Graduating is an important life accomplishment that your close friends and family will be proud of you for achieving. This esteem comes with many cards and gifts to mark the special occasion. It is extremely kind of your family, friends and maybe people you’ve never even met to take the time to send you congratulations, so sending thank you letters is imperative. Sending a handwritten thank you note shows your appreciation to the gift giver and is expected as a courtesy. Not sending a thank you letter is horribly rude and inconsiderate so they should be a top priority to you. If you aren’t used to sending thank you cards, this is the perfect time to make a habit out of writing them because it will reflect highly on your character in doing so. The gifts can pile up as you engage in graduation events at the end of the year, but you can find time between graduation parties or before you sleep to sit down and write thank you letters to your generous friends. I wrote my thank you letters in increments of five as I received cards and gifts, which prevented the faux pas of late replies or having to do a bunch at once. It is even better to write the thank you as soon as you receive a gift to ensure promptness and keep yourself from procrastinating or forgetting. If you choose to write the letters all at once, you might consider keeping a list of the gifts you have received and who gave them to ensure no one is forgotten.
“Dear (insert name),
It was so nice to receive your warm wishes during this exciting time in my life. Thank you for the lovely card and the generous gift (or specify the gift). I greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness and it truly meant a lot to me. I am thrilled to be starting at (insert college name or job) this (insert month) knowing I have your encouragement. Thank you again for your generosity.
Sincerely,
(Insert your name)”
This template thank you letter is simple and warm, perfect to send to most of the gift givers like family friends or your parent’s colleagues who sent you something. For letters to your family or close friends the letter should be more intimate with something like a funny anecdote to have a nice personal touch. Also, I recommend investing in personalized stationary for a more polished look. Etsy has very affordable stationary that can be customized and ordered in large quantities. A good alternative would be boxed sets of stationary, such as the ones from Crane and Co., which can be ordered online or at boutiques. However, box sets usually come in sets of 10 or 20 cards, which might make the personalized option less expensive if you order in bulk. Try to shy away from pre-made thank you cards that you can buy at the grocery store or a CVS because they are very impersonal and appear lazy. Best of luck in your card writing endeavor!
