Community Corner

Last-Minute Gift Ideas: For the College Students Who Can't Make Up Their Minds

Most college students are in recovery mode from finals week and have left few hints about what they'd like for Christmas. This list might help.

I asked my son Sam, a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, to come up with some last minute gift ideas for college students. Below are his suggestions.

Being a second-year college student, I found that more practical gifts had many benefits to them, especially as I got older. The easiest way to find good gift ideas for your college student is to think of items that you are certain they will use. Anything from new accessories for their phone to cooking utensils can go a long way.

  1. 1-cup coffee makerThis is a small, compact coffee maker, perfect for small dorm rooms or apartments. It doesn't require a normal coffee pot for brewing. You simply press your cup or travel mug against a button to dispense coffee. Price: $34.99.
  2. Essential Gift Cards: Buying gift cards to your college student’s favorite store are always a good idea. Some popular gift cards from the Apple storeSpotify, or Amazon will definitely be useful. 
  3. Cell Phone Accessories: Try a new phone case, a phone cleaning kit, or an armband to strap a phone to for use when exercising. Otterbox makes cases for almost every smart phone, including the Motorola Droid, IPhone, and Galaxy S3. Dropping your phone almost isn't an issue with one of these cases. They are very durable and prevent wear and tear of your smart phone.
  4. Remote Control Helicopter: Not exactly a practical gift. My parents got my brothers and I each a remote control helicopter one year, and we couldn't stop playing with them. Very fun gift.
  5. Recipe book or kitchen utensils: Couple the book with some kitchen utensils or a no-stick sauté pan. Pick something that's multi-purpose and can be used for a variety of meals.
  6. Crock-pot: The ultimate cooking machine for a broad range of meals.

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