Gift for college student

Lauree1183 · August 2011

My mom and I are moving my youngest sister into her dorm room tomorrow at college. I am pretty sure she has everything she could possibly need (snacks and drinks included) because my mom went a bit overboard. But I'd still like to get her a small "welcome to college" gift. Is there anything in particular you couldn't live without in your dorm room? Or anyone have any ideas for me? :-)

Looking to spend around $30.

Thanks!

Steph&J · August 2011

Have you ever tried skinny hangers? You can get them at marshall's, homegoods, container store, target, etc and they make a HUGE difference in closet space. They also don't allow clothes to slip and don't leave shoulder marks. I'm really frugal and found it hard to pay money to replace regular hangers but they are worth every penny and fantastic when you don't have a large closet (like a dorm room).

sjb&apa · August 2011

Hmmm. Things have changed so much since I went off to college. What I always wanted was calling cards. I know, I know. I'm old. I started college in 1995, before everyone had cell phones, and I had to pay long distance charges to call home unless I had a calling card.

If she's pretty set with dorm room stuff, maybe something entertainment related? College students don't usually have a lot of money for those kinds of things ... maybe a gift card for movie tickets or a restaurant or coffee shop or a bowling alley or something?

You could also wait a few weeks and send a care package in the mail. She might be running out of snacks and stuff at that point, and getting a box in the mail would be fun for her. I do that for my niece, and she loves it. I try to find some quirky/funny little things to send to her along with some of her favorite snacks.

huwehotaling · August 2011

Maybe a couple gift cards to her fav restaurants near campus? I know I got sick of eating dorm food and college students can't always afford to eat out.

wittyschaffy · August 2011

I really got a ton of use out of some basic kitchen ware - a big mug I could use to heat up soup or tea, a plate, some silverware (picnic sets from Target are cheap now!), some big plastic glasses, a dish wand and dish soap. My roommate also had a george foreman grill that we made LOTS of grilled cheese on when we missed lunch (or dinner).

littlemissflip · August 2011

My most beloved possession in college dorm life was my popcorn popper and big popcorn bowl that my aunt and uncle gave me as a high school graduation/going off toe college gift. But... that might just be me...I'm a total popcorn fiend, and I come from a family of popcorn fiends... And I hate microwave popcorn--bleh.

I make popcorn on the stovetop these days, but I can't give away my old air popper--too many fond college memories Oh, and I still use that same giant popcorn bowl--16 years later!

Actually, now that I think about it, my little dorm room coffee pot was probably an even more important posession... but for some reason I have more attachment to the popcorn popper

hkiesling · August 2011

A regular dinnerware set. Corell is really nice because it feels like real dishware, but is hard to break. There's something about eating off of a real plate with real silverware that feels more homey than a plastic set.

A pair of warm socks or slippers. Dorms floors are really cold.

Gift cards for: grocery store, gas station, movie theater, restaurant, campus food place, photo developing place. It's nice to give them enough to take/make a friend.

Marker board that hangs on the outside of the door. Bonus points for one that has corkboard around it.

slweaver0626 · August 2011

Does she have everything for laundry? Maybe put together a basket with detergent, dryer sheets, stain sticks, a delicate bag, and a roll of quarters to get her started!

jennyk213 · August 2011

I third or fourth the restaurant gift card suggestion or a care package in a couple weeks.

sjb&apa:
Hmmm. Things have changed so much since I went off to college. What I always wanted was calling cards. I know, I know. I'm old. I started college in 1995, before everyone had cell phones, and I had to pay long distance charges to call home unless I had a calling card.

I'm right there with you. I had never used the internet or even heard of email before I went to college. I typed my papers on a word processor.

Lauree1183 · August 2011

Great ideas everyone! Thank you!

sjb&apa · August 2011

jennyk213:
I third or fourth the restaurant gift card suggestion or a care package in a couple weeks.
sjb&apa:
Hmmm. Things have changed so much since I went off to college. What I always wanted was calling cards. I know, I know. I'm old. I started college in 1995, before everyone had cell phones, and I had to pay long distance charges to call home unless I had a calling card.
I'm right there with you. I had never used the internet or even heard of email before I went to college. I typed my papers on a word processor.

I had heard of email, but didn't use it until college. My first year of college, I checked email about once every month. It seems so strange thinking about that now. How in the world did I live without email on a daily basis?!?!? Searching the internet was so slow too ... remember the old dial-up internet connection?

I had a computer, but mostly used it to type papers. It ran Windows 3.1, that was before the fancy new Windows 95 even came out.

Man, I am old.

StrawberryBlondie · August 2011

The things I really desperately needed when I was in college were gift cards to either a grocery store or Target. Or lots of rolls of quarters for laundry. I was broke when I was in college and if I needed something like toothpaste but lacked money, my options were either to call my mom and beg she send me some or use my credit card. Neither were options I liked.

jennyk213 · August 2011

sjb&apa:
jennyk213:
I third or fourth the restaurant gift card suggestion or a care package in a couple weeks.
sjb&apa:
Hmmm. Things have changed so much since I went off to college. What I always wanted was calling cards. I know, I know. I'm old. I started college in 1995, before everyone had cell phones, and I had to pay long distance charges to call home unless I had a calling card.
I'm right there with you. I had never used the internet or even heard of email before I went to college. I typed my papers on a word processor.

I had heard of email, but didn't use it until college. My first year of college, I checked email about once every month. It seems so strange thinking about that now. How in the world did I live without email on a daily basis?!?!? Searching the internet was so slow too ... remember the old dial-up internet connection?
I had a computer, but mostly used it to type papers. It ran Windows 3.1, that was before the fancy new Windows 95 even came out.
Man, I am old.

Oh my gosh, dial up. I had to remind myself what windows 3.1 is and yep.....definitely what we had. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSJDIGiepgU I vaguely remember having to enter all sorts of gobeldy gook to get to email and the internet and using the front and back arrows on some of the computers instead of a mouse. We did have a version of instant messenger which is pretty impressive for that time. Yeah, we are old.

smoo&brown · August 2011

A flash drive? You could get one with a lot of space or an engraved one for $30.

hkiesling · August 2011

Be careful about cooking appliances. When I lived in a dorm (2000 - 2004), they had a LOT of restrictions on what we could have. Hot plates, woks, toasters, George Foreman grills, and crockpots were all banned. Of course, I had all of them and used them regularly. But, maybe a gift from mom that says "here, break the rules" might not be a great start to dorm life.

Gift for college student

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