‘I’ll be able to take it with me wherever I live’: graduates’ best gifts

Graduating is a moment friends and family often mark with a gift. “When I graduated from York, my parents treated me to a meal at a restaurant I’d had my eye on since starting my course,” says reader Toby Beer, a biology graduate. Alternatively, buy them a voucher for their favourite restaurant, or one that covers various restaurants, such as Squaremeal.

Some graduates treasure a camera to record the day. “I was given a Canon G7 X [digital camera],” says fashion graduate Kayleigh McKenna. A reusable point-and-shoot film camera is a more affordable option for an analogue-loving gen Zer: Kodak’s Ektar H35 shoots on half-frame film, so the recipient can get twice as many shots from each roll.

Others favoured sentimental keepsakes. “My parents gave me a painting by Kimi Zoet that features all of my favourite spots in the city where I went to university, along with the houses I lived in. I’ll be able to take it with me wherever I live in the future,” says Mia.

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