Need a Gift for a College Student? Top 5 Christmas Gift Ideas

Shopping for Christmas gifts for college students is hard. They are changing faster than you can imagine. The longer it's been since you were in college, the less you know what they need and want. This guide will help you pick the type of Christmas gift that is right for your college student, your wallet, and your time.

5. Practical Items: Christmas Care Package

Practical items are those things that the student needs but really doesn't want to spend extra money on. Some of these items are essential, like toothpaste, deodorant, school supplies, etc. Others simply make life easier. One fact I learned in college is that you can never have too many towels. Students often put off doing laundry and towels are usually in short supply. Even college students who are on top of their laundry, are often in need of more towels because they are also used to clean up random spills. They also make good lawn blankets when studying in the sun. If you are going to purchase a towel for your college student, make it a big one. They are more efficient at drying you off and less awkward in dorm environments.

Money is also a practical item. All college students need money and when someone provides it they are grateful. The downside is that money is not very personal. For that matter, neither are practical items most of the time. Consider getting a smaller fun gift for the student this Christmas season and then creating a care package to be sent a couple weeks after they go back to school. Even if practical items and money are not personal, receiving mail and Christmas gifts while at school is personal and lights up the week.

4. Christmas Gift Cards

Gift cards are slightly more personal than money. When you get a gift card for a college student make sure that it is one that they will value a lot. Do they have a long distance girlfriend or boyfriend that they visit every couple of weeks? A gas gift card is a way to say that you care about their relationship with their significant other. Are they obsessed with music, listening at all hours of the day? An itunes gift card may be the way to say you value his or her relaxation methods and would like to encourage legal ways of getting more music. Do they have an insufficient meal plan? Or are they complaining about the campus dining options? A grocery gift card is a great way to say that you want them to be able to eat well and the food they like this Christmas. How about that young woman (or man) who is a compulsive but picky clothing shopper? By giving gift cards to the stores they enjoy most you can say that you want them to spoil themselves this Christmas.

There are gift cards for almost any place you can go. If you can figure out where the college student spends a lot of time and money, or wishes he or she did, then you can find a Christmas gift card that is sure to make the student happy and grateful that you took the time to show you care.

3. Hobby Items: For Christmas Break

It is riskier to get your college student an actual item. The more you know the student the more success you are likely to have picking an item that will bring them as much joy and other benefits as it costs you in time and money. When students are away at school, oftentimes they put their hobbies on hold. These hobbies help students to reconnect to who they are and what makes them unique from other students at their school. Encouraging these hobbies over their Christmas break can rejuvenate a college student for the semester or quarter ahead.

If you already know some of the hobbies of the college student then you are halfway there. If not, I would recommend covertly asking the student. "What do you miss about home?" might be a good conversation opener to lead you to a hobby. "I know you're really busy, but what would you do if you had free time?" is another good option. Now, you should know that your college student does have free time but by saying that you know he or she is busy, you are more likely to get an answer that is a hobby instead of something to just shoot the breeze doing.

Once you know what hobby you are going to choose, go out and get supplies that the student would be able to use over the Christmas break. While they may be able to use it at college, making sure that you have everything for the Christmas break also means that it is ready to go. There is nothing more frustrating than knowing you could be doing something if you had just one more piece or supply item. Until you have all the bare requirements, it is just clutter that sits in your room.

2. Technological Christmas Gifts

This generation of college students loves technology. You should know what type of hardware they have in order to make sure that the hardware or software Christmas gift that you get is compatible. Macs and PCs work very differently as do different cameras, phones, and gaming systems, so you want to make sure. If you don't know much about technology, you will probably want to go with a different gift unless you have been told exactly what the college student wants. There are a couple of guidelines that may help you when purchasing technology for a college student.

First, something is better than nothing. If they do not currently have a computer, laptop, cellphone, digital camera, gaming system or other nifty piece of technology, then any one you buy will be better than what they currently have and they will be grateful for the technological Christmas gift.

Second, if you know what pieces of technology they already have you can buy supplements relatively inexpensively. If your student has a digital camera, for instance, you can get them another memory card, perhaps a bigger one. This will allow them to take pictures longer before having to upload them. If your student has a gaming system (playstation, wii, etc) you can buy games for it. There may also be Christmas sales for these items.

Third, it is easy to get scammed when buying technology. If you don't know much about it but still want to give a Christmas gift in this category I recommend either that you go with a gift card or that you take someone who understands technology with you. You can even make it a shopping trip with the college student shortly after Christmas, when there is likely to be a sale.

1. Christmas Experiences with Friends

College is more than just an academic experience, it is a social one. Friends that college students meet in college shape him or her and there are many lifelong bonds that can be formed. Many students come to college not sure how to create experiences with friends. Students can just sit around and talk, often there needs to be a bit more probing involved. Experiences with friends can be priceless but many college students can't pay the cost to have them. Giving a gift of an experience with friends is as close as you can get to giving the gift of friendship. This option is great if you are worried about your student's social life.

The cheapest way to do this would probably be to get the college student a movie. Movies can be enjoyed by oneself or with people so it allows the student to make the choice. It also doesn't come with the implication that you think he or she doesn't have enough friend experiences. You can supplement this gift with microwaveable popcorn, and other treats.

A board game is also a relatively inexpensive Christmas gift and (if it is a good one) will get a lot of use. I recommend that you read some reviews before buying a game. Go to the store and jot down names of games that look fun, then check reviews online. Game stores dedicated to board and card games generally have amazing games and knowledgeable staff to help with your Christmas gift shopping. Ideally you would choose a game that can be played with at least 2 people and with a high number of people.

Another option is admission tickets to fun activities and events that they can experience with their friends. Put put golfing, bowling, lasar tag, water parks, county or state fairs, paintballing, and movies are all good Christmas gift options for college students.

In Conclusion

Following this guide is a good way to make sure you get your college student a Christmas gift that they will remember and truly enjoy.