21 High School Graduation Gifts That Don’t Suck

Congratulate a high school graduate on their milestone with a thoughtful gift they won't roll their eyes at.

Graduating from high school is a big moment in the life of a teenager.

As it's the beginning of a future where they can chase their hopes and dreams and work towards the life they want for themselves.

And it's also the start of an exciting new adventure.

Because whether they are off to start college in a different state, are going straight into the workplace, or are planning a round the world adventure to figure out what they want to do.

Life will never be the same for them again.

So make sure you show them how proud you are by getting them a really cool high school graduation gift to mark this occasion.

And the following gifts can give you some ideas, as these are all things a high school graduate will want and need, and will help them transition smoothly into their new lives. 

1. Cash Or An Amazon Gift Card

Cash and gift cards are not the most inspiring of gift ideas, but they do give a high school graduate the freedom to use your gift to get what they really need.

And they'll have plenty of things that they need to buy after graduating high school.

Whether that is books, stationary and items for college, shoes and smart clothes for job interviews, or a nice pair of elephant pants for their backpacking adventure!

So cash is king here.

But if you're worried they might blow it on things like partying or a tattoo, then an Amazon gift card will be a safer option. 

2. An Amazon Prime Subscription For Their Text Books

An Amazon Prime subscription can make a new college students life so much easier.

As it allows them to get free and fast deliveries for their textbooks and any bits and pieces they might need.

While also giving them access to a huge entertainment platform of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and music that they can watch in their dorms or with friends.

So signing them up for an Amazon Prime subscription will get them through their first year away from home with the minimum of fuss.

3. An Alarm Clock For Those Early Starts

Anyone with teenagers will know they can be notoriously hard to shift out of their beds in the mornings.

However, as they are now entering adulthood and can't rely on Mom to wake them up, they'll need to learn how to get themselves up at a decent hour to attend lectures or get to work on time.

So an alarm clock makes for a really useful gift to replace a nagging Mom!

And the Sonic Boom alarm clock is perfect, as this includes a vibrating buzzer that makes the bed shake along with the sound of the alarm.

So there's no escaping the reality of morning with this one!

4. A Macbook Air for Their Studies

Most studying is done online these days, and college students will be heavily reliant on their laptop to carry out their research, access resources, watch repeats of lectures, and write their essays.

So having a good and reliable laptop is a must.

And if you want to give a high-school graduate a really cool gift, then a new Macbook Air is an amazing choice that they'll adore.

As these are stylish, powerful enough to do all their college tasks on, and can also be used to watch movies on.

And new students can get a discounted price with Apple by using their student ID, so you'll get a bargain price on one too.

5. A Protective Laptop Cover With A Cool Design

As they'll be carrying their laptop around with them everywhere, they'll need to be able to keep it safe and protected.

So a useful gift idea is to get them a laptop sleeve, and one that is perfect for teenagers is the Vandel puffy laptop sleeve.

As this one has a cool and fun design, while also being padded to protect against any bumps or accidents along the way.

And this is a gift that could save you money in the long run, as you won't be hit with a bill for a replacement laptop when they drop or break their current one.

6. A Stylish Backpack For Using On Campus

They'll also need a backpack to carry their textbooks, stationary, laptop, and other items around campus with them.

However, not all backpacks are equal, so you'll need to get them one with enough compartments to be useful, but also one that looks great too.

And this is what makes the Fjallraven Kanken backpacks such a good gift choice for high school graduates.

As they are really stylish and have an iconic design that a teenager will love.

And it has separate pockets to keep your stuff organised, as well as a padded compartment for your laptop too.

7. Noise Cancelling Headphones For Added Focus

College campuses can be noisy and raucous places.

So being able to drown out any noise and distractions can really help them to focus and concentrate on their studies.

And a great way to do this is with a pair of noise cancelling headphones, as these fill the ear canal to block out noise.

So they make for a useful gift for a high school graduate who is going on to college, and if you really want to treat them them get them a pair of Apple AirPods Pro.

As these have no wires, are cool as f at the moment, and also have great sound quality when used to listen to music or when watching movies.

Trust me, they'll be over the moon with these. 

8. A Coffee Maker To Keep Them Going

They'll be plenty of late nights spent studying in their dorms once they get to college.

So a really nice gift idea is to get a high school graduate a coffee maker to take with them.

As this will give them enough caffeine to get them through it and help them to hit their deadlines.

While also given them the boost they need when they get up in the morning for the following days lectures too.

And a  good choice for this is the Keurig K-Mini Plus coffee maker.

As this one makes coffee easily with minimal mess by using small coffee pods each time.

And it's small enough to hardly take up any room, which is important in a dorm room where space is very much at a premium. 

9. A Custom College-Themed Tumbler

College kids are proud of where they go and love to show their allegiances by wearing branded hoodies, t-shirts, and the like.

Which leads to a the next gift idea which is to get them a college-themed tumbler to use on campus.

As with YETI you can get tumblers, mugs, water bottles, or colsters that can be custom designed with the logo of the college of your choice.

So a selection of these as a gift set to take with them is a fantastic option.

As they can carry their coffee around with them to lectures, or their water to the sports field, and feel that sense of belonging to their college at the same time.  

10. A Nutribullet To Make Healthy Smoothies With

College students don't always make the best health choices when it comes to what they eat and drink.

And this can be a worry for parents of high school graduates whose kids are preparing to leave home for the first time.

So a gift that can help them to become a little bit healthier is a NutriBullet blender.

As this will allow them to whip up some fresh and healthy smoothies to give them a kick-start in the mornings, rather than relying on a slice of last night's pizza for breakfast. 

