CollegeXpress
Doing some off-to-college shopping for your college-bound kid over the summer? Take a look at some of these perfect presents for your (almost) freshman!
- A cool backpack: Help your student lug their textbooks from one end of campus to the other in style with a trendy backpack—both L.L. Bean and The North Face have great options.
- Nice notebooks: Welcome your student to adulthood with a proper notebook, like a Moleskine. Taking notes never looked so good.
- A streaming subscription: Netflix, Peacock, Apple TV, Hulu, Paramount+, Max—the options are endless these days. Your student will need something to unwind with and their own streaming service could help them get through the harder times in college. (Or just give them the info for your own accounts that don't lock down on password-sharing.)
- Portable speakers: Dorm rooms are small, meaning musically inclined students may not be able to set up full-size speakers. Portable speakers, such as the small and waterproof ones from Creative Technology, let them take their music with them wherever they go.
- Headphones: While portable speakers are great in theory, most college students living on campus will have roommates, who may or may not share their taste in music. Help them avoid arguments with some noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds.
- An e-reader or iPad: More and more textbooks are now available in an electronic format. Help your student lighten their load with an iPad or an e-reader.
- A five-year diary: Give your student the gift of memories with a diary that will help chronicle their time in college. This journal from Barnes & Noble requires just a single line a day, and there’s also a sketch-a-day option for the budding artist.
- Dorm-friendly cookbooks: Leaving home doesn’t mean students can’t enjoy a home-cooked meal. They may not have a full kitchen at their disposal, but cookbooks with recipes that are compatible with dorm life abound.
- School memorabilia: Help your student get hyped to be a student at their new college with T-shirts, sweatshirts, bumper stickers, and other memorabilia. Visit the school’s website to see if you can order merch online.
- A battery pack: Long days in class and nights at the library are bound to test the limits of your student’s phone and laptop. Help them stay connected with a backup battery pack.
- A single-cup coffeemaker: A single-cup coffeemaker like a Keurig saves students both time and space—and they won’t have to visit overpriced coffee shops quite so often.
- A travel mug: They’re going to need something to put that coffee in and take to class. A trendy travel mug will do the trick.
- A family album: As great as all these gift ideas are, everyone knows the best gifts come from the heart. Put together an album of family and friend pictures your student can take to college or use a website like Blurb or Shutterfly for a professional-quality photo book.
While you're out doing your shopping, make sure your students have everything they need for college from The Ultimate List of College Dorm Room Essentials.