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A graduation gift for myself (selfish thread)
QuarterMaster
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I graduated from high school this (last?) summer, and my parents recently approached me about a graduation gift. I hadn't really considered it much, as I was happy enough with them paying for college. And now I'm having a lot of difficulty choosing something that is really worth the investment.
We had originally discussed a bike, since I'm attending school in Portland; however, I would have absolutely no use for it until I actually move into the city, which at this point is completely up in the air. I know I will eventually, but it might not even be until next year. Now I have no idea..a watch? TV? Boxes o' Porn? :winky:
Those of you who have received a grad gift - what did you choose and why? Any suggestions? And everyone else, what would you choose if you could? Anything goes!
P.S. I believe the limit is around $300 or so.
Edit: Here are some things that I already have, just to clarify:
- Netbook, use it almost every day for/between classes and love it
- TV. However, it's old and huge (heavy) and will probably not come with me when I move out
- Xbox, which is one reason I was considering a nice LCD (maybe 32")
- A job at PSU
- Some of my own money in stocks, although not that much
I currently live in Vancouver, so I drive partway in and take public transit the rest of the way. I'm in Portland every day essentially from 9-5, which is why I wouldn't have any use for a bike at the moment. However, when I do end up moving down I won't bring my car, so it's still very tempting. A suit also seems like it might be a good idea, although I can't really think of any situation outside of a job interview that will require one.
We had originally discussed a bike, since I'm attending school in Portland; however, I would have absolutely no use for it until I actually move into the city, which at this point is completely up in the air. I know I will eventually, but it might not even be until next year. Now I have no idea..a watch? TV? Boxes o' Porn? :winky:
Those of you who have received a grad gift - what did you choose and why? Any suggestions? And everyone else, what would you choose if you could? Anything goes!
P.S. I believe the limit is around $300 or so.
Edit: Here are some things that I already have, just to clarify:
- Netbook, use it almost every day for/between classes and love it
- TV. However, it's old and huge (heavy) and will probably not come with me when I move out
- Xbox, which is one reason I was considering a nice LCD (maybe 32")
- A job at PSU
- Some of my own money in stocks, although not that much
I currently live in Vancouver, so I drive partway in and take public transit the rest of the way. I'm in Portland every day essentially from 9-5, which is why I wouldn't have any use for a bike at the moment. However, when I do end up moving down I won't bring my car, so it's still very tempting. A suit also seems like it might be a good idea, although I can't really think of any situation outside of a job interview that will require one.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
QuarterMaster on
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i couldn't agree more
Stuff that you really will want:
a good suit. Probably also a tux of your own.
A water kettle.
AS MANY SOCKS AS YOU CAN GET. YOU WILL LOSE SOCKS.
But yeah, a suit becomes important.
http://numberblog.wordpress.com/
What? I didn't have a TV until third year, and that was a $99 CRT piece of shit in my bedroom.
A bike is a good idea, since you'll eventually need it and your parents are basically fronting that very expensive investment. When you eventually want one, it's going to suck having to fork out a few hundred bucks when you're tight on cash already.
Who needs a TV in college
Suit is a good idea
you won't need a TV in college, but you'll need a tuxedo? :rotate:
I think bicycle is a great idea, especially for portland. If not that, maybe neat furniture that you could take with you?
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Suit
I've had to wear my suit so many times
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
I'm a 3rd year business student, if you're a philosophy major you might not need a suit
oh
yeah who the fuck needs a tux i've never worn one in my entire life
Shogun Streams Vidya
If you're going to school in Portland but not living there (in the suburbs?) then I assume you'll be commuting in for some long days, staying for breaks between classes. A netbook may be useful in that situation, to work on assignments, watch hulu, read PA. There's always computer labs and libraries for that, but maybe sometimes you'd rather be outside, in a coffee shop, by yourself, etc. Also, I guess kids take notes on them these days? That may not be your style though. I think the real value is for between classes, especially if you're commuting to school.
Fuck I love my netbook and my suits.
with a laptop inside.
It was seriously useful when I moved out a couple months later (they lived out of town, not a horribly far drive but crazy hours of school & work = wanting to live on my own), and I even used the luggage when I went out of town to visit my grandma
It's been ages, but I think all I got for my HS graduation was money and dormy stuff (rollaway storage, huge towels, shit like that). If it were me, I'd go for the decent TV - I had a shitbox CRT in college and I was still one of like 3 people on my floor with a TV, which lead to many "movie nights" up in my room. Which generally led to other things, et cetera.
