Best Christmas Gifts for the College Student

Looking for an alternative to the socks and sweater doldrums of the Christmas giving season? Here are some excellent Christmas gift ideas for a college student.

Useful Christmas Gifts for the College Student

A Thermal Mug: A thermal mug will be just the thing to keep a college student warm as they trudge to class in the morning snow. Many coffee shops will fill reusable thermal mugs, or the gift-giver could also consider giving the student a French coffee press so they can make their own quick brew in the mornings. Tervis Collegiate Thermal Mugs 

A University Sweatshirt: University students live in their university sweatshirts, and it sometimes seems that the uniform of choice among students is a hoodie emblazoned with the school’s name. Sweatshirts and hoodies are a good souvenir of students’ university years and keep students warm during the winter. Ivysport Collegiate Apparel

Beginner Cookware: For students beginning life in their apartment (or with roommates), a beginner cookware set will help them to cook healthy meals for themselves and maybe the start of a lifetime love of cooking. While this may not earn you as many brownie points as say, an iPod, it can be a useful gift. Essential Total Kitchen 83-Piece Combo Set

An Amazon.com Gift Certificate: An online gift certificate to the world’s most popular online store means that a college student can order anything he/she needs or wants and have it delivered right to his/her doorstep. From textbooks to video games, Amazon has it all. Christmas Amazon Gift Cards

Fun Christmas Presents for University Students

An iPod: A surefire way to make a college student love you, the iPod allows students to be plugged into music, whether they are riding the subway, walking to class, or, God forbid, attending class. IPods come in a range of prices, from the affordable Shuffle to the full-featured iPod Touch or iPhone. A gift certificate for the iTunes store (iPod’s digital music and media store) will also be appreciated and can be purchased online or from stores like Costco and Walmart. iPod Touch

A Digital Camera: Although a little pricey, a camera is an excellent gift for a college student who may not be able to afford one. A small compact-sized digital camera is useful, while a digital SLR (DSLR) will be the dream gift for a budding photographer. Digital SLR Cameras

Games: Board games such as Taboo and Never Have I Ever are popular board games among students, while video-game consoles such as the Nintendo Switch allow students to play along with their roommates. Nintendo Switch and Collegiate Themed Board Games

Meaningful Christmas Gift Ideas for the Student

A Gift to Charity: Many university students are also social activists, and may appreciate it if you donate to one of their favorite charities in their name. Some non-profit organizations will send a card to the student when you give in his/her name.

Fair-Trade Products: For students concerned with the plight of workers in third-world countries, fair-trade products may be the right choice for a Christmas gift. Companies whose products have been endorsed as fair-trade pay laborers and workers a fair living wage. A good resource: Ten Thousand Villages. Some examples of fair-trade products include fair-trade fashion, fair-trade jewelry, and fair-trade decor. Ten Thousand Villages and Amazon