<p>Travelnut, what a lovely idea. I vote for the bracelet. I received that exact one as a maid-of-honor gift in 1972 (sterling silver, which was less expensive back then). I have worn it for 40 years and always get compliments.</p>
<p>I’m looking for a grad gift for D’s boyfriend of 2 years, who we don’t know very well. She suggested a book, which wasn’t very specific, but it’s a start.</p>
<p>Ack!! Gifts for friends and boyfriends?! I hadn’t even thought of that - I’m still obsessing over a gift for the graduate!</p>
<p>What do you get for a shorter-term boyfriend (~1 year)? We know him fairly well (he came with the family on vacation recently) but he’s very quiet. Oh, dear…</p>
<p>sorry, scout! I just thought of it because she said his mom gave her a pair of earrings for Christmas (they live nearby so she sees more of his family than we see of him). I’m not getting any new clothes for myself, just wearing something casual from my closet, and D is fine with us getting her something for her new apartment once she moves, so a gift for the boyfriend is all I have to think about. I would ask your D for suggestions for a small gift for him.</p>
<p>Last year I got my cousin’s son (who attends D1s school) various “alumni” items from the bookstore including a license plate holder, hat, ping pong balls, etc… At our swapmeet they sell very attractive frames with a drawing of the campus to put the diploma in.</p>
<p>Scout, I’m with you. Graduation is one month away and I have no good ideas for S2.<br>
He won’t be moving to an apt. so can’t use that idea. We bought S1 a nice watch but S2 isn’t the type to wear a watch. Thank goodness there isn’t a gf to think about! </p>
<p>S1, every the romantic (not), gave his gf a pair of pink Vibram Five Fingers running shoes
and a book (Born to Run) for college graduation last year. He swore she loved them. They’re not together anymore…hmmmmm.</p>
<p>Our gift is a very nice vacation! (I hope he realizes that’s what he’s getting.) Also, you can buy inscribed bricks on a walkway in front of the alumni center at his university, so we’ll probably do that. My H has one, too.</p>
<p>DonnaL - there was a mailing to UChicago parents that included the schedule and maps of the different events. There was also a flyer in that letter in case you wanted to buy a photo of your son/daughter in a cap and gown.</p>
<p>I wish S’ school sent mailings to parents. All their communication is with the student, and my S, who graduated in Dec, doesn’t read all the email he gets from school at this point. I had to remind him when he came home for Passover weekend that we wouldn’t get tickets unless he completed the mandatory graduation survey. He’d never read the email about the survey. Fortunately, the commencement page on the school website mentioned the survey, so I could find out about it. He did reassure me that he completed the survey while he was home, so we should be getting our tickets.</p>
<p>LOL! I’m giving D2’s BF a copy of A Ph.D Is Not Enough by Peter Feibelman. I might even get it autographed since I’ve know Peter for years and years. (Actually the copy I’m giving to the BF is a copy that was given to D1 by a family friends when D1 was accepted to grad school.) BF is going to grad school in the fall but seem pretty clueless about a lot of the politics involved.</p>
<p>D2 will be setting up an apartment so maybe furniture? I gave her cutlery and pot & pans for Xmas and she was less than thrilled.</p>
<p>Reading this thread feels like sitting by a fire on an autumn afternoon chatting with old friends. Our S and D graduate in less than 4 weeks and I am madly addressing their announcements and working on the dinner we are giving for family/friends who are coming to their graduation. I cannot believe these 4 years seem to have gone by so quickly, and to be honest, am feeling sad for the work world all of these kids are trying to enter. I have 2 LAC kids-one in English and one in Philosophy. We kept saying to follow your passion and now I worry that they may end in a “do you want fries with that?” job. DH and I have assured them things will evolve for them career wise with a lot of creativity and perseverance. DS had a phone interview with one of government “law enforcement” agencies, was told no second round and is now receiving new emails from them. He wants to stay near Atlanta because of family and friends-I hope that will be possible for him. Twin sister cannot figure out what to do=interested in medical ethics, but wants to wait a year before pursuing graduate school. Our kids anxiety level about the job market is very high-many of their friends are open about going to graduate school because they don’t believe they could find a job. The world our kids are entering seems so far from the environment that waited for me in 1974. Good luck to all of us at this special time in all of our lives!</p>
