What gift should I give to my thesis adviser?

Excellent question… I’ve gotten a number of different types of things. Lately, it seems that students are on a “gift card” kick. They’re great, but really a bit impersonal. Still, if you can’t think of anything they’re fine. I suggest a gift card to a bookstore or something, not a restaurant. Once those are used, they’re just gone and the prof won’t have anything to remember you by.

Better gifts are ones that have a personal or proefssional connection to your professor. Over the years I’ve gotten a number of these, and each one reminds me of the student for what are obvious reasons to me. It’s nice to look around my office and see something that reminds me of students that have moved on to bigger and better things. Occasionally it even inspires me to drop them an e-mail. So if you can… think back through all of your interactions with your prof and see if you can come up with something that’s uniquely tied to your interactions with him. It doesn’t have to be expensive… just personal.

Good luck on the defense!

Ohh, I’ve had the same problem myself. If budget is not an issue, a jump drive or some such storage device is the uber gift, since all researchers need storage, in one form or the other! Actually, nowadays jump drives aren’t that expensive (look on deals2buy.com) so I think this makes a good gift. If he already has one, don’t let this stand in your way. You can never have too many jump drives. Just make sure the one you’re gifting has more storage space, not less.

If you don’t like this, choose something personal. For example, if he spends his week-ends fishing give him some fishing gear or a fun fish-related wall hanging or something. If he likes music…well, you get the idea. Like buying for anyone else you know, just keep the person’s interests in mind.

I have been in a similar situation but not identical. I wrote a nice, personal thank you note to my advisor which I think she cherished more than any material gift I could have gotten her. (Also got her a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant in the area. She thanked me for the gift certificate, but absolutely “gushed” about the note.)

One thing might help: I asked her husband for what he thought she would like. (His suggestion was the gift certificate. Go figure.)

One of the reasons her husband suggested the restaurant gift certificate is that she had recently had some minor surgery and preparing meals at home had become a real chore for them as she was trying to recuperate (without missing a day from the classroom, she was such a workaholic).

All of the above suggestions are great, but don’t under estimate the impact of a well written thank you card/letter. I’ve gotten a couple of letters that brought tears to my eyes. I’d say telling your prof what he’s meant to you is far more important than any material gift you could come up with.

We often don’t know our students as well as we think we do, and so we don’t necessarily know how we’ve impacted their lives. The one I got most recently still sits here on my desk, and I’ve probably read it every couple of weeks all summer long so far, and that’s what makes me think that these hours are worthwhile.

Does he like coffee? Buy him a bag of Costa Rican cafe britt tarrazu (the best coffee on the planet). Whatever he likes (fine food, wine) get him something nice to show how appreciative you are of his guidance. Congratulations on your impending graduation!

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