Date Published: 04/29/2008

Graduation often brings about the realization that every little bird needs to leave the nest at some point; simply put, it's a time for the kids to set out into the big, bad world on their own. And while you may not be able to be with them every step of the way, these graduation gifts can make their passage into life's wilderness a bit easier and allow you to share in their journey.


Move and Tote

Whether students are entering college or heading out into the "real" world, they will always need ways of carrying all of their possessions. For potential dormitory residents, we suggest the Adidas Elite Team Duffle Bag. Although usually used for sports gear, duffle bags hold all kinds of items and are perfect for hauling a student's laundry from the dorm, to home and back again.

If your young scholars need to tote their laptops, books, notes and portfolios across campus or to interviews, you can also find bags that are designed with all of these objects in mind. Piel Frama Leather bags are often solid black or brown leather and offer a more professional look, whereas the Timbuk2 Laptop Messanger Bag is a little sportier for everyday use.

Additionally, if your grads need to transfer their laptops from bag to bag, they'll certainly appreciate protective sleeves such as Belkin's Notebook Cases. These padded pockets provide snug protection around most laptops.

Graduates can use Adidas duffle bags to carry their possessions to new places.

On the Road

Just because they're graduates doesn't make them "road" scholars; give them a little bit of direction with a new GPS system. The Garmin nuvi 660 GPS System will guide your graduates with maps of streets and notable locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The nuvi 660's maps are displayed on a 4.3-inch LCD screen in 2D and 3D, and this unit also offers an FM transmitter, MP3 and JPEG storage, and a rechargeable battery that can last up to 7 hours.

The TomTom GO 910 is another GPS system that will get your grads from point A to point B, regardless of what country they are in. The system's preloaded maps included those for the United States, Canada and Europe, making this unit perfect for those studying or traveling abroad. Maps can be displayed in 2D or 3D, and a text-to-speech function presents directions in one of 50 voices in 36 languages.


Digital Postcards

As graduates make their ways into the world, they can track their excursions with a digital video recorder; the Canon DC230 DVD camcorder is ideal for just this purpose. An easy-to-use menu, joystick control and zoom lens make recording a breeze for even a novice cameraperson. And with its various disc and playback options, the DC230 will make it simple for graduates to share their trips into the unknown.

Graduates who aren't aspiring cinematographers, however, will likely appreciate the opportunity to document their adventures using a simple point-and-shoot camera. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS is available under $200 and comes with built-in optical image stabilization to reduce blurs. Three optional converter lenses -- additional zoom, wide-angle and close-up -- are also available for this model.

Graduates can keep in touch with the HP Pavilion dv2500t.

Writing Home

For some graduates, homesickness is a price that's paid for leaving the nest. You can give them the option of writing home whenever they feel like it by presenting them with a new laptop. There are hundreds of models from which to choose, all of which can be used to connect to the Web to send you those e-mails that you'll eagerly wait to read.

Consider the HP Pavilion dv2500t laptop as a basic model for a graduate. Its
slight size and durability make it ideal for toting around campus or the city. This is also the perfect example of a computer that you can mold to your wants and needs; you can easily upgrade its memory, graphics processor and the disc drive. It also features some great, useful standard features.