18 Practical Christmas Gift Ideas for College Students

Finding practical and thoughtful Christmas gifts for college students can be really difficult, especially if it has been a while since you were a college student. Even though I can testify that money is always helpful for a poor college student, it is still quite unpersonal. That’s why I’ve curated a list with 18 practical Christmas gift ideas for college students that I would recommend.

Also, if you are a bit of a procrastinator like myself, and are buying gifts at the last minute you can always grab a free 30-day trial and use Amazon Prime to get your Christmas gifts in time!

Before we dive into this list, Christmas time can unfortunately break people’s bank and we don’t want that. I want to point out that gift giving doesn’t have to be expensive or cost any money for that matter. Besides, the best gifts are always personal and usually cost the least if anything so please keep that in mind before over charging your credit card. That being said, let’s dive into these 18 practical Christmas gift ideas for college students. 

1. Alarm Keychain

Price: $9

I remember when I moved away to college and my mother gave me this gift. This is a gift that I would NEVER have bought for myself and I honestly thought my mom was being a bit paranoid. But I sure was happy I had it when I was walking home alone at night on campus. This is such a good going away gift for college students to ensure that whatever they go, they will be safe.

2. Apple AirTags

Price: $24 ($100 for a 4-pack)

I think we all have lost our precious keys, wallet or other valuables before and college students are no exception. That’s why these trackable Apple AirTags are great gifts for college students. They put them in their wallet or attach them to their keychain and then they’re able to track their valuables and not panic if they were to lose them. It’s simply genius! If you want to complement this gift even more, you can also get the AirTag holder with a keyring that makes it easy to attach to all kinds of valuables. Oh, and if the college student doesn’t have an iPhone, here is the equivalent for Samsung devices and other Android devices. 

3. Air Purifier

Price: $100

This is quite an unconventional gift, however, a great one nonetheless. It’s great for many reasons, the most obvious being that it purifies the air making it easier for the person to get a good night’s sleep and is especially beneficial for people with allergies and asthma. It’s also especially beneficial for college students who live in a dorm room since the air in dorm rooms tends to be of lower quality.  

4. Cards Against Humanity: Absurd Box

Price: $20

This is such a fun game to play in college with your friends! There were a lot of Friday nights when me and my friends played this particularly game. Fun games are usually great gifts for college students!

5. JBL FLIP 5 – Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Price: $90

There’s no secret that college students party A LOT and that usually involve music and drinks. Normally technology and liquid doesn’t go very well together, but this cool WATERPROOF Bluetooth speaker makes it work! Waterproof technology almost always are cool gifts for college students not to mention that they are great gifts for anyone who’s having a pool party as well!

6. Snack Box

Price: $30

This is one of my favourites gifts on this list because it has a near 100 percent guarantee that it actually will be used. I mean everything you give that can be consumed has a good shot of that really. For college students, it’s even better odds and more appreciated since they tend to study a lot during the most odd times in a day and it is crucial that they keep their energy up. If you don’t want to get this snack box, you can always make your own which makes it more personal and creative (and probably cheaper).

7. Laptop Stand

Price: $50

Ah, the desk laptop stand. As a college student, I do A LOT (if not all) of my studying in bed. And unfortunately, it’s only comfortable for like 1 minute or so. Then your back hurts, not to mention that your laptop just slides further down in your lap and eventually you fall asleep with it. This laptop stand also includes a cup, tablet and phone holder which comes incredibly handy when college students are taking online or hybrid courses.

8. Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World

Price: $20

This is a really good book and I found this book in my third year of college. This Christmas gift is really inspiring for someone who is stressed out and feels overwhelmed (and what college student isn’t). This book helped me be more productive by finding meaning in the everyday tasks that I do. If you ask me, great books are awesome cheap gifts for college students since they can be past onto others when they’re done with it.

9. Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 Smartphone Printer

Price: $132

I absolutely love this type of gift! The years in college is something you really want to remember but it’s such a hassle to get your photos printed by a printing company. These on-the-go printers are really cool gifts for college students, especially now when everyone is snapping pictures with their phones.

10. Brita Water Pitcher with 1 Filter

Price: $27

This is the kind of product that is really appreciated by college students but so boring to buy by themselves. As a college student, you are usually so busy that it’s hard to remember to be fully hydrated (and boy do you suffer if you aren’t) so water pitchers like this one are really useful gifts for college students who needs a reminder to drink their water!

11. Laundry Bags

Price: $12

Alright, this might not be the most exciting gift on this lift, however, it’s extremely practical and will be incredibly appreciated by the college student when he or she goes to do laundry and all of his or her delicates are NOT getting lost because he or she has these laundry bags. As I said before, not the most thrilling gift but they will secretly thank you in that laundry room.

12. Sunbeam Heated Blanket

Price: $60

I love my heated blanket! My boyfriend and I got a heated blanket from his parents one Christmas and it were such a life saver! In order to save money, my boyfriend and I used to turn down the heat in our apartment but we could still go to bed warm with our heated blanket. I would say that heated blankets are among the best Christmas gifts for college students who wants to 1) save money on heating and 2) stay warm during those cold winter months.

13. Power Bank

Price: $22

I use my power bank EVERY DAY in college. Seriously. As any other college student, I use my phone for EVERYTHING and thus, the battery tends to run low all the time. And my power bank saves me all the time (I just have to remember to bring it with me). Power banks are great practical gifts for a college student under $25 who always are running low on battery.

14. Smart LED Roku 40 Inch TV (2019)

Price: $350

This gift is a little pricier (okay a lot) and I definitely think this is among the top gifts for college students. BUT it is really a nice gift for any college student. It’s important to find ways to relax when you go through your college years and watching movies or TV series really helped the well-being of my mental health.

15. Long Charging Cable

Price: $8

These long charging cables barely need an explanation but I’m going to give it to you anyway. The most obvious benefit is that this charging cable is extra long which normally is beneficial to anyone but extra beneficial to a college student who might need to charge his or her phone in a library, a dorm room or other communal area that tends to have the power outlets just out of reach every time. 

16. Sticker Printer

Price: $50

I got to be honest here, I wish someone would have gotten me this sticker printer when I was in college. It would have saved me so many (ugly) half-incoherent scribbles in my notes. This would take any college student’s note taking to a whole other level, especially for a med student that needs to study the human body from top to toe, literally. 

17. Shower Bag and/or Bath Robe

Price: $25

This gift is especially great for college students living in a dorm room where it is crucial to keep all your shower stuff neatly organised and easy to transfer between the dorm room and shower room. Getting a bath robe would also be a great complement to this gift so that the college student doesn’t have to risk an awkward towel moment in front of his or her fellow dorm roommates.   

18. Reading Bed Rest Pillow with Arms

Price: $100

This goes hand in hand with the desktop stand I mentioned above. As I said, college students do a lot of studying in bed (even though we know we shouldn’t) and this cool gift could reduce any back pain or improve your poster. Like I said with the desktop stand, bed rest pillows are probably among the best gifts for new college students since this could have saved me so much back pain if I’d had it in the beginning of my college career.

Take Away

There you have it, my list of 18 practical Christmas gift ideas for college students. There are so many more good Christmas gifts for college students but I’ve tried to narrow this down to what a college student would really really appreciate and find practical. 

Looking for a packing list for college students? Check out my friend Laia’s packing list for college with FREE printables!

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