Your opinion of a right-sized gift for a professor?

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Gauss44

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I live in Boston and would like to give my professors a thanks for teaching me gift. Anyone have ideas about what would be an appropriate non-awkward price range or category of gifts? I'm thinking chocolates, but nice ones, very nice ones. Please warn me about pitfalls and give your opinion of what would work (even if it's not chocolates). Please assume I lack creativity and have no talent for decorating or crafts.
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Something he/she can use regularly. Like a pogo stick or nice cologne or set of soft undies. Chocolates are a safe bet though.

But a nice tie or belt could be an option as well.
 
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some kind of paper weight that is related to the subject he taught you in seems safe to me. Or take a stroll through your local Ross/Marshall and youll something you like.
 
I normally did a nice bag of coffee (if they drink coffee) or a giftcard to a local restaurant for my LoR writers.
 
Bed Bath and Beyond candles that smell like a hotel room have always been my go-to as cliche as it sounds.

(I'm definitely not secretly a Bed Bath and Beyond sales person sent here to prey on pre-meds to buy our new fall-scented candle set)
 
Gurkhali said:
Something he/she can use regularly. Like a pogo stick or nice cologne or set of soft undies. Chocolates are a safe bet though.

But a nice tie or belt could be an option as well.
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Please don't get your professor underwear. That just seems odd.
Chocolates and formal accessories work. Or a bottle of wine.
 
I went with a bottle of wine and a card.

Careful with the labels though. My favorite wine for the money is menage a trois, so i was just gonna bring that. Luckily I realized that could be interpreted poorly and made a different selection.
 
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I didn't get my professors anything for just teaching, but I bought the ones that wrote me letters of rec wine or scotch.
 
You know what means the most -- a heartfelt letter describing the most memorable life lessons you've learned.

Unless you know the faculty member's habits with regard to booze, candy, accessories, allergies, etc I would steer clear of those sorts of gifts.
 
A handwritten note is always appropriate. Beyond that, something you can cook would be good. If you can't cook, then coffee or wine if you know they drink.
 
DokterMom said:
A handwritten note is always appropriate. Beyond that, something you can cook would be good. If you can't cook, then coffee or wine if you know they drink.
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Alternatively, OP could buy some scotch, burbon, or even rye. I'm a fan of Lagavoulin for scotch (a bit peaty), Basil Hayden for bourbon (nice and smooth), and Highwest Rendevouz Rye (I haven't had it personally but it's a family favorite and has good reviews).
 
AnonPanda1 said:
That's actually a great gift and would feel very heart-felt. If I was a professor, I'd love this.
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DokterMom said:
A handwritten note is always appropriate. Beyond that, something you can cook would be good. If you can't cook, then coffee or wine if you know they drink.
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Thanks! I'm a big baker, so I thought it might seem more personal. Plus, picking out wine for someone whose particular tastes I don't know seems intimidating.

(plus baking is cheaper...)
 
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I've personally done baked goods and trinkets like coffee mugs and I've always gotten very positive reactions from professors.

However, I go to a small school, so I've had the same few professors (<15) for 4 years now, so there was a pretty significant relationship already established that made it not weird.
 
Gauss44 said:
I live in Boston and would like to give my professors a thanks for teaching me gift. Anyone have ideas about what would be an appropriate non-awkward price range or category of gifts? I'm thinking chocolates, but nice ones, very nice ones. Please warn me about pitfalls and give your opinion of what would work (even if it's not chocolates). Please assume I lack creativity and have no talent for decorating or crafts.
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OP I did the same in undergrad. I always got them a book related to their field. There's some great/fun literature in every field, so professors enjoyed them.
 
Honestly, I think alcohol is a bit weird unless you're close with the professor. A gift card to somewhere "generic"(target, amazon, popular tea/coffee place) paired with a handwritten card is nice. Not too gunner-y, and works no matter how close your relationship is.
 
I favor things which have zero monetary value. Crafts mostly. Their only value comes from the time and attention that are invested in them. It is a metaphor for the educational process, which is also worthless except to the degree that one invests effort.

Giving a gift card or something else that money can buy can be uncomfortable for the ethical recipient.

