When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team.
Hearing the familiar strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" means one thing: commencement season has arrived. Graduating from high school or college is a momentous occasion — so celebrate your favorite scholar with a special keepsake or gift that will be indispensable as they embark on their next chapter of life.
Avec Linen Classic sheet set
Sweet dreams are inevitable on Avec's cozy sheets
Moving out of a dorm — and a Twin XL bed — calls for brand new, luxe sheets. Avec's Linen Classic top and fitted sheets and pillowcases are made out of an incredibly soft linen-blend fabric that gets smoother after every wash. With this cozy bedding, a good night's sleep is all but guaranteed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
$197, Avec
Custom gourmet fortune cookies
Each cookie has its own meaningful message
Their future is bright, and you can give them a dessert to prove it. Tucked inside these 12 handmade cookies are fortunes you get to select from a list of more than 80 options. The chocolate-covered treats arrive in a cute takeout-style box, ready to be cracked open and savored.
$42, Uncommon Goods
Five Minute Journal: Graduate Edition
The Five Minute Journal is a great option for a person seeking structure
As exciting as it is to graduate, it can also be scary to jump into the real world. The Five Minute Journal aims to alleviate those worries through writing prompts designed to help users "become more mindful and live with intention." Spending just a few minutes in the morning jotting down hopes for the day and going back at night to reflect on what actually happened can lead to clarity and gratitude.
$28.95, The Paper Store
Locket Sisters Roxie Belle heart locket
Two photos can be inserted into the locket
Meet the modern version of the classic heart locket. Instead of grabbing scissors and cutting up a photograph so it fits inside, you simply upload the image and let Locket Sisters take it from there. They crop the picture, print it and securely place it inside the locket with a protective resin. Dainty and delicate, the heart locket is made of sterling silver and comes with a chain, with options ranging from 16 inches to 30 inches long.
$150, Locket Sisters
Mount Royal gold plated pocket watch
A pocket watch often becomes a family heirloom
A pocket watch can both commemorates a milestone and serve as a reminder that time marches on. This mechanical double hunter pocket watch has a skeleton dial style, allowing you to see the gears and wheels inside. The case is snazzy enough on its own, but can also be engraved with a date, name or short sentimental message.
$160, Pocket Watch
Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker
Lattes, macchiatos and cappuccinos are made easier with the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker
Turn their kitchen into a coffeehouse with this versatile machine. It brews four different styles of coffee in six sizes, from one cup to a full carafe, and has a built-in frother that folds away when not in use. Traditionalists might just use it for black coffee in the morning, but those open to channeling their inner baristas can have fun making lattes, macchiatos and cappuccinos.
$139.99, Amazon
Papier personalized notecards
Personalized notecards make a message stand out
With a beautiful set of personalized notecards, your graduate just might discover the lost art of letter writing. Papier offers dozens of designs from different artists and uses thick, "satisfyingly textured" paper for its cards, with plain white envelopes included in each kit.
Starting at $66 for 20 cards, Papier
Rollink Flex Vega medium checked suitcase
The Flex Vega suitcase flattens to two inches
Think of all the places they can go with this collapsible suitcase. From a post-graduation jaunt to their first trip for work, the Rollink Flex Vega will keep up, with its sturdy polycarbonate hard shell and coated wheels. The suitcase carries a lot when fully expanded, but flattens to just two inches thick for easy storage; slip it under a bed or in a closet until the next vacation.
$186.75, Rollink
Swarovski Crystalline Nova pen
This Swarovski pen dazzles
A little sparkle makes everything better, and Swarovski's blinged out Crystalline Nova pen takes that sentiment to the next level. Filled with more than 1,000 crystals, it puts on a show as it glides across paper — jotting down a grocery list or to-do list just became a lot more glamorous.
$69, Swarovski
-
The future of the Paris AgreementThe Explainer UN secretary general warns it is ‘inevitable’ the world will overshoot 1.5C target, but there is still time to change course
-
A scenic road trip in the French RivieraThe Week Recommends The mild climate of the Côte d’Azur makes it ideal for shoulder season
-
DC tourism has taken a hitUnder the Radar The government shutdown has reduced tourist attractions
-
The 5 best nuclear war movies of all timeThe Week Recommends ‘A House of Dynamite’ reanimates a dormant cinematic genre for our new age of atomic insecurity
-
Love chocolate? Travel to these destinations to get your sweet fixThe Week Recommends Treat yourself with chocolate experiences, both internal and external
-
One great cookbook: Niloufer Ichaporia King’s ‘My Bombay Kitchen’The Week Recommends A personal, scholarly wander through a singular cuisine
-
7 mountain hotels perfect for a tranquil autumn or winter escapeThe Week Recommends Get (altitude) high and unwind
-
The 5 best political thriller series of the 21st centuryThe Week Recommends Viewers can binge on most anything, including espionage and the formation of parliamentary coalitions
-
The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st centuryThe Week Recommends From Santa Claus to suicide terrorism, these movies skewered big, taboo subjects
-
Everything you need to know about last-minute travelThe Week Recommends You can book an awesome trip with a moment’s notice
-
The 7 best police procedurals of all timeThe Week Recommends There’s more to cops and robbers than just nabbing the bad guy at the end of the show
