The 7 Most Helpful Gifts I Received for High School Graduation

As I started to pack up my dorm room at the end of April, I couldn’t help but feel thankful. I was surrounded by things I’d had for years, purchases I had made with graduation money I am so grateful to have received, and some fantastic graduation presents that I wouldn’t have thought to ask for! Seven of the most helpful gifts I received for high school graduation may not be what you’d expect, but if you’re a high school senior putting together a graduation wish list, or shopping for a grad party present, these are seven items you should definitely consider! Searching for useful graduation gifts? Look no further!

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7 of the Most Useful Grad Gifts I Received:

1. Command strips
2. Utensils
3. Target gift cards
4. Towels
5. School supplies
6. Blankets
7. Storage

What made these high school graduation gifts so helpful during my first year of college?

Great question! Let me break it down for you.

Command Strips

I used less than half of the command strips I received, but no worries, I have big plans for my room next year, and I will be putting the remaining command strips to good use. I received command strip packs from a few people. One family friend gave me a ton (about ten packs is probably a safe estimate as I don’t remember the exact number) of command strips of all different sorts for graduation. It may sound ridiculous, but this is a fantastic idea for any grad.

I used them to hang posters, lights, cork boards, my keys, paintings, even mirrors! The Velcro ones are great for hanging heavier objects flat against the wall. You totally can’t even tell you used command strips! They blend flawlessly.

Another awesome thing about command hooks? The plastic hooks are reusable! Most packs come with extra sticky parts too. Even if you eventually run out of those, you can purchase the sticky pieces separately down the road. And that means you can continue to reuse them! (Yes to less waste in the long-term!)

Utensils

Alright, stick with me here. Ridiculous amount of command strips friend also gave me a pack of 96 plastic utensils. 32 spoons, 32 forks, 32 knives. As someone who was trying to make sustainable purchases that will last me throughout college and be environmentally friendly, I was against the whole plastic utensils thing at first. But my mom said just take them with me and see what happens, because I could always wash them.

As usual, mother knows best. While I did decide some nights that I didn’t want to wash my dishes or wasn’t feeling up to it, meaning the utensils I used, if really messy, got tossed, I did end up bringing some home at the end of the year that I hadn’t even used! A bonus of having plastic utensils on hand? When your friends come over and everyone is eating ice cream (or dinner) and needs spoons, you’ll have enough! And when they’re done you can toss them while still having plenty on hand, or wash them to use another time. Plus, if your friends walk off with them, it’s no big deal either! As much as I hate to say it, I’ll definitely be repurchasing a similar utensils pack when I’m getting myself ready to go back to my university in the fall. Points for reusing, right?

Target Gift Card

Ah, the gift that kept on giving. Somehow when I finished my dorm shopping, I still had Target gift cards leftover, and boy were they helpful. When I broke my flip-flops, ran out of cotton balls, had a bad week and was craving ice cream (a much harder craving to deal with when you need dairy free ice cream to satisfy it and your campus doesn’t have any), I took the free public college shuttle to Target that my university offers and used my Target gift cards for whatever I needed.

It was nice to have these in my wallet because I knew no matter how low I was on cash or how little was in my bank account, I could go to Target and get what I needed without having to worry about the cost. If there’s a Target or a similar store near your grad’s university, consider getting them a gift card they could use down the road.

If you aren’t sure what they’ll have around them and are looking for a quick and easy, yet useful graduation gift, go for an Amazon gift card! They’re incredible helpful for purchasing textbooks.

Towels

Nice towels aren’t cheap. Going into college I knew I was going to need at least a bath towel, hand towel, and a fair amount of washcloths. Lucky for me, some family friends teamed up and got me two bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths that are super plush (and my favorite color). I wash my face at least twice a day and don’t do laundry quite that often so I did purchase some more washcloths later on. I also received some in other graduation gifts, which was so helpful.

Some people say not to bring nice towels to college, but I also was living in a suite that had a bathroom, so I wasn’t using a communal shower. In the end, towels can be a major expense. It should come as no surprise that students are more likely to go for the cheapest ones available if left to buy them on their own. If you want to give your grad something of quality that you know they’re going to use, consider purchasing a towel set. Even just an individual bath towel or a couple of washcloths is helpful. It’s one less thing for their mile-long shopping list!

School Supplies

I was planning on bringing old notebooks with space left in them and the same pencil case I’ve had since 8th grade with me to college. And truth be told, I did. However, I wasn’t going to be able to cover everything I was going to need with old, half-used notebooks.

Thankfully I didn’t need to buy a single notebook because I received a few for graduation, and these carried me through both my first and second semester. I also received new pens and pencils, which were fun to have to start the year off and weren’t something I was planning on purchasing myself. School supplies are an easy, budget-friendly option that you know a grad heading to college will need!

Blankets

I wasn’t expecting to receive blankets for graduation. Reality check though, I use blankets all over my room. To cover my service dog’s crate, on chairs, on the foot of my bed… I have a lot of blankets. While I hadn’t been planning to bring so many blankets with me to college, I am so glad I did! Most students don’t have control of the temperature in their rooms. When the weather starts to get chillier, sometimes the residence halls do too! Blankets are a necessity for those days, and nice to have to make a room feel cozier. Some of my friends would even grab a blanket to wrap themselves in as soon as they walked into my room because my blankets are so soft.

Nice blankets aren’t always expensive, wholesale stores often have amazingly soft blankets for really cheap! An outdoor blanket is always a good option to have too. If your grad spends a lot of time outside or is going to a school with a nice quad, consider getting them a nice outdoor blanket for sunny days!

Know where your grad is heading this fall? These blankets are affordable and they have them for schools all over the US! Click one of the images above to see if they have your grad’s school!

Storage

A couple of my graduation gifts were given to me in storage containers. This is such a helpful and useful gift! I took what I was given, added some more to the box, and set it aside for the summer. Come fall, it was ready to be loaded up into my car for move in. I was given a big laundry basket which was incredibly helpful for packing, and a smaller container (about one foot by two feet and 6-8 inches deep) that I packed all of my dishes and some food in. I actually used this container all year for dishes or water bottles I wasn’t using, or to keep sweet treats out of sight. I’m so glad I had it!

Having storage in your room is essential. Some storage can’t really be bought until you’ve moved into your room, and you know what you’re working with. That said, having some stuff to start out with and to help with packing is incredibly helpful. Definitely consider giving a gift in some sort of storage container, your grad (and their parents) will thank you.

And there you have it! 7 of the Most Useful Graduation Gifts I Received for College

I didn’t have any idea what to ask for as high school graduation gifts. I didn’t know what others could buy for me at that point, or exactly what I needed. Honestly, I really wish I would’ve been able to provide more guidance for those who asked what they should get me! Hopefully, this helps you in making your graduation wish list. If you find this to be a helpful tool for buying great, useful gifts for a grad who might be as clueless as I was, even better!

Related: 3 Tools that Helped Me Save Hundreds While Shopping for College!

Did you find this helpful? Know a high school graduate who could use some help figuring out what to ask for? Know someone trying to find a good graduation present the receiver will actually use? Share this post!