SALT LAKE CITY — May is now upon us, and with it comes not only flowers but also high school graduations. If your teen finishes high school this year, check out these twenty-one unique graduation gifts. Some gifts will delight immediately while others will be most appreciated in college.

Dorm Life

• PBteen Monogrammed Towels. A monogrammed towel set means your graduate won’t mix up their towels with someone else’s, even if they leave them in a community dryer for hours on end.
• Herschel Supply Co. Novel Duffel Bag. Encourage your graduate to travel with the Herschel duffel bag. It fits into overhead storage and even features a dedicated shoe compartment.
• Laundry Trolley Dolly. A laundry cart will save your kid on those long trips to the communal laundry room—particularly the student who’ll be living on an upper dormitory floor.

Dorm Room Meals

• Nostalgia Compact Microwave. Not all dorms allow students to have microwaves in their rooms, so check before purchasing the Nostalgia. Its compact size—0.9 cubic feet—and retro accents make it a fun fit for any dorm room.
• Rapid Ramen Cooker. You know your soon-to-be college student is going to live off ramen, so satisfy the need with the Rapid Ramen Cooker. Complement it with the recipe book 101 More Things to Do with Ramen.
• Cuisinart 12-Cup and Single-Cup Coffee Maker. This dual-purpose coffeemaker grows with your kid as they head to a dorm, then to off-campus housing. Complete the gift with a personalized “Congratulations, Graduate” coffee mug.

Study Breaks

• Awkward Moments at Work Game. Prepare your kid for “awkward moments” at the workplace. The game is comparable to Apples to Apples, Exploding Kittens, and Cards Against Humanity.
• Portable Table Tennis Set. Let the games begin in your teen’s dorm room with a portable table tennis set.
• Mini Foosball Table. You’ll score points with your kid and their roommate with the gift of a mini foosball table.

Campus Transportation and Safety

• GMC Denali Bicycle. Some campuses provide a bicycle ride-share service. If your student’s university doesn’t, this bicycle can help them get to where they need to go.
• Nite Ize Handlebar Mount. Keep your kid’s eyes on the road and pedestrians with this “handy” handlebar mount that works with all smartphones.
• Revolar Clip-On Safety Wearable. This wearable ensures your graduate’s personal safety. They can program the device to send out requests for help with just a button click if they find themselves in danger.

Technology

• Dell XPS 13 Laptop. The Dell model provides long-lasting battery life and fast performance. If you want to shop around, be sure to check out how the top laptops compare.
• Native Union Switch Bluetooth Speaker. Wonderful Bluetooth speakers abound, but the Switch offers additional features: vibrant colors and a built-in microphone and charger. Plus, the blue one looks a bit like the TARDIS.
• Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones. When dorm life gets too dramatic, your college student will be able to tune it out with Bose’s noise-canceling headphones.

Internet and Entertainment

• XFINITY Internet. Your student will need a solid internet connection to conduct research, stream music, play games, and, let’s face it, binge Netflix.
• Amazon Echo Dot. Power up your kid’s dorm room with Amazon Alexa, the smart, voice-activated assistant that controls apps and retrieves information. Complement the purchase with an Amazon Prime Student account to help them save on books.
• Roku Streaming Stick. Almost any streaming device could work for your soon-to-be college student, but the Roku’s portability makes it stand out. Your kid can watch shows in their room or take it down to the common area to share it with other freshmen.
• HBO, Netflix, or a Dish Tv subscription. Seems like an odd gift to give your students, but trust me, they're going to need to fry their brains watching mindless TV when they're not racking their brains studying.

Subscriptions

• Graze. If your high school graduate moves into a dorm next fall, opt for a subscription box like Graze. It features all sorts of healthy, yummy snacks to help offset all the pizza they’ll be eating.
• FabFitFun. Choose the FabFitFun subscription box for your graduate’s health and beauty needs. It offers a little more variety than Birchbox or Stitch Fix.
• Harry’s Shave Plan. You could treat your young adult with Loot Crate, but space is at a premium in the dorm room. Settle for something fun, yet practical, with Harry’s Shave Plan.

Brooke Nally is native to Utah but likes to see other parts of the world as often as she can. You can contact her at brookelynnally@gmail.com.

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