What NOT to Gift Your High School Senior for Graduation

If you know and love a high school senior, chances are you'll be looking for a gift for them if you haven't already. Something to celebrate their accomplishments and send them off to college, or maybe even their first apartment.

Graduation Gifts For 2025 Seniors

I remember receiving lots of personalized items like towels, laundry bags, and even picture frames to keep photos of high school memories as I moved into Threlkeld Hall at the University of Louisville.

Shared Spaces = Lessons Learned

It was a traditional co-ed honors dorm where I shared my room with my random roommate (that's a whole story of its own). The bathrooms and common area were shared with a couple dozen other girls, and we all used the same kitchen appliances minus our personal mini-fridges. It was definitely a challenge at times, but I will forever encourage college freshmen to live on campus at least for that first year.

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Those lessons learned are invaluable. Especially when it comes to cleaning up after yourself and dealing with your peers who are maybe struggling in that department. Take the shared kitchen appliances I mentioned earlier, for example. A communal microwave can get pretty nasty, pretty quickly, but there is a reason everyone can't have their own.

On-Campus Housing Fire Hazards

Microwaves and other small appliances with heating elements can be fire hazards. Many of them are not allowed to be used in individual dorm rooms on campus. Here is a list of some examples of items NOT to gift a graduating senior. Chances are, they'll be confiscated if they try to use them.

Air Fryer

Toaster

Traditional Coffee Pot

Hot Plate

Crock Pot

Refrigerator bigger than dorm-size

Candles

What to Gift Graduating High School Seniors

While all campus guidelines are different, it is a safe bet that most will agree it's not a great idea for candles to burn willy-nilly in a building where hundreds of young folks are learning how to make good choices. Even I forget to blow them out sometimes. Keep this in mind when you are deciding what to gift that special student. I'd go for a gift card to their favorite restaurant instead. Or even some cool school gear!