Graduation gifts for every kind of 2016 graduate

Graduation season is upon us, and with it comes the challenge of finding the perfect gift for the high school senior, brand-new college graduate, or freshly-certified Krav Maga instructor in your life. Worry not, because we're here with a suggestion for everyone on your list!

Rutgers University students cheer for President Barack Obama during the Rutgers graduation ceremonies in Piscataway, N.J. (May 15, 2016). Obama delivered a commencement address at Rutgers University.

Mel Evans/AP/File

By Katie Conway, Brad's Deals

May 20, 2016

Graduation season is upon us, and with it comes the challenge of finding the perfect gift for the high school senior, brand-new college graduate, or freshly-certified Krav Maga instructor in your life. Worry not, because we're here with a suggestion for everyone on your list!

For the grad who doesn't have much:

Buy a grad dinner, feed him for a night. Give a grad the gift of cooking supplies, feed him for a lifetime!

Whether you're buying for a kid fresh out of high school with few possessions to his name or a college senior who's spent four years growing dependent on his building's housekeeping staff, his school's athletics center, his roommate's pots and pans, and his ex-girlfriend's DVD library, often the best gift for a new grad is a practical piece of equipment for independent living, like, for example:

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Practical gifts certainly don't have to be dull - consider the example of an upgraded laptop or a new car. But for a gift that fits into any budget and is practically guaranteed not to go unused, find out where your grad is most likely to do his or her grocery shopping -- Safeway, Walmart, Target, Peapod, wherever -- and buy her a gift card in the denomination of your choice. This is the kind of "boring practical gift" that suddenly becomes pretty cool when your grad has nine dollars in his or her bank account and nothing but a lonely jar of pickle juice in the fridge.

For the grad who has everything:

Make some memories with a graduation party!

Not every new grad needs help stocking their apartment or upgrading their computer. If you're buying for someone who's mostly set for the future, it may be best to focus your efforts on celebrating the present.

Online party supply and general knickknack superstore Oriental Trading Company has everything you need to throw a million-dollar graduation party on a budget, from mortarboard invitations to customized banners to themed shot glasses. For a lasting keepsake of the moment, try something like:

For the grad who's headed back to school:

Someone who's going off to college or on to grad school is in a different position from other grads - embracing campus life is like entering an alternate dimension where the bad news is that well-worn, widely-available used books are often priced upwards of $100, but the good news is that it is entirely socially acceptable to make a regular meal of 3 A.M. buffalo wings.

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Equip your grad for the quirks and quiddities of this magical upside-down fantasyland with:

For the grad who's headed abroad:

Know anyone who's doing a post-grad internship in Zurich or ESL teaching stint in Seoul?  Life and work abroad presents endless opportunities to learn new, unexpected, and amazing things about the world we live in and the people we share it with. Here are some ideas for the grad who's headed across the pond:

For the grad who's temporarily unemployed:

Every entry-level job seeker needs a nice set of interview clothes, but not every entry-level job seeker can afford one. A gift card from a store that's good for interview-ready professional wear will come in handy even after your grad lands a steady gig. Try something from these places:

This article first appeared at DealNews.

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