How about a gift card for something she'll need. I know that seems impersonal to us, but college kids really, REALLY appreciate: gas cards, a card to the campus book store. Note that--often they're run by one of the big book store chains like Barnes and Noble, so a B & N card gives them the option of chosing to buy textbooks OR picking up some music or light reading for fun--you can look up her school's bookstore online to find out if that's the case. Or how about a collection of small gift cards for restaurants or coffee shops around the campus?

Of course, the obvious suggestion would be a special piece of jewelry--which wouldn't have to be expensive to be meaningful, of course.

Money - it's the right size and color, guaranteed not to be returned, and will be appreciated - her expenses are about to become overwhelming.

I always give a newly minted silver dollar with the year of their graduation( I order them from the mint) and the key chain it fits into, as a little gift. In the same box I tuck in a pretty $100 dollar bill. Kathy

get a laundry basket and fill it up with stuff she could use at college

How about a piece of jewelry. Sterling silver is not too expensive.

since we couldn't give money (dh had been the girl's coach) i found an adorable teddy bear and tucked a small locket inside it's pocket. told her in the card it was a bit of "home" for the long days!

sounds funny, but we always gave rolls of quarters to the kids who were dorming it, for laundry.

Quarters, stamps, envelops, address book with all the family filled in. McDonald's coupons. Pizza, Subway gift cards. A coupon stating that you will pick her up at college and take her out for dinner during X month.
Kathy G in MI

My all time favorite 'check holder' is the book:

"Where's Mom (or Dad) Now That I need Her (Him)?"

Perfect how-to book for those going away to school or out on their own.

Here is a link that might be useful: book for grads

maddielee, thanks for telling us about those books. I ordered 4 of them just now for gifts (with a check added) for 2 special grads. They have great reviews at Amazon.com.

Something my DS#3 got that was a big help was a large canvas laundry bag. While at college he would throw all his dirty laundry in it and bring it home on the weekends to good 'ol Mom.

DD said the little tool kit the neighbor gave her was her most used graduation gift, and that she still uses it 10 years later. All her friends used it in college too. So now that is what I give. Go to Lowe's or online or whatever and get their smallest all purpose tool kit.

I want to give my nieces a "reference shelf for real life":

an etiquette book
a home-repair book
a family-health manual
a financial-basics book

I figure, i'll try to buy them at a used bookstore, or order them from half.com or amazon, used.

But actually, lots of those books at that link look like a condensed version!

Thanks--maybe I'll get one of those instead

I had to buy quite a few gifts last year. I gave a couple girls that were going off to live in dorms big fluffy towel sets with their names embroidered on them. Another girl was going on a cruise with my DD so I bought her a big tote with her name on it and filled it with flipflops, sunglasses, a monogrammed beach towel and a bit of cash. Another girl was going to cooking school, so she got a personalized "Chef Lindsey" apron and a dessert cookbook which got good reviews at Amazon.

I had my DD save me a lot of my DGD's tee shirts and I'm making her a quilt...She was an Irish step dancer and most of the shirts are from the competitions she had attended...I've done this for all the grand kids that have graduated...And of course, $$$$

I also crocheted my youngest son a muffler for the cold weather where he is in law school. I made stripes which progressed across the scarf of his school colors in order of all the schools he has attended: preschool, elementary school, 2 middle schools, high school, bachelor's degree, master's degree, law school.

It is an easy pattern, and I used up a lot of scrap yarn. You make a tail of about 9 inches, and chain 200, making a tail of 9 inches at the other end and cut yarn. Each row starts and ends with a 9 inch tail and is all single crochet. To be able to wash it with the fringe so it won't fray, tie a small knot at the end of each fringe. I usually added more fringe when it was done. It was fun to make for him. I did not worry about colors repeating in various schools. If you have room, you could do a neutral yarn color between the schools to set off each school's colors.

I have also emailed an order to the university book store and bought a school sweatshirt for the graduate.

Great Ideas, everyone! Thanks so much for the suggestions.

The gift I received 35 years ago that I still wear almost every day is a monogramed sterling cuff braclet. It was hand made in Newburyport MA. I've had more complements and I cherish it dearly. I like giving gifts that last expecially to family.

Check with your bank or any bank, and see if they have the books of $1 bills that come in sets of 25 bills. They're new bills with serial numbers in order and are gummed together like a note pad. You just tear one off to spend it.

We give those as gifts and they're always a hit. Most people aren't aware of them, so they're a novelty. It's not a lot of money, but it makes you think twice about whether you want to spend it or not. You can always add more money or another gift to it.

Leslie/KS