20 Last Minute Gifts for Your College Student

Perfect Gift Ideas for Every College Kid on Your List

Tis’ the season for last minute shopping! If you haven’t quite finished your holiday shopping, or maybe you haven’t even started, here is a great list of holiday gifts for all those college kids on your list. This curated list is from our resident college student and College Aid Pro guest writer Claire – a senior at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Here are some of her college-kid approved picks for the holidays.

Gifts for the academic:

1. A Book of the Month subscription: After all of the reading your student has done for class, they may want the ability to read for pleasure during their time off! Book of the Month Club sends your student different fiction books–and the best part is, you get to pick!
2. An annotation kit: Annotation kits like this one from Amazon come with a ton of different colored highlighters and transparent sticky notes to help with studying, memorization, and note-taking.
3. A reading light: Reading lights are perfect for students who are in a dorm room with a roommate! Small lights like these give your student the ability to still read for pleasure or get work done without waking up their roommate or going all the way to the library.
4. A planner: As your student heads into the new year (and their next semester), planners or calendars will help them stay on track of their assignments and class schedule. This planner from ClassTracker has everything your student might need to feel organized. Pro tip: pair this with the annotation kit!
   

Gifts for the study abroad student:

1. A backpack: Regardless of where your student is studying, they will most likely be traveling a lot during their time abroad. Backpacks like this one from BagSmart can be easily stored under airplane seats and make carrying luggage around a lot less difficult.
2. A travel journal: The next period in your student’s life will be busy and formative, so a travel journal like this one from Papier can help them slow down and document everything.
3. Packing cubes: Packing cubes like these from Amazon will help your student fit more of their clothes into a smaller space. Bonus points if they’re compression cubes to squeeze out any extra air!
4. Universal travel adapter: A universal travel adapter gives your student the opportunity to charge and plug in all of their devices regardless of the country or city they’re going to. 

Gifts for the tech-junkie:

1. An ice maker: During my transition to college, one of the things I missed the most about living at home was, yes my mother’s cooking, but also having access to ice! Ice makers like this one make it easier for your student to keep their drinks cold from the comfort of their dorm room.
2. Headphones/earbuds: College kids and headphones go together like peanut butter and jelly. Between watching movies in the dorm room to late study sessions at the library, having a pair of headphones that block out noise is incredibly helpful during college!
3. A portable charger: I can’t even count how many times my phone has died and I’ve wanted a charger. It is always, always important to have your phone charged (especially for safety reasons) so a portable charger or charging phone case makes for a thoughtful and practical Christmas gift!
4. A projector: My sophomore year of college, one of my roommates got a projector and we were able to have movie nights all the time! Personally, I loved having one of these in the dorm because it was cheaper, more portable, and easier to use than a TV!

Gifts for the self-care enthusiast:

1. Coloring books: This may sound silly, but sometimes you have to go back to your childhood and relax by doing a mindless task like coloring at the end of the day!
2. A robe: Whether it be used for showers or lounging, a nice robe really elevates your student’s day to day routine and makes a dorm shower or room feel a lot more luxurious.
3. Face/eye masks: Sometimes the act of putting on a face mask, eye mask, or lip mask is the perfect cure to a long day. This is a great addition to the list because they vary in price, so depending on what brands your student likes (I personally love the face masks from Lush), you can cater to their specific needs!
4. Heated blanket: Take it from someone who’s been living in dorms for her entire college career: dorms get COLD in the Winter/early Spring seasons! This is obviously dependent on where your student goes to school, but a heated blanket is a must if your student is studying in a cold place.

Stocking Stuffers: 

If you’re still unsure, here are some great options that work for students across the board (and are low-stress!)

1. Giftcards: Every student loves free money, so gift cards are an easy failsafe this Christmas. You can get them a giftcard to their favorite store or restaurant, but some college-kid approved gift card options are Uber, Doordash, and Target!
2. Drink covers: If your student is of legal drinking age, a drink cover makes for a perfect gift. Some brands sell drink covers that look like scrunchies (portable and unassuming) and protect your student’s drinks from being tampered with.
3. A subscription: There’s a lot of variety here, so this is a great choice. You can go with a typical subscription to Hulu, HBO, or Disney Plus, but some other, unconventional ideas are HelloFresh (for students who love to cook), Spotify Premium/Apple Music, and Amazon Prime (because who doesn’t love free shipping?)
4. If all else fails, toothpaste: This might sound silly, but sometimes, students are so busy that they forget to take care of their basic needs–like buying toothpaste! 

And if none of these feel like the right fit, always remember it’s ok to show them the college bill you just paid or helped pay for next semester. Because let’s be honest, helping your kids through college with less debt is the best gift ever!