10 Gifts Students Actually Want

Wait, it’€™s August already? Excuse me while I go hide from all the back-to-school madness. Here‒s your packing list, class shopping list and textbook guide. Good luck buying everything. Ciao.

But wait, you don’t have unlimited money, so how are you supposed to get everything on your wish list? While it’€™s impossible to cover all your college needs alone, you’€™ll have a much better chance if some generous individual (ahem: parents, grandparents, friends of parents) helps you out with a thoughtful gift. Don’t know what to ask for? We polled students to find ten of the most coveted college gifts.

1. School Spirit Wear

(Via survivingcollege.com)

My freshman year going-away present was a classy BC hat. Few things feel better than flying into your college town for the first time already feeling like you belong. Although upperclassmen won’€™t confuse spirit wear with school savvy, chances are they’ll still appreciate your attire. Everyone wants to feel good about their college choice, and this is an amazing way to celebrate.

2. Goodie Baskets

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If people know your obsessions, they should fuel those fires. For movie lovers, Stanford freshman Cindy Lu suggests a movie-themed gift basket. “Fill it up with some popcorn, soda and some DVDs or movies from Netflix,” Lu said. The idea can even be expanded to incorporate video games, books or even a Lisa Frank sticker theme (although the stickers may not be the most practical gift).

3. Athletic Gear

(Via giphy.com)

It’s a weird moment when you realize you’ve got a campus rec center. Whether that makes you crawl back into your Netflix hole or feverishly draft page-long workout resolutions, getting a gift of gear can motivate your fitness. I never visited my rec center until I got basketball shoes for my birthday. After getting the shoes, I almost never visited.

4. Dorm Chair

(Via giphy.com)

As a freshman, I was surprised to learn that dorm chairs are a big deal. I often scooted across a friend’s room atop his wheeled swivel chair. Clearly, this did wonders for my stress levels. Also, owning the chair must have been motivating for my friend as a pre-med student. Let’s face it: everyone knows you’re not a doctor until you have office swag.

5. Electronics

(Via cheezburger.com)

Sometimes we students need help maintaining our technology fanatic image. “A nicer phone would be amazing so I could get apps or internet,” University of Mary sophomore Anna Leisenheimer said. With today’s apps providing everything from anxiety relief to party safety, it’s easy to want an upgrade. Your cranky elders are always going to complain about how “there’s an app for that,” so you might as well have said app.

6. Dorm Pet

(Via memecenter.com)

Since unreasonable dorm rules prohibit Fluffy–dog or hampster version–you might have to settle for a fish. Some contend that fish are boring. They’re right. But that doesn’t stop animal-starved dorm kids from loving them anyway. One Friday night, I walked into my dorm bathroom to find a friend gingerly balancing a half-empty fishbowl over one of the sinks. Why? The beloved birthday-present goldfish needed its water changed. That’s devotion.

7. Event Tickets

(Via quickmeme.com)

One of Boston’s greatest college attractions is the Beanpot hockey tournament, a four-team event featuring Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern. My parents bought me tickets last year, and I had a blast watching BC capture its fifth consecutive title. Sports aren’t the only can’t-miss college events; think local concerts or music festivals.

8. Coffee Maker

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A mini Keurig and K cups are highly coveted gifts as long as the dorm regulations allow them. “I got one for Christmas and it’s my best friend during the school year,” Pennridge High School senior Casey Haughin said. Coffee probably does more for a student’s academics than class-related items like textbooks. Speaking of which…

9. Money

(Via giphy.com)

Students appreciate anything that helps cover college’s enormous price tag. “Various gift cards that I’ve received tend to be popular and prized gift ideas,” Lu said. Why not try a gift card to Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond for dorm gear? Haughin also suggested covering college or grad school application fees to encourage students’ ambitions, while Leisenheimer mentioned gifting textbooks as a way to save students’ hard-earned cash.

10. A Visit

(Via frabz.com)

Some students think college means escaping Mom for good. How wrong they are. Parents, fire up that maniacal laugh because you know their college street address and aren’t afraid to use it. All kidding aside, phoning home feels hollow when school gets lonely, and nothing softens the August parting like a visit for Parent’s Weekend in September. Often, the gifter really is the best gift of all.

(Main photo via quickmeme.com)