Gift guide: For your college-bound high school grad

High school graduation is one of the biggest, most bittersweet events in a teenager's life. It’s a time of major changes, when young adults on the threshold are thinking as much about moving forward as they are about letting go.

Perhaps that is why the best gifts to give in celebration of this momentous occasion are those that can help them look fondly back at the past—or step brightly toward the future. Here are some ideas.

New clothes

For many high-schoolers, casual Friday (or casual any day, for that matter) is a rare opportunity to show their classmates that they can actually wear clothes other than the day-in-day-out uniform everyone is so accustomed to seeing them in.

When it comes to matters of the wardrobe, life after college can become very difficult and in the same way that taking up a new job or vacationing in a faraway country may require shopping for new pieces, starting at university demands an upgrade in the wardrobe.

Without fail, you can find most of your competitively-priced, mix-and-match friendly, quality basic clothing at stores like Uniqlo, while H&M inevitably remains a popular brand with the young ones because of its attractive global fast fashion appeal. But if you’re on the hunt for a unique piece or something local, the pop-up shops at Green Sun, or Soma Stores, as they’re called, could be the place to go. Similarly, the Power Plant Mall's Archaeology wing has a good selection of affordable fashion pieces as well.

At these stores, you can expect to find pieces for as low as P500 and as high as P3,500 for jackets and long dresses.  

But for a quick, easy, and effortlessly stylish gift, you can always just give your graduate a set of gift certificates for their favorite boutique. Or, if you fancy yourself a makeover master, you can even set up a shopping date for just the two of you. Not only will your graduate have a new set of clothes, but an awesome memory with you to go with it.

Tools for school

Starting college can also be tough because for many it means moving out for the first time into a dorm or nearby condo.

They may not be the most glamorous of gifts, but functional, semi-large purchases like a refrigerator, a bed, a television or even a Wi-Fi subscription are things your graduate will surely appreciate and will definitely be able to use.

Being much the practical science school graduate, 17-year-old Victoria from Makati wants to receive “things that I can use every day like bags, laptop, casual wear… or a gift certificate to buy whatever… I will need when I get to college.”  

Anything useful should make a great gift and shops all over the metro are aware of this, with seasonal instalment plans and promos becoming available exclusively this month. The “Grand Summer” sales from Calamba Premiere International Park (CPIP) and AV Surfer are among the big discount events to look forward to this time of the year. The latter ends on March 31.

A memento

And precisely because going to college can be so tough, your graduate will need something to remind them that you’ve got their back.

“I would probably want to receive gifts from my friends,” continued Victoria. “I would be really thankful and contented with just a graduation letter. I think [my friends] have the same preference… A graduation letter or message will be a great gift.”

Splurge on something special

Not only is graduating high school a step toward the realities of college life, but it is also considered a great milestone and a cause for big celebration. When else will you give your child a Rolex, or that arguably overpriced designer bag?

Okay, maybe putting it off ‘til after college isn’t such a bad idea. But if you are someone with deep pockets or are feeling especially generous, then now is the perfect time to let go of all that extra income.

A serious set of jewelry or spiffy leather goods are simple, classic ways to welcome a young graduate into the world of adulthood, or in the same thought, to acknowledge their coming of age.

Curated online shopping website AVA.ph offers instalment plans for purchases of designer bags.

Most jewelry shops also have similar arrangements. For a young girl, a pretty charm bracelet like those found at Thomas Sabo would make an ideal present.

Expect to spend P3,000 to P6,000 on the bracelet alone and roughly P1,500 per charm. The beauty with charm bracelets is you can do with just one charm at first and leave it to time to accumulate the rest.

But if giving material rewards isn’t quite your style, opening a new bank account or even purchasing stock in their name are other smart and special ways to celebrate their accomplishment and ease them into new levels of responsibility. — BM, GMA News