I just gave someone a present today, and he was initially reluctant to accept it until he realized that it was a crafted "gag gift" that only had meaning and value because it was designed around a comment that he had made. This kind of present takes a lot more thought than just shelling out for a gift card, but it is also more memorable and thus valuable in nonmonetary terms.
 
CAFFEINE! said:
Give them a gift card to an on-campus restaurant/coffee shop. At the end of this semester, two of my students teamed up and gave me a Starbucks gift card, and it was without a doubt one of the most useful gifts I have ever received.
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Username relevant.
 
I had a professor that couldn't grade exams sober and he would lock himself in his room with a bottle of whisky to power through. He got a bottle of black label and he LOVED IT!
For a different professor, I got the dude a funny shirt which his students really enjoyed as well as him I'm sure.
Another great idea is a fountain pen. Shouldn't run you more than 30 bucks and they will genuinely love it and actually use it.
 
I feel like a moderately priced food item or coffee would be good. Professors gotta love coffee. I hate gift cards normally, but if there's a starbucks on their campus, that'd be another good idea.
 
I simply wrote them a nice message in a card thanking them, and used a short example to make it more personal. I felt weird buying them anything as they were very giving people... I thought they would feel weird accepting a monetary gift. But I guess it depends on the person and your relationship with the professor
 
Gauss44 said:
I live in Boston and would like to give my professors a thanks for teaching me gift. Anyone have ideas about what would be an appropriate non-awkward price range or category of gifts? I'm thinking chocolates, but nice ones, very nice ones. Please warn me about pitfalls and give your opinion of what would work (even if it's not chocolates). Please assume I lack creativity and have no talent for decorating or crafts.
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I don't think that it is a good idea, if you are going to ask them for an LOR. Although, you are not bribing them, they may take it that way.
 
I would feel very uncomfortable receiving a cash-equivalent gift (gift card) but not in the least uncomfortable about a note or card, a gift of home-made food or a hand-made craft (student-made soap or candle) unless it were excessive (think hand-knitted afghan). A book or tasteful gag gift peripheral to the subject matter or professor's quirks can also be good, provided it's inexpensive.

Other traditional gift items risk being inappropriate, but for those who insist: Of the gift cards, Starbucks is probably the least cash-like and most useful. For alcohol, wine or a nice craft beer are in a somewhat different league from hard liquor, but should only be gifted if you know for a fact that the recipient imbibes.
 
IF, I were to get a gift card to Bon Me, the food truck outside Harvard's Science Center (meals are about $9 each there), how much do you think would be a useful, but non-awkward amount?

Additional, even though it conflicts with the idea of getting a food gift card which I'm considering, I also see or partially see the perspective that a gift that's not personable and is primarily of a monetary or material nature could go wrong. I'm just not a great letter writer and want to be remembered well, not crafty, etc. Still also considering the box of chocolates and maybe gifting the flashcards I made in class back to the professors or something related to an interaction we had in class... I guess it's the overall gesture that will be most important.
 
Actually, Starbucks gift card and a handwritten card might be most appropriate. What value should I choose? $30, $50, something else?
 
DokterMom said:
I would feel very uncomfortable receiving a cash-equivalent gift (gift card) but not in the least uncomfortable about a note or card, a gift of home-made food or a hand-made craft (student-made soap or candle) unless it were excessive (think hand-knitted afghan). A book or tasteful gag gift peripheral to the subject matter or professor's quirks can also be good, provided it's inexpensive.

Other traditional gift items risk being inappropriate, but for those who insist: Of the gift cards, Starbucks is probably the least cash-like and most useful. For alcohol, wine or a nice craft beer are in a somewhat different league from hard liquor, but should only be gifted if you know for a fact that the recipient imbibes.
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I agree. A coffee gift card for $5 is like saying, I'd like to buy you a fancy coffee (or coffee & donut) as a little thank you. I think that's ok. Don't go overboard.
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
Didn't realize this was actually a thing. A sincerely-worded thank you email seems to be greatly appreciated.
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Neither did I, except maybe for kindergarten teachers. I've gotten a few gifts, mostly sweets, and mostly for going above and beyond with application help and LORs.
 
