Gift ideas for PhD supervisor

[BeenToButtonMoon]

My viva is coming up and I am distracting myself from the potential horrors by thinking about what would be a nice gift for my main sup - female, 40s, has kids. Any supervisors out there, what are the nicest gifts you have received from PhD students on viva day? And have there been any terrible gifts I should avoid?

It’s not necessary to buy your supervisor a gift, and we have to declare any gifts we receive in order to be able to accept them. I personally would appreciate a card with a heartfelt message over a gift any day!

Personally I'd find it difficult to accept a present from a student or supervisee.

Cards, though, as @GCAcademic says are a different kettle of bicycles - I have kept many of these over the years and really appreciated them. If you can make one yourself, or add an image, that would be memorable.

And the very best of luck

Definitely a nice heartfelt card. And remember to include them in the acknowledgements!

I agree - a card with a nice, heart-felt and personal message.

Unlike PPs, I'm always very happy to receive gifts. I'm a bit inundated with mugs TBH but otherwise, most things are excellent.
Assuming she drinks alcohol, you can't go wrong with wine and chocolates.
What about a voucher for a nice restaurant in your city?
Is there anything she needs for her office <see mug comment above though>?
If she has a garden, how about a nice evergreen plant in a lovely pot?

Thanks for the responses - I think she will be fine with something small, there's definitely a culture of gifts on viva day at my uni. But, yes, I take your points about possibly feeling awkward. I think I'll go for a bottle of wine and a plant, but I'll spend more time on making the card heartfelt. I have definitely included her in my acknowledgements. Are there people who don't do that?

i've supervised 10+ PhD students and many more MSc students. sometimes students (especially MSc students from overseas) give a gift, and it is always awkward and unneeded. I have too many clocks / mugs / etc on my shelves and really don't need more so it just seems slightly off.

I love to get nice cards with an arty picture, and chocolates are good too. but paperweights or expensive Korean skincare products really just make me feel awkward.

I would prefer a card and maybe a small bunch of flowers rather than a plant because I kill plants and it would feel like pressure!!

I think I gave my supervisor a book but can’t for the life of me remember what or why. I had a Greek student who gave me a Greek table runner. I’d say a card and a bottle of wine or toiletries. Congratulations by the way.

In general, I'd feel awkward receiving a gift from a student

However in answer to your "nicest gift", I do have an absolutely lovely crocheted animal (with some PhD relevant features) that one student made herself 😊.

I have just passed my PhD. I bought my supervisors some expensive wine.

I’m good with a card, but have also had wine, chocolates, flowers, a plant (succulent, still alive), a piece of jewellery she’d made from beach glass (never worn, but it was a nice thought), mugs, and books.

I'll take chocolate every time. A sharing bar of dairy milk, obviously not to share

At my uni, staff are not allowed to accept gifts over a value of £5.

I’ve just done mine and was going to get my supervisor a nice notebook and pen to say thank you.

I've had over the years from Master's and PhD students: honey from a student's hometown, embroidered table runner, hand-painted paper, special tea, a calligraphy stamp of my name in Chinese characters, a woven wrap, a mouse mat printed with a particularly significant image, a tatty old Pelican paperback I'd loaned a student returned with a new binding (wonderful, right?), and loads more in that vein and... beautiful chocolates. No mugs .

I treasure the cards, and the gifts just as much: they make my office look brilliantly homey. My only regret is not having kept a log of who gave me what.