Christmas Gifts for Students: The 2017 Guide

Sofie Penn-Slater on 4 December 2017
Christmas Gifts for Students: The 2017 Guide

It's notoriously difficult to buy Christmas gifts for students. They're poor, hungry and very discerning, but we've got a guide to help you!

If you’re searching for Christmas gifts for students, look no further than our guide! We’ve got gifts for girls, gifts for guys, and gifts for everyone in between. Keep your university student happy by getting them a present that’s useful, quirky or downright awesome, and you’ll be their favourite person. If you're a parent, a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle or anyone with a student in their life, we've got you covered.

For the party student

gifts for students - shot glasses and tumblers

Students are notoriously clumsy because when they’re not crying in the library, or sleeping off a hangover, they’re drunk. So don’t buy them nice glasses. Pick up a few cheap options from Wilko instead. We love these basic shot glasses (£3 for 6) and (if you prefer something a little more fancy) these four gold tumblers (£5 for 4).

For the painfully stylish student

gifts for students - fenty red lipstick

First of all, don’t try too hard. You’ll probably get it wrong if you do that. Instead, pick something from Rihanna’s Fenty beauty collection. The Stunna Lip Paint (£19) is supposed to look incredible on all skin tones, and it’s all over Instagram at the moment. They’ll be the envy of everyone on campus.

For the pop-cultured student

gifts for students - RuPaul t-shirt , RuPaul pillow

If you don't know who RuPaul is, they certainly will. The inspirational American drag queen is an absolute pop idol, so why not get a Mama Ru t-shirt (£17.82) to give them strength in their 9am lectures? How about an inspirational pillow (£17.13) with a Drag Race catchphrase on it to jazz up their bedroom? Oooh, girl!

For the eco-friendly student

gifts for students - water bottles

Plastic one-use bottles are swiftly going out of fashion, especially among environmentally conscious students, and reusable ones are becoming ever more popular. Urban Outfitters have a decent range of water bottles that are just the right level of ironic. We like this ‘Drink More Water’ one (£12) that comes with a handy wrist strap, and we’re a little bit in love with this expensive marble patterned flask (£35) that will earn you extra brownie points for fancy-ness. Keep ‘em hydrated while they battle those essays.

for The nerdy student

gifts for students - hodor doorstop and harry potter bath bombs

As much as this may sound like an insult, it isn’t. Big successes like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones have made it perfectly ok for today’s students to embrace nerd culture, so make sure you get them something that matches their interests. Try this Hodor door stop (£7.70) to prop their door open with in halls (trust me, they’ll know what it means) or a Sorting Hat bath bomb (£4.50) that reveals which house you belong to as you drop it in!

for The hungry student

gifts for students - cookbook

You know, the one that raids your fridge every Christmas, hoards snacks in their room and (probably) once set fire to the kitchen trying to make cereal? Get them a cookbook (£6)! It’s about time you stopped having to cook for them every time they come home, and if you’re genuinely worried about them getting scurvy while at uni then this should ease your mind a little. Failing that, get them a pizza gift card.

for The tech-savvy student

gifts for students - colour changing lightbulb

They may have the latest iPhone, the best apps around and those funny wireless earbuds that make them look a little bonkers, but do they have a colour-changing light bulb (£7.99)? Nope.

General student chritmas Gifting Tips

What to buy:

  • Money (better make it a gift card to ensure they spend it on *appropriate* things)

  • Jumpers and blankets to help them keep warm in sub-zero student accommodation

  • Nice alcohol. You realise they’ve been drinking Glen’s vodka?

  • Hard-to-kill pot plants (cacti, succulents...)

  • Fairy lights to brighten up a grim room

What not to buy:

  • Tins of baked beans (are you a monster?)

  • Anything embarassing or sex related

  • Anything expensive. It will get broken or lost.

Just remember, when looking for the perfect gift for the student in your life, they’ll just be pleased to have something new that they didn’t have to spend any of their student loan on. Good luck!

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Sofie Penn-Slater
Sofie Penn-Slater on 4 December 2017