LizzyM said:
Neither did I, except maybe for kindergarten teachers. I've gotten a few gifts, mostly sweets, and mostly for going above and beyond with application help and LORs.
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Maybe this isn't "a thing." Maybe I'm being unusual... My motivation is a combination of wanting to be remembered positively since my professors are likely to cross my path in the future, because I may not do as well as expected in some classes and I want my professors to know that I'm not mad or holding that against them, and possibly (not definitely) because I know I might need to hit up some of them for LoRs and might (not definitely) try to get some of them to provide some advising, like one meeting about what they do for research and getting good at research, like where to start?So, all in all, I just want them to like me. Not sure if I'm making sense... I could probably have said this better.

So on the one hand, I'm hearing that some people buy wine and restaurant gift cards, but others feel that $5-$6 and a card should suffice. Boston is a fairly expensive city in terms of cost of living and it's Harvard, so I'm thinking that bumping it up to $20 might be a good middle ground?
 
Gauss44 said:
Maybe this isn't "a thing." Maybe I'm being unusual... My motivation is a combination of wanting to be remembered positively since my professors are likely to cross my path in the future, because I may not do as well as expected in some classes and I want my professors to know that I'm not mad or holding that against them, and possibly (not definitely) because I know I might need to hit up some of them for LoRs and might (not definitely) try to get some of them to provide some advising, like one meeting about what they do for research and getting good at research, like where to start?So, all in all, I just want them to like me. Not sure if I'm making sense... I could probably have said this better.

So on the one hand, I'm hearing that some people buy wine and restaurant gift cards, but others feel that $5-$6 and a card should suffice. Boston is a fairly expensive city in terms of cost of living and it's Harvard, so I'm thinking that bumping it up to $20 might be a good middle ground?
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Oh I definitely misread. I have sent sincere thank you emails for my letter writers. I wouldn't give a gift to a professor just for teaching a course. They get paid for that, you know.
 
Chocolate, or a baked good of some kind. I've given both of them as a thank you before (separately to different individuals). Or try wine if you know they're definitely into it. Cantina Zaccagnini is my favorite red wine, good-looking bottle, and $12-$18 (depending on where you get it from). I highly recommended it!
 
Gauss44 said:
Maybe this isn't "a thing." Maybe I'm being unusual... My motivation is a combination of wanting to be remembered positively since my professors are likely to cross my path in the future, because I may not do as well as expected in some classes and I want my professors to know that I'm not mad or holding that against them, and possibly (not definitely) because I know I might need to hit up some of them for LoRs and might (not definitely) try to get some of them to provide some advising, like one meeting about what they do for research and getting good at research, like where to start?So, all in all, I just want them to like me. Not sure if I'm making sense... I could probably have said this better.

So on the one hand, I'm hearing that some people buy wine and restaurant gift cards, but others feel that $5-$6 and a card should suffice. Boston is a fairly expensive city in terms of cost of living and it's Harvard, so I'm thinking that bumping it up to $20 might be a good middle ground?
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Don't do this expecting a quid pro quo. And any whiff of that will make a professor very uncomfortable. If you must, wait until you are about to graduate, after the LOR is written.
 
So, since none of my professors have written me letters yet, I'm thinking that I may need to keep this gift small and personable or just not give it.
 
I got my letter writers hoodies/jackets. But I'm very close with them otherwise I'd go for a coffee mug or a scented candle
 
Gauss44 said:
I live in Boston and would like to give my professors a thanks for teaching me gift. Anyone have ideas about what would be an appropriate non-awkward price range or category of gifts? I'm thinking chocolates, but nice ones, very nice ones. Please warn me about pitfalls and give your opinion of what would work (even if it's not chocolates). Please assume I lack creativity and have no talent for decorating or crafts.
Click to expand...
Letter writing for students is part of the job description. Don't bribe your professors, just reward them by doing well.
 
gureum said:
Honestly, I think alcohol is a bit weird unless you're close with the professor. A gift card to somewhere "generic"(target, amazon, popular tea/coffee place) paired with a handwritten card is nice. Not too gunner-y, and works no matter how close your relationship is.
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I got them the alcohol as a sort of celebratory thing when I got in. I wouldn't have done it just for writing a letter (should have clarified).
 
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