Gifts to professors

  • Imagine you are sipping tea or coffee while discussing various issues with a broad and diverse network of students, colleagues, and friends brought together by the common bond of physics, graduate school, and the physics GRE.

Post Reply
mhazelm
Posts: 193
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:33 pm

Gifts to professors

Post by mhazelm » Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:35 pm

So I want to buy my research advisor a nice gift after I graduate to say thanks - he's not only given me my best ever research experience, but has been available for questions on many, many topics (quantum, thermo, relativity, anything physics), has helped me immensely in graduate school applications, has written dozens of letters of recommendation, offered encouragement and advice, etc. He's done a LOT for me academically.

He really likes scotch so I was thinking about buying him a really good bottle of scotch, but what do you guys think? Is that tacky? What else could I buy? Have you ever bought your advisor a thank you gift, and if so, what did you buy?

abeboparebop
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:26 am

Re: Gifts to professors

Post by abeboparebop » Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:52 pm

I think a nice bottle of scotch is classy.

If you'd like to thank me for this advice, my address is...

User avatar
twistor
Posts: 1529
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:47 pm

Re: Gifts to professors

Post by twistor » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:52 pm

Yes, it's a good idea and a nice thing to do.

User avatar
secander2!
Posts: 264
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:25 pm

Re: Gifts to professors

Post by secander2! » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:44 am

The scotch is a great idea! I did this for my advisor last fall and he loved it :D

evilclaw2321
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:51 pm

Re: Gifts to professors

Post by evilclaw2321 » Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:17 pm

I wanted to buy something for my advisor/letter writer, but she didn't drink, so I just got her a real nice harry and david gift basket . She seemed to really like and appreciate it.

User avatar
HappyQuark
Posts: 762
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Gifts to professors

Post by HappyQuark » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:43 am

I realize I'm late to the conversation, but oh well.

My undergrad physics professor, the very professor who I ended up taking probably 95% of all my physics classes with, used to constantly joke in class that the only thing he could be bribed with was single malt scotch. This specific professors was one of those who legitimately cared for his students and would spend absurd amounts of hours just helping students. Needless to say, he was everyones favorite and so all of the physics majors would talk about how we wanted to get him a gift for being such a great professor but, alas, we were all so very poor. After I graduated and got my current job, which pays exceptionally well for a physics related, right out of college job, I decided to get him that bottle of single malt scotch, more specifically a 16 year old Lagavulin single malt scotch. He loved it and it turned out to be a really good gift.

User avatar
Quantum Triviality
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 2:15 pm

Re: Gifts to professors

Post by Quantum Triviality » Thu May 20, 2010 12:45 am

I have given a couple of gifts for non-drinkers. Chocolates work well for me.



Post Reply