to bring a bit of sparkle back, while those who want to get fancy can try the Menu Beer Foamer that claims to get any poured bottle or can as close to the perfect pub pint as possible.

Idea 3: A proper shaving kit

For any respectable looking graduate, it’s important to have a good shave. We’re not saying the beard has to go; just that it’s a good idea to keep it nice and trim for photos you know will hang on the wall in your parent’s house.

Gifting a premium shaving kit is a must if you know someone who uses disposable razors or barely changes their blades. A full kit with foaming brush is ideal for someone you know shaves a lot, while a subscription to Harry’s or Dollar Shave Club will see new blades arrive every month for a fraction of the price you’d pay at high street chemists.

Graduation gift ideas for girls

Idea 1: Gifts every month

Attention all boyfriends panicking about what gift to get their girlfriends about to graduate Don’t sweat it out in the perfume aisle or stress yourself trying to pick out any clothes when there are companies that will pop a gift through the post-box every month.

Subscription boxes are extremely popular these days, giving girls the chance to try new beauty products every month. Birchbox is the most popular in the UK, with VeganKind the best option if you know someone who is vegan and would prefer not to have animal tested products.

Idea 2: Flowers

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: credit: Unsplashcredit: Unsplash

After months of spending all day looking at books and living inside the library, everyone needs a little colour back in their lives. One of the most recent trends in graduation gifts is to send a big bouquet as a surprise on the morning of the graduation. Bloom Magic stock a great range of bouquets made especially for the event, with each bouquet handpicked by a florist before being shipped off for delivery.

If you know someone graduating you think would love flowers, you can see the range here. If they’re graduating from a university in Northern Ireland/ ROI, you can shop here.

Idea 3: A Work Bag

Is the new graduate about to start a new job? Make sure they’re prepared by getting them a nice work bag. Don’t worry if this is your first time hearing the term “work bag”. It’s simply a bag or backpack that looks just like a normal handbag. It will usually have a lot of compartments inside, so it’s easier to keep things stored away nicely.

It’s also very popular nowadays to get a work bag that is laptop compatible. ASOS and NEXT are safe bets to find out at a good price.

Graduation gift ideas for anyone

Idea 1: Preloaded travel cards

With all the exams over and the degree in hand, there’s a slight chance your graduate is getting ready to pack their bags for a trip thousands of miles away. If that’s the case for you, a preloaded travel card might just be the best surprise possible.

These currency cards can be used like a debit or credit card by anyone when they go abroad. If you have a group of friends pooling together for a gift, it’s a great idea and can be bought easily, everywhere from Sainsbury's to the Post Office.

We would recommend checking online to see which cards have the best rates.

Idea 2: A Streaming Card

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: credit: Unsplashcredit: Unsplash

Now that all that revision is over, there is a lot of TV to catch up on. Getting someone a gift card for the likes of Netflix, Now TV and Amazon Prime will quickly get them back up to speed on what’s been happening on Game Of Thrones, why everyone was going crazy for Bodyguard or help catch up on any Marvel films that have been missed.

And don’t forget that if you get someone Amazon Prime as a gift, they’ll also get free shipping on anything they buy, access to Amazon Music and get extras like Kindle books and free storage.

Idea 3: A Gym Membership

Don’t worry; this isn’t a sly dig at someone. When most people graduate university, they no longer have access to amenities like the university gym.

For someone who is serious about their fitness or goes to the gym a lot, it can suddenly be one of the biggest bills they pay every month. Gifting someone a voucher for gyms like PureGym or DW Fitness can be quite a smart idea. Just do a little research first to see which gyms are near where your graduate lives.

Graduation Day Checklist

Finally, we’d be doing a disservice if we didn’t highlight what you need to have on you on Graduation day. Make sure that one the day:

  • you have a packet of hankies as there may be a few tears
  • you have a packet of chewing gum as you’ll be chatting to a lot of people and don't know what you’re eating
  • you bring safety pins. You don’t want robes falling down or not sitting right in photos
  • you have taxis pre-booked in advance. The last thing you want is someone coming late to their own ceremony.
  • you have a disposable camera. Not only will it give you good memories, but it’s a reminder to snap as many photos as possible.

And make sure your graduate has as much fun as possible. This is a day to celebrate all their hard work, not to feel stressed out, so get those little things in order (along with your gift) and it’s going to be an amazing day.