<p>Georgiatwins, I have been having this “then vs. now” conversation with other moms of graduating seniors, and it is indeed different and more daunting (though my “then” is 1970, and that meant my male friends were facing the draft). But one woman reminded us of something really positive when she said, “Think of how amazing it is that our daughters have so many more opportunities than we did.” Whether or not they find the jobs of their dreams, their gender won’t hold them back. I know it’s still not all rosy in every workplace and every profession, but how different it is from that summer. After a long morning of interviewing (for entry-level secretarial jobs with my English major), I tried to sit at the bar in a crowded restaurant for lunch and was told women weren’t allowed. I marched right back out the door. I did get a job, though.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your twins. You mention their high anxiety level, reminding me that my H and I are trying to keep ours to a minimum because we know our S feels enough of his own.</p>
<p>WOWMom - D and her BF both have jobs that start shortly after graduation; I think I might modify your gift to your D’s BF and get this guy something useful for his new job. What does a newly-minted CPA need?</p>
<p>We’re actually helping D buy a new car as her graduation gift. Can you tell she’s an only child?!</p>
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<p>True story: DD is lusting after a tangerine-colored Kitchenaid stand mixer. This, from a girl who barely cooks and rarely bakes…</p>
<p>Just heard from S that he was the runner-up for yet another internship/fellowship. This is the second time. :(</p>
<p>Sorry to hear that Consolation. It’s so hard. S2 is still waiting to hear from summer internships he applied for and must have to get his diploma. Still haven’t heard from the interview he had last week. I’m afraid it was a “no” and S2 is too disheartened to tell us.</p>
<p>S received news yesterday that he has a job abroad via a competitive program administered by that country’s government. He also won a speech contest run by their consulate a couple of weeks ago, with a prize of an all expenses paid 3 week trip. So he will travel half way around the world right after graduation, then return to the US for a couple of weeks before departing again. It never rains but it pours!</p>
<p>D’s BF is going to grad school in microbiology. He’s not a CPA. Hence Feibelman’s book. </p>
<p>D will be one of only 4 seniors in her dept who are writing a senior thesis. (There are 44 graduating seniors.) Thesis defense is 2 1/2 weeks. </p>
<p>She’s also been invited to one of 16 students presenting their research at university-wide forum next week. A faculty committee reviews all student research proposals from the year and chooses the 4 best/most promising from each of the 4 divisions of the college: humanities; social sciences; natural sciences; engineering. She’ll be representing the natural sciences. She will be giving a 20 minute talk (with PowerPoints!) followed by 10 minutes Q&A. Presentations will be judged and awards will be given. </p>
<p>Thesis (and this also means her presentation) is not finished–still doing data analysis. Lots of stress right now.</p>
<p>As D’s graduation present, she’ll get the title to her late grandfather’s car. Car is 6 years old, but has less than 30,000 miles and is in mint condition. I’m even going to throw in a new set of all season tires for her since she’s moving to a snowy clime. She’s also asked for bike rack system for the car–which I’ll probably also give her.</p>
<p>Wow, that’s really exciting WOWM! I’ve seen your posts on her university forum, it is one my junior D is quite interested in (unless you have more than one D in college). My D had to do an honors thesis for one of her majors, but I’m glad she finished it in December, last minute work is stressful.</p>
<p>Congrats to map’s S as well!</p>
<p>oh wow! what a fantastic thread!!! i wish i had found this earlier with all the questions leading up to D’s graduaton.</p>
<p>May i join in?!</p>
<p>And last night heard that he didn’t get yet another one…</p>