If you have a college student, or an about-to-be college student, you may be searching for some ideas for useful or fun gifts.
You know your student best, and can tap into interests and needs, but we’d like to offer some suggestions that may stimulate your imagination.
Check out our ideas, and then let your own creativity take over!
Note: We think these are great gift ideas for your student no matter where you purchase them. If you use our links, College Parent Central receives a small percentage of your purchase price. This does not change the cost to you. We think it’s only fair to let you know that.
Spinning Decision Maker paperweight
Students have decisions to make all of the time. This might be a fun way to consider the options. And it holds your papers down, too!
Goodnight Dorm Room: All the Advice I Wish I Got Before I Went to College
With a nod to that children’s classic we all loved, this is a fun way to share some college advice.
Rather a strange name for a game, but that might be just why your college student loves it!
Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You: A Journal
Based on the famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, this journal will help your student think about life and taking the chances that make sense.
Your student can use this lens to get creative with a phone camera.
Elegant, and definitely different. Your student’s notebook won’t get mixed up with anyone else’s at school.
Ostrich Pillow – Travel Pillow
OK, this looks just plain silly. But students are champion nappers, and this might just elevate that to a new art.
Who doesn’t want their superhero represented at breakfast?
A little outrageous, but this has to be a lot of fun!
If your student loves to watch movies (and what student doesn’t) this will let her watch with others without hovering around the laptop. Her dorm room becomes a movie theater!
If your student is looking for something even more portable, this projector will fit in his pocket and still allow movie viewing.
Do you have your fingers crossed that your student eats breakfast in the morning? Does your student love those take-out breakfast sandwiches? This may be a solution that makes you both happy!
Whether your student is walking to class, cleaning snow off the car, or waiting for the bus, these gloves will keep his hands warm.
Does your student cook? There’s nothing like throwing a few fresh herbs in scrambled eggs to make it feel like a gourmet offering – and provide a little extra nutrition!
Our students love their phones! This game let’s them make their phone their best asset!
Some soothing water sounds might make your student’s room more pleasant – and fun.
Chances are your student loves to show off pictures of friends and family. These string lights are a fun way to do just that. (Check to see whether string lights are allowed in your student’s dorm.)
All of those concerts, all of those games, all of those shows. Your student can keep those ticket stubs – and the memories – all in one place.
100 Movies Bucket List Scratch Poster
Movie buff? This will help your student keep track of movies seen. (Also 100 books, 100 albums, 100 places)
Give your student more control – and more fun – with his music.
Full year calendar – with a bubble to pop for each day. How much fun is that?
Allows your student to power up away from home!
This may give both you and your student a little extra peace of mind.
Help your student focus and relieve anxiety anywhere. The newest tool/toy.
Where Will You Be Five Years from Today?
The next five years can be the most exciting and satisfying years of your life—or just another five years. Let this extraordinary book be your guide and inspiration.
Tile Mate – Key Finder, Phone Finder, Anything Finder
Our students lose things. With this technology, your student can use her phone to find her things – or use this to find her phone!
If your student uses a bike, this can be invaluable.
Monitor Stand with 6-port USB Hub
Whether your student uses this as a monitor stand or just as a shelf to hold stuff, it provides 6 charging outlets. It may even help your student keep that dorm desk tidy!
Personalized Latitude-Longitude Bracelet
Your student may be far away from home, but help her remember where her roots are! Personalize this bracelet with the latitude and longitude of your home.
It’s not a new idea to lift the bed in college dorm rooms to increase usable storage space underneath. But this set includes outlets for charging devices in one of the lifts.
This device can help your student with class notes and personal memos. Your student can take notes just as they would on paper or in a notebook, and save thousands of notes to the device. Later, notes can be shared to Evernote, email or social media.
With this fun device, your student can listen to music, check the weather, set an alarm or timer ask questions, turn devices on or off, or even order food.
Dorm rooms can get dry in the winter months. Consider a personal sized humidifier to help keep the air more comfortable.
