Holiday Gifts for College Students

Let's face it. If you asked a random sampling of college students what they would most like to receive for their holiday gifts, you would probably get a lot of answers of "cash" and "alcohol." And while both of these are theoretically valid holiday gifts, they aren't what most gift-givers are probably hoping to give the college students on their list.

Shopping for college students can be tough. Sure, you could buy them a movie, CD, video game, or other form of entertainment, but with DVD prices dropping steadily and the wide availability of downloadable music (legal or otherwise), chances are good that you will just be duplicating something they already own. Clothes are another option, especially if you're the sort of parent who wants to make sure that their son or daughter looks his or her best. The honest truth, however, is that most college students don't want clothes that their parents or other adult relatives have bought for them, unless they specifically requested the item in question.

It is still possible to find a holiday gift for a college student that is practical to their lifestyle, and likely to be appreciated. Here are a few suggestions of holiday gifts that would appeal to many college students.

A warm blanket
Whether it's a comforter, quilt, or afghan, I know few college students in most climates who wouldn't appreciate a nice warm blanket. If they live in the dorms, the heat in the building likely leaves something to be desired. It will either be too cold in their room, or the heater will make their room such an inferno that they have to keep their windows open all the way to compensate, thus creating interesting climate zones within their room. Either way, having an extra blanket around can be helpful. For those college students who live off campus, there is also a good chance that their heating situation will similarly not be perfect, and again, the extra blanket is useful. To make this gift a bit more personal, try to find a blanket that is in their favorite colors, represents a favorite sports team, or (in the case of a quilt or afghan) possesses some sort of sentimental value.

CD binders
Space is usually at a premium for most college students, so anything that allows them to save some space is a great gift. Since so many college students have sizable collections of CDs, DVDs, or video games, why not give them a binder designed for the storage of these forms of media. There are different sizes and shapes of these media storage devices, some designed to hold the covers of DVDs, others designed to hold the smaller covers of CDs. One of these binders only takes up the space that a few CDs or DVDs would have taken up, leaving plenty of room for other possessions.

Snack food
If there is one thing a college student will always appreciate, it's free food. Snacks are always great because they allow for a quick and easy boost of energy, sometimes a substitute for a meal on a particularly busy day. There are a variety of prepackaged snack kits available prior to the holidays, but this is also something that you can construct on your own. Buy some sort of basket or tin and fill it with a variety of snack food. You can cater the types of food to the student's personal tastes: some may prefer "junk" food, while other might appreciate healthy snacks more. Either way, try to fill the container with things that can be prepared with minimal use of kitchen facilities. Even for those students who don't live in the dorms, something that can be microwaved or requires no preparation at all is quicker and easier than something which involves the use of the stove.

And, of course, if all else fails, remember: cash and alcohol. Gift cards can be an acceptable substitute for the former.