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A College Student’s Christmas Wishlist

By Haley Kurisky, Contributing writer | December 5, 2017

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Rice University student Haley Kurisky shares a list of gift ideas for college student this holiday season. She says one of her favorite gifts this year has been a bike - an easy, fun way to get around campus.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we are in prime gift-buying season. As I have heard from various family members, college students are impossible to shop for! I have compiled a general list of items that are great as stocking stuffers or bigger gifts, and can easily be bought on sites like Amazon.

Portable speakers

Every college student could use a good portable speaker (such as this one). If you want to get a more expensive one, you can look for waterproof speakers, or if you want a smaller and more portable speaker, look for ones that are easily chargeable or clip onto other items.

Portable chargers

Along the same lines, a portable charger (like this one) is a super useful gift for college students. Traveling around all day for classes really drains your phone battery, and there aren’t always plugs available in all classes. Outside of classes, at festivals or other outdoor events where there are no plugs, portable chargers are a MUST.

Lights for room

A lot of people I know who have big suites or shared rooms in college will put in these lights in their rooms that change colors based on whatever you’d like! They are easy to set up and provide a really cool atmosphere and feel for a room. Great for girls and guys!

Leggings/athletic wear

The perfect loungewear. Leggings (Try Adidas or Athleta brands), tanks, nice sweatpants, etc. are ALWAYS welcomed!

Room/apartment decorations

As college students start to find their own style and furnish their rooms and apartments, help them decorate in an adult way with fun signs, lights, and more! So many stores offer various versions of simple decorating objects (such as this or this).

A bike

What?? Seems random, but I got a bike this year for school, and it’s been one of my favorite gifts this year. It’s a great way to get around campus and is a better alternative than riding the bus. Other gifts related to a bike could include a cute basket, a lock, a bike light or a bike pump!

Phone accessories

Phone accessories are the new thing - popsockets (which support your phone and provide easier holding), cardholders that tape to the back of your phone, and tools that click into the charging port of your phone (like fans or lights) are all fun gifts that support our phone addictions.

Phone projector

In line with phone accessories, there are devices that you can plug or place your phone in and their screens will project larger onto the wall. Great for movie and TV fans.

Concert tickets

Music plug! Find out who your favorite college student really wants to see in concert and get tickets! Just make sure that they haven’t bought them already. (See Haley's roundup of December concerts around town.)

Plane tickets

These are on the pricier side, but plane tickets are a good gift if your favorite college student wants to travel to visit friends or family. Buying them in advance will definitely bring the cost down too, so plan ahead! Maybe a summer trip?

For more gift ideas, see The Buzz Magazines Holiday Gift Guide.