This idea for a stocking-stuffer may seem silly, but it could be the one things that makes your student a favorite with professors. Students still hand in hard-copy assignments – not everything is digital. And most professors prefer stapled pages. But if your student prints papers in the library or computer lab on the way to class – no staples. A small stapler that can live in a backpack or purse could be a life-saver!
A fun game that involves attempting to get glowing Frisbees into cans while your opponent attempts to deflect them. Fun for all ages and a hit on college campuses.
Your student and college friends can have fun putting together a time capsule of their college years. Wherever they choose to bury or hide it, they can return to enjoy their memories 5, 10, or 25 years from now.
Freedom Journal – Goal Planner and Time Management Journal
Two of the most important characteristics of successful students are having goals and managing their time. This journal will help your student do both. Unlike traditional planners that just provide a calendar, this journal helps your student plan goals and keep track of progress.
Scratch Off World Travel Tracker Map
With this map, students can scratch off each place that they visit to uncover that country or state. Map becomes increasingly colorful as they travel. This is an especially great gift for a student who plans to study abroad or go into a career that involves travel.
Coloring isn’t just for kids anymore. This kit provides everything your student needs to engage in this relaxing, meditative activity.
Flying a drone can be a fun way to view the world from a new perspective.
Whether it’s hot coffee, cocoa, tea, cider or other options, this allows your student to make that quick individual beverage early in the morning or late at night during those long study sessions when a trip to the campus snack bar or local coffee ship isn’t an option.
Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser Aromatherapy
When you (and a roommate) spend a lot of time in a small dorm room, it can begin to feel (and smell) a little close. This diffuser may help clear the air. Aromatherapy can also be relaxing and may be able to help your student feel less stressed.
For those nights of studying, movie watching or reading – or for those college student afternoon naps, there’s nothing like a warm, soft “blanky.”
Space is at a premium in dorm rooms. Just a little place next to your bed for that ever-present phone or other essentials may seem like a luxury.
Does your student shop online? Does she watch movies and listen to music? An Amazon Prime membership provides your student with free shipping as well as access to movies, tv shows, music and other benefits. Consider the gift of a membership.
Does your student like smoothies? Are you wishing your student had a way to get more fruits and vegetables? This blender allows your student to make her smoothies and then take them to-go.
Bluetooth Proximity Alarm/Finder
This device activates an alarm when your student leaves keys or phone behind or someone takes them away. Help your student make sure his phone never disappears.
Electric Stainless Steel Kettle
For that cup of tea or cocoa, instant soup, or classic college meal of ramen.
If your student has a car, you’ll feel more secure if she’s ready for emergencies.
Silly? Yes. But this might be just the thing for your college student who has a tendency to sleep through that early morning class. Built on wheels, this clock emits a beeping sound when it first goes off. Then – after a snooze cycle, it rolls off the nightstand and starts scooting out of reach. To turn it off, your student has to get out of bed and chase it down. Fun!
This lamp mirrors natural light – better for reading and better for health. This natural sunlight lamp may help improve well-being during those long, dark months of winter.
Encourage your student to be prepared to save those important college papers in more than one place. She can easily drag and drop files onto this hard drive and have everything backed up.
An easy way for your student to make sure her devices are always ready-to-go.
Help your student make sure his laptop stays safe.
Flavored water tastes even better than plain. Your student will have fun inventing interesting fruit combinations.
Dorms can be wonderful, social places – and that means that sometimes they can be noisy as well. A little white noise may be just the thing for shutting out the chatter in the hallway when it’s time to sleep or study.
Flannel Sheets
You may have purchased new sheets for your student when she left for college, but why not give her another set, especially for winter. She may enjoy having something new and fun for her dorm room.
If your student isn’t at school where the weather gets cold, he may not need flannel sheets. But why not find something fun anyway. Don’t forget to check for extra-long sheets for dorm beds.
Gift card to local restaurant or specialty store
This may take a little investigation, but find a local restaurant (or two) close to the college and get a gift card. Your student will enjoy the adventure of a night out without worrying about the bill.
