17 Gifts the Class of 2020 Really Wants for Graduation—Yes, We Asked

The the class of 2020 is, sadly due to the coronavirus, not able to walk across the stage in front of their classmates, friends, and families to receive their diplomas. Even without a global pandemic, the postcollege transition is a difficult time as students turn into young professionals. A meaningful gift is more important this year than ever, even if it can’t totally replace the experience of walking across a stage.

Recent Ohio State grad, Montana Wilkie told Vogue that many of the seniors there had plans to travel internationally after graduation before starting their working lives, but now they’re staying put. To bring some escapism into their lives, consider some travel books, an escapist framed print, or a brand-new camera as possible graduation gift ideas this semester. One soon-to-be NYU alum, Lynn Fu, is throwing a take-out graduation dinner for herself and her roommates, thanks to delivery services like Seamless and Grubhub and courtesy of her family, making celebrating together in quarantine possible, and feeling a little more “normal.” Help your grad celebrate properly with a set of “real adult” yet millennial-approved plates, glassware, or swanky cocktail equipment, and treat them to a grocery or food delivery gift card, or a delivery of Champagne.

You can’t go wrong with sentimental, stylish classics like a charm bracelet, designer belt, forever timepiece, or long-lasting leather crossbody bag either. There’s one gift, however, grads do not want this year: “Please no coronavirus jokes or cards,” says Fu. The class of 2020 is also going through the pandemic, and like the rest of us, and doesn’t need to be constantly reminded of it. If there’s one thing you can do to cheer up your graduating friends or family, it is to make this milestone more meaningful and special, and here are 17 graduation gift ideas vetted by the class of 2020 to do just that.