You have been invited to Commencement, and want to bring a suitable gift. But what do Harvard students want? What should you avoid? To help out, I have done a completely unscientific survey of friends and fellow Harvard travelers on the Internet to gather tips for shopping for the perfect gift. One often-heard suggestion is, Stick to what works. "I generally suggest possibilities for gifts to my parents," says Derek Bambauer '96. "It's a trade-off between getting what you value and being surprised, but I lean towards being practical and making sure that they don't spend money on what I can't use."

Most students don't expect anything big. "Wasn't footing the bill for the last four years of Camp Harvard enough?" asks Sarah Tuttleton '96. "I would rather my parents not waste money on anything and just come to graduation and have a good time," says John Dooley '96.

But when pushed, the same students express extravagant dreams. "A Ferrari!" exclaims Tuttleton. "A new car would be nice," admits Dooley. "Since I'm graduating in three years, my parents are saving a year's tuition. A European vacation or new furniture for my apartment would also be great." Seniors going on to graduate school may ask for notebook computers or electronic personal organizers. But be sure to check on specifics like make, model, or previous time commitments (if you're giving a trip!) to avoid an expensive disappointment.

Suppose you have already arrived for Commencement and are looking for a small gift that perfectly expresses your pride in your student. In and around Harvard Square you can find endless ideas: from antique cameras to the latest automatic, super-zoom, error-proof variety at Ferranti-Dege, from wall-blasting speakers to surround-sound stereo systems at Cambridge Sound Works, from old-fashioned typewriters to laptops and notebooks at University Typewriter Co. Discover everything from fragrant soaps, candles, and bath supplies at Origins to decorative glassware and ceramics at Wordsworth Abridged. Amuse yourself with science kits at Learningsmith or Star Trek collectibles at Man from Atlantis. From decorative beeswax candles and garden sculptures at Selletto to leather wallets and travel bags at Leather World, you will lack no option.

Around Commencement, the Square will turn into a stampeding mass of frantic shoppers, but there are several stores that offer especially creative gift ideas. Stop at Leavitt & Peirce to pick up the perfect celebratory cigar and admire the barbershop ambiance: shaving supplies, aftershave colognes, and beard-grooming kits. The Davidoff Anniversario No.1 cigar, which comes in its own cedarwood case, is their most popular Commencement gift. If you're against tobacco products, you can peruse the collectors' pens, knives, model cars, and, in the back of the store, many hand-crafted game boards, from chess to Japanese shogi.

If you want to remind your graduate to write often, stop by Bob Slate's to order personalized stationery. The store offers genuine engraving: you choose the design and paper and they will make a copper plate with a hand-lettered design from which to engrave the stationery. Afterwards you can keep the original engraved copper plate and include it as part of the gift for your graduate's future use.

The Harvard Coop offers many possibilities, including endless shelves of Harvard insignia products-from Harvard sweatshirts to the Harvard chair. "Insignia items are the most popular gifts at Commencement," notes Coop president Jerry Murphy. "The Harvard chair is always popular, but especially so around graduation, because it's practical-perfect for the new apartment or house-and it lasts a long time. Our insignia clothing is also a very popular gift for both students and alumni."

But such items do not suit everyone. "I've sat [in a Harvard chair] for four years-and they're just not that comfortable," warns Tuttleton. If you've never seen your student display Veritas in public, despite having lived in Cambridge for four years, steer clear of insignia products.

Getting a unique or personalized gift requires some investigation and research. Acceptable tactics include calling up your senior's friends or roommates when he or she is not around. A good chance exists that someone has heard her say, "What I really want for graduation is..." Don't forget to ask about hobbies. What does he like to do outside of class or on vacations? Most sports and hobbies, from scuba diving (my own passion) to skiing, offer inexhaustible lists of "essential" gadgets that make great gifts.

Most students can never own enough tapes and CDs. Popular music stores in the Square include HMV, Tower Records, Newbury Comics, and Strawberries. They all offer gift certificates if you are unsure of your graduate's musical tastes.

Also consider sending your gift ahead of time. One easy option is to let Harvard Student Agencies' catering service deliver a cake, with a design and message that you specify, to your student's House. This way, an entire rooming group may benefit from your generosity.

Don't forget to look beyond Harvard Square to the rest of Cambridge and to Boston. The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard, a paperback available at the Coop or from your favorite student, lists shops by category and provides directions for getting to places like Cambridgeside Galleria, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Newbury Street, and Copley Place.

Whatever you choose to do, make gift-giving a fun and meaningful experience. Often the simple, personalized gifts-especially if they have sentimental value to you and your graduate-will be the most treasured. "I think my mom plans to give me a necklace and pendant she wore to her graduation," says Sylvia Lee '96. "It means a lot to have my own family tradition. I can't think of a better gift."

Thinh Nguyen '96, one of Harvard Magazine's Ledecky Fellows, received his graduation gift in the form of a scuba-diving trip over spring break.

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