Air miles
Is there somewhere that your student has wanted to visit? Do you have extra air miles? Donate them and let your student fly off.
Whether or not your student makes a New Year’s resolution to get fit, she may have fun with a fitness band. She can wear it and count her steps and calories. It will even remind her to get moving and step up the plan each day.
Downloading computer files or pictures to a USB memory drive is a great way to transport them – as long as you don’t misplace the drive. This memory drive is wearable as a wristband. It’s a great way to carry that file or PowerPoint presentation to class and not worry about losing it.
It’s always nice to have a new way to carry all of your supplies to the shower. Even if your student bought something to begin the year, a new one might be welcome now.
Bedside caddy for laptop, phone, etc.
Students often use their laptop or phone in bed. But then what to do with it when it’s time to sleep? This caddy attaches to the side of the bed and is the perfect place to stow electronics.
Just about anything is available on Amazon. If you’re really not sure what your student would like, consider an Amazon gift card. Perfect for anything.
For many college students, every penny counts. This little piggy is a fun way to keep track of that loose change. Even college students might enjoy a new piggy bank.
Your student may have a meal plan, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t like a bit of home cooked food occasionally. This small crockpot is just the size for some chili or soup for one or two people.
20Q Artificial Intelligence Game
This one’s been around for a while and it’s still amazing. If your student had one when she was younger, she’ll have fun rediscovering what it can do. If she never had one, it’s time.
Draw 3-D objects in the air quickly and easily. Whether freestyle 3D sketching, or tracing shapes from templates to make larger architectural structures, anything is possible.
Based on the familiar computer game, this lamp will be a fun addition to any dorm room.
You never know when your student might have a small emergency. Make sure that she is prepared with her own first aid kit.
These gloves allow your student to text or use electronic touchscreen devices while still keeping hands warm.
Bluetooth speakers for iphone, ipad, or ipod
Your student will be able to enjoy streaming audio from phone, computer or other Bluetooth devices.
If your student carries a laptop, he may appreciate a sleek, lightweight backpack. Help him lend a more professional look while still carrying the laptop and all of the necessary accessories.
Not only will your student be better able to hear her music without bothering others, but she’ll be able to use these to cancel out unwanted sounds. Great for studying or sleeping in a noisy residence hall.
Allows your student to keep his devices charged without a mess of wires.
Allows your student to use the power of the sun to keep her devices charged wherever she is.
As practical as their desks may be, that is often not where students do their work. If your student works from a chair, sofa or bed, he’ll appreciate this computer lapdesk to make his work go more smoothly.
Lightweight portable scanner makes saving and sending papers, forms and documents easy for your student.
Storage compartment water bottle
Water bottles are everywhere. This one has a built in storage compartment for your student’s key, ID, or a bit of cash.
This powerful yet affordable security system helps keep valuables safe–perfect for college students living in dorm rooms. Its compact size maximizes tight living and storage space, plus offers students peace of mind–no need to worry about who’s in the room or if the roommate locked the door.
Your college student will enjoy both pictures from home and pics of new friends and adventures at college. Your student will enjoy being able to watch her favorite friends and family rotate through as she spends time in her room.
This will save your student the time and expense of stopping for coffee on the way to class or work. Just the right size for one cup of coffee – brewed directly into a travel mug to be ready to go!
If your student is getting close to graduation – either high school or college – give him a head start on the anticipation by giving him the frame to hang his diploma.
If your student is getting close to graduation, help her prepare for those job interviews with a nice looking leather folder in which to carry her resume, contact information, and a pad to take notes. Help her get a head start on looking polished and professional.
Artificial Tropical Fish Aquarium Lamp
This one probably wins the prize for the silliest suggestion yet, but your student may have fun with it. Most dorms don’t allow pets, but your pet-starved student can safely return to school with her own aquarium and friendly fish.
Note: We think these are great gift ideas for your student no matter where you purchase them. If you use our links, College Parent Central receives a small percentage of your purchase price. This does not change the cost to you. We think it’s only fair to let you know that.
