What's your graduation present?? A college education, what else....

It is considered a societal norm to bestow material gifts (i.e. a new MacBookPro) and monetary rewards (i.e. that fat check you're waiting on from grandma and grandpa) on graduates as symbols of accomplishment and acknowledgment of success in life. Yes, gifts are always fun to receive, and graduating college should be considered a reputable feat in society; however I believe the intrinsic rewards one obtains from completing their education experience are of far greater value than any other.

Looking back on the last four years I spent attending the University of Georgia, it is difficult for me to imagine that I would have done anything differently. Of course I probably should have gone to bed just a bit earlier, studied just a little more for that Communication Law exam, and definitely should have eaten a lot less fast food. But I believe one of the most important recognitions is that I accomplished my goal of acquiring a top-notch education from an amazing institution, and will leave this place with that knowledge intact.

Knowledge is power, the power to discern right from wrong and use that judgement to achieve even greater success in every aspect of life.

Therefore we don't need the material gifts to make us feel like accomplished individuals. We should already have a humble confidence instilled within us that yearns to direct us to our next stage of life as intelligent hard-working accomplished citizens and adults.