11. An Easy To Follow Cookbook

Whether your high school graduate is preparing to go to college, or is simply branching out on their own, they are going to need to learn how to cook.

And when starting out you need to learn ways of cooking that are quick, easy, and affordable.

So a cookbook such as 'The Easy College Cookbook' is a super handy gift to give them.

As these contains all the student favourites such as sandwiches and wraps, tacos, soups, pasta and noodle dishes.

And they are all presented with easy to follow instructions and made making the most out of inexpensive ingredients to help their limited budgets stretch further.   

12. A Yoga Starter Kit For Dorm Room Exercise

Another way to try and keep them healthy is to buy them some exercise equipment so they can work out in their dorms and on campus.

As although there will be plenty of sports facilities at most colleges, sometimes you just don't have the time to use them when a deadline is approaching.

So giving a high school graduate a gift like the Gaiam Yoga For Beginners Kit to add to their stuff for college is a nice idea.

As this contains a good quality yoga mat as well as a yoga block and a yoga strap that will give them all they need to follow online yoga videos and get a nice stretch going. 

13. A Sleeping Mask For Better Sleep

When your high school graduate gets to college they may find they'll be sharing a dorm room with one or two other students.

And if they're not used to this then it can play havoc with their sleep.

As their roommates may want to stay up later than them, or wake them by coming home in the middle of the night.

So a useful gift that can help them block out any light and movement distractions when trying to sleep is the Manta Sleep Mask Pro.

And wearing one of these sleep masks will help them get the shuteye they need to refresh and be on the ball for their lectures the following day.

14. A Book To Prepare Them For College Life

Another gift that can help a high school graduate adapt to college life is 'The Naked Roommate' book.

This is a New York Times bestseller that contains hundreds of funny college stories that will prepare them for what to expect from life on campus.

So they'll get an insight into the dos and don'ts of living with other students, as well as tips on how to navigate classes, manage their finances, dating, partying, and finding their people.

Which makes it a really lovely gift to give them.

15. Games To Play With Their New Friends

Making friends is a big deal in college, as these are the people who will help and support you through the next four years.

So you need to choose them wisely.

And one way of getting to know your new friends more deeply is by playing the Cards Against Humanity game with them.

As this is a fun game to play, but also breaks through social taboos to get people talking about all sorts of social and moral issues.

So if your new friend is a sociopath, this may be the quickest way to fish them out!

But it's a game that teenagers will love to play, which makes it a decent gift idea for high school graduates.

Just be aware that the issues it raises can be quite obscene, so it may not be suitable for everyone.

16. A Portable Speaker To Play Their Music On

A portable speaker is a great gift for a high school graduate, no matter what their future plans are.

As they can use it to listen to music in their rooms, take it with them when meeting up with friends outside, or pack it in their bag when traveling.

And with the music streaming services they have on their smartphones today, they'll never be short of tunes to listen to.

So check out the JBL Flip 5 portable speaker if you want an example of one that would make a good gift.

As this one is compact, waterproof, and has a powerful enough sound level to please them.

17. Blue Light Blocking Glasses To Reduce Eye Strain

Long hours spent staring at a laptop screen when studying or a smartphone can cause eye strain and headaches if you're not careful.

As the blue light that emits from these devices can take its toll after a while. 

So a gift that can help a high school graduate avoid these issues is a pair of blue light blocking glasses such as these ones from Gunnar Optiks.

As these reduce their exposure to the harmful light and help them to study longer without the pain.

Plus they look pretty cool too, which is a bonus. 

18. Dorm Room Essentials

If your high school graduate is heading to college then they'll need a some essentials to get them started.

And while these things are not particularly sexy when given as gifts, they can be incredibly useful for them.

So, some items you could consider as a gift are:

As these will all get plenty of use and go some way to making their transition to college life that bit easier. 

19. A Backpack For Their Adventures

Going to college straight after high school isn't for everyone, and some graduates have dreams of traveling the world first instead.

So if your teenager wants to go on an adventure before committing to their future, you could get them a great backpack to use while doing it.

As this is a graduation gift that will fuel their excitement and wanderlust even further.

And if they're planning to travel light and take advantage of not having checked luggage, then the Kelty Redwing backpack a good choice.

As despite being extremely spacious it's still compact enough to be able to take onto planes as carry on.

Which will save them time and money as they travel from one place to the next. 

20. Contribute To Their World Travels

Another way to encourage their adventures is by giving them a high school graduation gift that will contribute to it.

This could simply be in the form of some cash to add to their travel funds.

Or how about an AirBnB gift card that they can use for accommodation?

You could also treat them to a Eurail train pass if they're traveling through Europe, as this will allow them to jump on and off trains as they wish.

And if you want to give them the ultimate gift, then nothing beats a round the world plane ticket which means they can then use all the money they've saved on their travel experience instead.

21. A Cute Plush Graduation Toy

Our final gift idea for high school graduate is more on the cutesy and adorable side than the practical one, and that is to get them a plush toy to mark the occasion.

As there are plenty of graduation themed cuddly toys you can buy that are both great to snuggle up to and serve as a memento from a big life occasion.

And the one I've chosen here is the Bearington Smarty graduation plush toy.

As this one is soft, well made, and looks great too.

Rounding Up

Graduating high school is a big deal and worthy of a celebration.

So make sure you get your high school graduate a gift to show them how proud you are of their achievements.

As each of the high school graduation gift ideas here will let them know they are appreciated, as well as proving useful to them going forward.

Whether that is going to college, into the workforce, or off on a world adventure.