The best gift you can give your favorite graduate this spring is money.

Former AACC students who live on campus at the University of Maryland, College Park this year told Campus Current that gas, parking, textbooks and dorm room necessities aren’t cheap and that a gift of money can go a long way toward paying for it all.

“A lot of people just send money, which, honestly, I think is probably the best gift that you could give a college student,” Zack Buster, who graduated from AACC last year, said. “Part of college is, you know, kind of exploring and being an adult, right? And you need money to do that.”

Zoe Brunton, a former AACC dual-enrollment student who graduated from high school in 2023, said the money she received for graduation gave her the flexibility to buy things she didn’t know she needed.

“You don’t realize how much you need to buy until you leave home,” Brunton said. “I actually have to own a pot. … I will benefit from having a water kettle. I need to have sheets for my bed.”
Brunton shared she was glad she brought a water filter.

“A Brita filter is like, so clutch, because … there’s never easy ways to get, like, filtered water,” Brunton said, adding, “Bring a sandwich container, bring granola bars and water.”

Brunton said she also brought decorations to make her dorm room feel more like home.

“I love having my house plants,” she said. “I love having books that I can read, decorations, pictures with friends. Making a place your own is such an important thing.”