Since this is a graduation gift, I'd say you should get something you'll really enjoy! It's a reward for doing well in high school, after all, and if you don't need it for anything practical currently, you should just pick something that you'll have fun with!
A TV is a good idea. Some people have said there's no use for them, but I've definitely used my TV a lot -- playing games with friends, inviting people over to watch movies, a nice TV is a good thing to have around for yourself and for gatherings. $300 will buy you a good netbook, too, if you don't already have a laptop.
I didn't get a graduation gift, but the first summer I came home I worked the whole time and got myself a nice big TV to take back with me. Haven't had any regrets about that at all!
Like others have said, taking the cash and just having it for expenses in college isn't a bad idea, either. It's always good to have the extra cash when people want to go out and do something or if you want to buy yourself something while you're up there and cash is a little tighter.
A TV: maybe, but you're fine without one. Your roomates might have one, and you might find that you don't care.
Don't save it for beer money. That shit will go quicker than you ever dreamed, and you'll have nothing to show for it. Just make do like everyone else.
A laptop is the best thing you can possibly own in college, even if its only a tiny netbook.
A bike is your best option if you can't get a netbook, or if you already own a laptop.
Anecdotal evidence: BF wanted a bike and got on on CL for $400, he loves it and doesn't need a car because of it (we live in Austin, TX).
A bike will keep you in shape, get you where you need to go, and is actually a pretty good investment when compared to a car. It's cheaper to maintain, too
Little school? Don't need a bike. Big school? Really need a bike.
Where I go, you'll need a suit frequently and you'll probably be renting a tux for social events 2-3 times a year, at which point it becomes useful to buy. We are very ... dressy people.
Of course you can get a cheap suit. It won't be the best suit money can buy, but for those occasions when "Oh shit I need a suit" you'll have a suit. I got my interview suit for about $300.
You need a laptop but it'll be more than $300.
I got good luggage for my graduation present. It is the most beautiful luggage in all the world. If you intend to go home a lot, luggage is good.
I'll second the advice about booze. You have no idea how much people can drink. It will be gone in one evening.
http://numberblog.wordpress.com/
TV
Bike
Cold Cash
Luggage
A Suit
Laptop/Netbook (Seperate?)
Smells like a poll thread to me!
Even if you already have a Notebook. A small netbook you can take notes with and look stuff up on the internet on in class will be great. I hated lugging my Notebook to class as it was heavier than most my books.
Second Vote is for TV. A nice thing to have in a Dorm or Apartment. You will always be able to invite that girl to watch a movie after the party(even though you will only see the opening credits).
It will show your parents that you're forward thinking and seeing as how you didn't want a gift anyway it'd be nice to have a little emergency scratch for when you graduate.
my graduation present was cash which is a completely viable option if you can convince your parents to go for it.
and watch all my tv on the internet
hence
no need for a tv
I never wore a suit once to a college function, except maybe for graduation. I wouldn't get a suit.
- Netbook, use it almost every day for/between classes and love it
- TV. However, it's old and huge (heavy) and will probably not come with me when I move out
- Xbox, which is one reason I was considering a nice LCD (maybe 32")
- A job at PSU
- Some of my own money in stocks, although not that much
I currently live in Vancouver, so I drive partway in and take public transit the rest of the way. I'm in Portland every day essentially from 9-5, which is why I wouldn't have any use for a bike at the moment. However, when I do end up moving down I won't bring my car, so it's still very tempting. A suit also seems like it might be a good idea, although I can't really think of any situation outside of a job interview that will require one.
Sorry I didn't point some of that out sooner, but thanks for the replies so far! Keep 'em coming!
Just remember that if you get a bike you'll also need to buy a decent lock (think around 10% of the cost of the bike), a helmet, some lights, maybe a high-visibility jacket, maybe a rear mud-guard (if it rains a lot where you are, otherwise your back is going to get wet and muddy), maybe a water bottle and holder. Theres a shit load of accesories you might need as well, so don't spend all $300 on the bike itself, think maybe $200-$250.
get a TV then. not anything big though as you don;t want it to get stolen nor do you want it to get broken or be too valuable to replace.
I wouldn't go so far as to grab a suit if you already have decent pants and a tie. If you end up needing a suit for a job interview as a senior you won't want to be wearing something that was tailored three years ago anyway.
I have an LCD for my computer at home, which would probably work for myself, but if I ever wanted to play split screen games/have movie nights/etc., I'd probably want something bigger.
Right now it seems to be between the bike and the TV. There's a possibility I could ask for one of the two for Christmas, or at least split the cost. Not sure about that though.