The time for graduation is approaching, and it will soon be here in the blink of an eye. Your girlfriend will finally be awarded for all her hard work, and you, of course, want to help her celebrate it in the best way! An occasion such as this one requires a great gift that will help your girlfriend commemorate it. 

Like with any special occasion, you’ll want to get your girlfriend a gift to commemorate the four years of hard work she put in to earn a degree. It will make her day even more special when she gets a gift from you that shows her just how proud you are of her. 

Getting your girlfriend a graduation gift does not have to break the bank, you can find many gift options that are special and still affordable. The most important part is that your gift shows your girlfriend how much you care about her and want her to enjoy her day. 

She is likely to appreciate just about any gift you get her since she cares about you, but you probably want your gift to be something that she is excited about! Even though you know your girlfriend well, deciding on what gift to get her can be tough. And that’s why we’ve put together a list of gifts that are sentimental, commemorative, and likely to make any graduate happy on their special day. 

The closing of the undergraduate chapter usually means opening a new one: young adult life. This is an exciting time in anyone’s life. It brings about feelings of hope, fear, and excitement. This new life chapter holds new things for her that are not yet expected, but some of them are known and anticipated well in advance. This could mean renting her first apartment, starting a new job, or even continuing her education through another program. If any of this applies to your girlfriend, she might need functional gifts that will make adjusting to adult life a little easier. 

Here is our list: 

• Necklace 
• Planner 
• Drinkware
• Coffeemaker 
• Meal Subscription Service 
• New Sheets
• New Clothing / Gift Card 
• Cookbook
• Advice Book for Young Adults 
• Work Tote
• Cookware 
• Luxury Candles 

Necklace

A commemorative necklace will help celebrate her accomplishment and serve as a permanent reminder of her college experience. 

This necklace is a great commemorative gift that will serve as a permanent memory of her college experience. She will be able to take it with her wherever she goes. 

If this isn’t her style, any necklace will be perfect or really any jewelry if she’s the type to wear it! You know her best, and she’ll love whatever you choose. 

Planner 

As if staying organized in college wasn't difficult, trying to manage a job, classes, and any other activities as an adult can become hectic. 

Keeping organized in college is something that can be done without a planner depending on the person. Some people are naturally able to keep all their classes, assignments, and extra activities straight without writing them down. However, we think as graduates enter the next chapter of their lives, a planner is a great organizational tool. 

Life can become hectic when you need to go to work, keep the refrigerator stocked at home, possibly attend night classes, fulfill an internship, the possibilities are endless. You’ll also want to maintain a social life and have time for fun activities. A planner is a great way to write out your schedule and see what it looks like, then make room for extra activities. 

Drinkware 

A thermal container is one of the best work options, but you can also get a college logo tumbler, or logo glassware for drinking at home or entertaining. 

Drinkware is a catch all gift that can be both commemorative and functional. If they are going to work, on a trip, to the gym, basically anywhere -- they’ll need some container to hold liquids. A metal thermal container can keep coffee piping hot all morning and keep your afternoon water as cold as you like it. 

There are other options for metal tumblers that have school logos, or glass drinkware with school logos. These are great for entertaining at home or when you want to have a nice drink out of a sophisticated glass. 

Either way, a drinking container is a great gift, especially if you’re not exactly sure what to get! Everyone has a preferred drink, and a container to drink it out of at any location is very convenient. Your girlfriend can easily fill this up and head out to take on the day!

Coffeemaker 

Whether it's a french press, a coffee pot, or coffee pod dispenser -- any option is a great one.

Everyone knows that many college students eat, sleep, and breathe caffeine. They go to the barista for a latte on their way to class, stop back mid day for a refresher, and also sometimes at night if a late night study session is in order. 

This normal routine might not be as accessible once they enter adulthood. Visiting the local coffee shop costs money every time, and eventually this starts to add up. Brewing coffee at home is the perfect way to get that necessary caffeine fix while keeping costs down. 

We highly recommend any type of coffee maker -- a french press, regular coffee pot, Keurig, or even an espresso or latte maker. They will be grateful for it later!

Meal Subscription Service 

For a busy woman who’s constantly on the go — having a meal already planned out that just needs to be put together can be a huge time saver.

A meal subscription service is great if your girlfriend is leading a busy life — going to work, the gym, drinks after work, classes, etc. Sometimes, it’s just impossible to find the time to prepare a delicious meal. 

