Christmas and Hanukkah are just around the corner, and you may or may not have a lot more shopping to do in a few days. To make matters worse, you may not have a lot of ideas about what to get people. If you're shopping for a college student, look no further:
1. Gift Cards
You can never go wrong with a gift card to their favorite store. If they love makeup try Ulta or Sephora. If they love affordable clothing try H&M or Rue 21. If they love video games, try Steam or Best Buy. If they love a lot of things for a very affordable price, try a local dollar store gift card. If you're not really sure what they love, Visa and Mastercard giftcards work pretty much everywhere. E-giftcards work just as well, and are less of a hassle to go out and get.
2. Socks
This may sound like a joke, but almost every college student I know, especially those who live on their college campus, love getting socks as presents. When laundry day rolls around, they are always running low on socks. Plus, it seems like they only have mismatched socks, and they keep losing them. Replenish their sock supply with socks that match their style. If they're fun and funky, get them some colorful pattern socks. If they're minimalist, get them some plain black or white socks. If they're athletes, spring for the athletic socks.
3. Spa Kits
If there is one thing college students need, it's to relax and take a break from all the stress in their lives. A nice spa kit could help. If you don't want to spring for a pre-made one, you can put one together yourself from items like epsom salt, facial masks, bath bombs, lotion, aloe, a loofah, scented body wash, and things like that. You can find most of these items at Walmart, Target, and other similar stores.
4. Meal/Snack Delivery
If the food in the cafeteria isn't great, and the college student in your life is on a serious budget, consider having a meal or snack delivery service deliver to them. This is especially a good idea for the parents who want to make sure that their kids are eating well while at school. Freshly provides pre-cooked yet healthy meals that college kids would probably prefer over instant noodles. Plus, these meals can be cooked in the microwave for those who are living in a dorm with no other cooking appliances. If you think they can handle meals in the dining room, but want to make sure they have healthy snacks available, try Graze. Graze provides perfectly portioned snacks to help your favorite college student stay away from stress eating an entire bag of potato chips in one night. These services can be delivered right to their door step.
5. A Nice Planner
A good 2017 planner will help your favorite college student keep up with all the things they have on their schedule, and improve their time management skills. Now they won't have an excuse to forget to send you a thank you note, because you told them to write it in their planner. This could pair well with a very nice pen set, for the ultimate organized student.
6. A Student Loan Or Tuition Payment
Again, this sounds like a joke, but it would seriously help a lot of college students to have a litle bit of help with their financial situation that has been caused by college. Ask them how you can help with this, and I'm sure they will be thrilled.
Keep these things in mind while you anxiously and hurriedly scour the store and web for anything that would make a good present for a college student.