When kids go away to college their needs change. With the change in lifestyle comes a change in Christmas presents that given and received. At first glance, a college student may be seem to be a difficult person to shop for at Christmas. What we found was that when my daughters moved to college it became easier to buy for them instead of harder.
The following list was put together after discussions with my daughters and their friends. I asked them to name the best ever Christmas gifts for college students. This is straight from their mouths to my fingertips to you.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #1
Money
Is it any surprise that money topped their list? They don’t seem to care how much or how little. It also didn’t matter to them if it was in a card, tied with a fancy ribbon or just handed to them. One of the kids said “any size is right for a college student” and they said they’d be glad to take it to the store to exchange for smaller sizes as needed.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #2
Food
I’ll admit it. This surprised me. Apparently college students crave food from home. Any kind of cookies, party mix or baked breads are welcome.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #3
Lojack for the computer.
This program can help the computer be returned if it is lost or stolen. There is also an insurance policy that comes with the premium software. To learn more about Lojack click here.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #4
Laundry products.
Even if the dorms provide free washing and drying students will still benefit from laundry products. College students need all the regular products that you would use at home. This list includes detergent, bleach, fabric softener and stain removal products.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #5
Gift cards.
Kids get hungry when the dining hall is closed. Pizza gift cards are great for food during late night studying binges. Other gift cards that were mentioned as being desirable included Starbucks, fast food, hair styling, gasoline and Wal-Mart or Target cards.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #6
Personal care products.
Ok, I suggested this last year and the kids rolled their eyes. Last Christmas morning they sang a different tune. Things like shampoo, deodorants and regular soaps do come in handy. I also got my daughters shower gels and sponges, single use masks and pedicure treatments and homemade soaps. They loved the assortment.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #7
Movie or event tickets.
A lot goes on when you live on a college campus. Apparently it’s also nice to be able to go off campus for a movie or event too.
Best Ever Christmas Gifts for College Students Idea #8
Prepaid phone minutes.
This is apparently a very hot item for kids who use prepaid cell phones. When it was mentioned everyone nodded their head in agreement. This gift should come with a warning label for the purchaser. Guess what was the #1 reason the kids gave for needing prepaid minutes? To call home and ask for money.
So there you have it. According to the college kids I spoke with this is the #1 list of best ever Christmas gifts for college students. Come to think of it. There’s a lot on this list that could apply to us non-college students too.
