I was very fortunate to receive a lot of love and many wonderful gifts on my high school graduation which was, ahem, a quarter century ago. Some gifts were sentimental, some were practical, and they were all very appreciated. In the practical category, there were a few that have traveled with me to campus and beyond. In fact, I used them both just this weekend.
It’s a first aid and medicine storage kit.
Before graduation, one of my mom’s best friends asked what I wanted. My wise mother told her what I needed – a first aid kit. The friend had two daughters who were older than I, and sprung into action.
She started with a plastic container with a hinged lid. If it’s lasted this long, you know it’s heavy duty. As a bonus, she selected one in my favorite color. Then she stocked it full of pain relievers, band aids, cold medicine, a thermometer, calamine lotion, etc. An ice pack and an Ace bandage are good ideas, too. Leave some room to include additional medications and items as needed.
Of course, you can now buy ready-made first aid kits for college students (like this one), as the number of dorm-related gifts available has expanded dramatically in the past quarter century. But this items was more personalized and it’s a bit more cost-effective to put it together yourself.
Attach` an envelope to keep a copy of their insurance card, a list of doctors/medications/allergies, the number and hours of the campus health clinic and other relevant information.
Dr. Geoffrey Hart-Cooper, a pediatrician in Stanford Children’s Health Peninsula Pediatric Medical Group, recommends reviewing the contents of the kit with your teen and making sure they understand how to read the labels and proper dosing.
To this day, I still use that plastic box to store medications, bandages, and ointments, and pretty much in the same order that she had stocked it.
Another gift I received from my parents that has stood the test of time is a beach towel with the logo of the college I had chosen. College logos typically stay the same or substantially similar so they don’t become dated right away.
Beach towels can be used in several ways. This gift’s first use was as a decoration for my graduation party. I’m pretty sure it was used to clean up some dorm room spills (which I don’t want to think too hard about) and serving as a “guest towel” when a friend visited as well as being packed in the beach bag.
What practical graduation gifts have stood the test of time for you?