With a meal subscription service, she will get everything she needs already portioned out. All she will have to do is simply cook the meal and do any prep work required to cook. It will also get her familiar with the kitchen if she's not the type to cook for herself, and being able to cook is a great skill if ever she needs to save money or can’t go out to dinner. 

New Sheets

Banish the Twin XL sheets and grab her a new set of adult sheets for her new bed!

The end of her college career, or really anyone’s college career calls for getting rid of those old twin XL sheets. It’s time to upgrade to a new adult mattress and buy sheets to match. 

We’re assuming she won’t want to buy a twin mattress for herself in her new apartment, so whichever type of mattress she ends up getting — help her out by purchasing a new set of high quality sheets. 

New Clothing (or a Gift Card!) 

As a working woman, she will need a new professional wardrobe to fit her new position.

If she’s secured a new job or internship, she’ll surely need to look the part. Yes, everyone has a set of go-to business casual clothes for major college events like award ceremonies, honor functions, or anytime they might need to dress up. But these clothes are old and should be put to rest. 

Securing a new job or internship calls for a wardrobe upgrade! You can purchase an outfit or get her a gift card to a professional store so she can add some new outfits to her closet. She will be thankful to have this, because clothes can get expensive and fast.

Cookbook 

Everyone has to start somewhere — if she isn’t experienced in the kitchen, a cookbook will help her prepare meals in her new apartment. 

If she’s the type of girl who would rather do it herself, but doesn’t know where to start -- then a cookbook is a perfect gift. Maybe she wouldn’t be the type to benefit from a meal subscription service, so a cookbook will help her prepare meals the way she wants. 

We know most college students have a meal plan, so learning to cook is not something everyone gets to do. This will help her out and she’ll be able to cook whatever she wants when she wants it!

Advice Book for Young Adults 

Advice and self help books for women can be best applied during these formative years.  

Once graduation passes and it sets in that they won’t be returning to college next year, it’s normal to feel confused and anxious about the future. Sure, some students leave college with a job already lined up or accepted into a master’s program, but this isn’t the case for everyone. 

Some graduates don’t have a plan, and feeling lost or unsure of where to start is a normal feeling. Sometimes the best way to decide where to go is through reading about someone else’s experience. Everyone wants to hear a story that they can relate to and if this sounds like your girlfriend, then you might want to consider getting her a book as a graduation gift. 

This could be a memoir, book of advice, or a self help book that can help alter her perspective or make her feel more at ease with her situation. 

Work Tote

A professional tote bag she can carry to the office or wherever her new job may be is a great and functional gift. 

If she’s landed a new job or internship, she’ll probably need to carry some things to work like a lunch, laptop, car keys, wallet, etc. If she’s the kind of girl to carry a bag, then a work tote is a great idea for a gift. 

Alternatively, if she’s not the bag type, there are a number of professional looking backpacks that make great transportation units. No matter her style, there is an option available — your job is to find the perfect one!

Cookware 

The first step to being able to prepare meals on your own is having the equipment to do it!

In an apartment, cooking is quite necessary. Gone are the days your girlfriend can head down to the dining hall and pick up a meal with her meal plan. Now she has an empty kitchen, and a likely small bank account balance as a new graduate. Takeout is expensive and adds up quickly, so at some point she’ll need to turn to her own kitchen for meals. 

If you’ve already gotten her a cookbook — she’ll need the proper equipment to create those great meals. Start with a few pots and pans, utensils, and then think about major appliances like an Instant Pot, air fryer, crockpot, or anything you think she might find useful. No, you don’t have to get her all of these things, but any little bit helps!

Luxury Candles 

Everyone enjoys a great smelling room — you really can’t go wrong with a candle as a gift!

Candles are the final gift on our list because they are another catch all deal. Candles make everything smell great, and there aren’t many people who wouldn’t want a great smelling room. It’s tough to go wrong with candles. You probably already know your girlfriend's favorite scents, or even scents she’s likely to enjoy. Make sure you pick the best scents for her and she will be thrilled! She will also think of you whenever the scent you brought her fills her room. 

These gifts will all make great choices for your girlfriend’s graduation day. You will help provide her with a meaningful entrance into her newly independent life. Though no matter what gift you choose, she will still love it because it came from you!