Pomp and Circumstance ๐๐
Last Friday, I woke up at noon, hopped on Zoom, and officially graduated from USC with degrees in journalism and linguistics. Now we donโt have time to unpack all my complicated feelings surrounding that, but the long and short of it is that I now hold two B.A.s but no job, so if you hear of any entry-level positions involving journalism, brand content creation, or marketing/PR, please send them my way at kittylguo@gmail.com! (Feel free to also send congratulations.)
Now that I am a college graduate, with all the wisdom and sagacity such status entails, I have some ideas about what wouldโve made my college experience a little easier. If you have a high school grad in your life and youโre not sure what to gift them, allow me to educate you:ย
Wall-safe adhesive putty
REMOVABLE MOUNTING PUTTY - SCOTCH
Everyone wants to hang pictures and posters up on their walls, but if that double-sided Scotch tape causes so much as a single flake of paint to chip, you can kiss your security deposit goodbye. Eliminate the risk entirely with some wall-safe adhesive putty, which I picked up from my local Office Depot. No guarantees about the broken toilet, though.ย ย
Stainless steel pedal trash can
STAINLESS STEEL 13 GAL. STEP TRASH CAN - KOHLER
Do not for the love of God buy a kitchen trash can that comes with a swing lid. For one, nobody wants to wrestle with the lid while their hands are full of raw eggshells, and two, all that fumbling around is inevitably going to get garbage juice everywhere. I learned this lesson the hard way, after I tossed three cheap plastic ones from Target that all ended up rancid and coated with grime. I shouldโve just sucked it up and bought a nice, pricey trash can in the first place, one of those pedal ones that come in odor-free, easy-to-clean stainless steel.ย
Sturdy bed frameย
BRIMNES BED FRAME WITH STORAGE AND HEADBOARD - IKEA
For two years, Iโve slept on a flimsy, foldable metal bed frame that creaked and groaned at the slightest shift. I've come to recognize and appreciate the merits of a solid wooden frame, preferably with drawers for extra storage space. Sure, it might be a headache to move at the end of the year, but believe me, itโs worth it to avoid a nightly โPrincess and the Peaโ situation. Also, this gift will prevent the recipient from becoming one of those Tinder horror stories where people find out their date sleeps on a mattress on the floor.ย
Toiletry bag
Sorry parents, but the truth of the matter is there will be nights where your child doesnโt spend the night in their own bed. Not to overgeneralize, but in my experience, the boys who carried a nice toiletry bag were always much more courteous and attentive than the boys who lugged around their toothbrush, retainer, contacts case, razor, etc. in a plastic Ziploc.
Picnic blanket
PLAID LINEN PICNIC BLANKET - THE BALTIC GREEN
On graduation day, my boyfriend and I went for a picnic on campus. It was late afternoon, very still and quiet. He read a book and played Talking Heads. I drank a homemade strawberry daiquiri and stretched out on the blanket. For a moment, it seemed as if it had all been a bad dream; as if Iโd just dozed off under the sun, and when I woke up the shadows would be lengthening and my boyfriend would be cleaning up and we would go home to a raucous graduation party.
Lots of events in college take place on a lawn โ an improv performance, an outdoor concert, a movie night under the stars. But who knows when such activities will resume, or if they ever will? Getting a picnic blanket right now is less a practical offering and more a sign of optimism. But get one anyway, and I hope with all my heart that it will be used often and repeatedly, until it is thin and threadbare.