Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Gift ideas: the grad student
16
items If you have someone you care about who is in graduate school and you want some cute gifts to help them get through the semester, this is the list for you. Recommendations from free to $300+.
Sections
4
Practical gifts
Fun gifts
Celebrating milestones
The supervisor meetings
Practical gifts
Sometimes practical gifts are the way to go. Make your grad student feel seen with office supplies and a candle.
This is for your grad student who needs something to provide a small amount of decor but also needs something to help bring their anxiety down while they study.
Coffee & Whiskey 3-Wick Candle - White Barn | Bath & Body Works
I'm not sure there is anything more classic than the canary yellow post it. Write things down. Stick them places. Panic about where you stuck them.
Post-it Super Sticky Notes, 3" x 3", Canary Yellow, 90 Sheets/Pad, 10 Pads/Pack (654-10SSCY)
We are all walking around dehydrated. Remind your person to hydrate, it helps the brain. These water bottles keep your water cold and are expensive enough you have to keep track of them
40 oz Wide Mouth with Flex Straw Cap
Honestly, highlighters are often the enemy of good studying. But they make you feel like you did something. And sometimes, that's all you need.
Pastel Eco Friendly Focused Square Highlighters 4-Pack | Erin Condren
Sometimes the best things in life are free. Send this to your grad student - they might think they know it. But they need to know it.
Advice about grad school from a Ph.D. holder looking back a decade later (opinion)
Fun gifts
A little levity and comfort goes a long way. Maybe your friend disappeared into the lab or the library - if you want to remind them to chill, here are some suggestions.
Remind them why they're doing this with these cute cards. Great for after comps
Look At You Getting Your Doctorate And Shit
These are great for someone who needs to feel productive while they procrastinate. Make the pretty things while capturing the mood.
Fuck Off, I'm Coloring: Unwind with 50 Obnoxiously Fun Swear Word Coloring Pages (Funny Activity Book, Adult Coloring Books, Curse Words, Swear Humor, Profanity Activity, Funny Gift Book)|Paperback
These are the bomb. Yes, I went there & I stand by it. Sometimes your grad student just needs warm feet and something that doesn't require any work.
Women's Cable Knit Gripper Slipper
Celebrating milestones
Gifts to celebrate things like passing comprehensive exams, defending the proposal, defending the dissertation and graduating
Does it feel absurd to buy someone a $300 pen, yes. But if you're looking for a gift a new PhD will definitely not buy themselves... it's this pen. Writes beautifully.
PIX Black Ballpoint Pen
It's job hunt time, send them on the market with this padfolio. It projects confidence, so even when they're exhausted and terrified they can look good.
Zip-Around Letter Pad
This is a great gift for someone who hoards cards and letters but needs a little organizational help.
Graduate & Life Essentials Vault Keepsake Box
Another nice option for someone who needs to up their note taking game
Monogrammed Classic Refillable Journal | Mark and Graham
Your grad student is presenting their first paper at a national conference, help them resist the temptation to shove the business cards they get into their pocket or lose them in the bottom of the bag.
Envelope Card Case
The supervisor meetings
Honestly, I'm not sure it matters how close you are to your advisor. These meetings are exhausting. Usually good, but always exhausting.
Sometimes, after these meetings, you just need a drink. Comfort them with a reminder of where they came from.
Home Town Map Rocks Glass
Give this to your grad student early, like before they go. Add to the anxiety, sure. But this book has some excellent advice and is very helpful at pointing out somethings to know. Including, how to navigate the supervisor/advisor relationship
57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad School: Perverse Professional Lessons for Graduate Students|Paperback
You should always take a notebook to your supervisor meeting. Yes, they're giving you feedback. No, you're not going to remember it.
This is your chance to help your grad student out and make sure they have a notebook. A notebook for comps, a notebook for the dissertation, a research ideas notebook. Yes, grad students need a lot of notebooks.
This is your chance to help your grad student out and make sure they have a notebook. A notebook for comps, a notebook for the dissertation, a research ideas notebook. Yes, grad students need a lot of notebooks.
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Hard Cover, Black, Medium with Ruled pages