JoshBeing a college student can be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences in a young person’s life. However, not every college student is going to school on their parent’s dime, and not every parent has the money to pay tuition and support their children through college with no help from the student themselves. There are more than a few college students who are really struggling as the holiday season approaches. If you are looking for what to get the aspiring college student on your holiday list, read on below for a few of the best gifts you could give a struggling college student around the holidays. These gifts will help them financially and make their holidays a little brighter at the same time.
Gift Cards
There isn’t a college student alive that would turn up their noses at a few gift cards to the places they love. You can buy gift cards easily in denominations of as little as $5 and higher as well. Not only does it give your college student the freedom of choosing their own gift, but it also saves you the hassle of having to go out and search for the perfect gift for the student you love. These gift cards can be from places like Amazon, AMC Theaters, and even Applebee’s. The choices are plentiful, and your student will thank you when they can take a break to go to the movies or out to eat without having to worry that they are breaking their budget.
Food Baskets
There are very few college students out there that don’t love to eat. Assemble a food basket, or two, of your college student’s favorite items and give it as a gift for Christmas. Make sure to include a box of popcorn and some hot cocoa for those nights that they are studying hard for finals and some comfort food to get them through.
Good Old Cash
One of the best gifts to give your college student this holiday season is good old fashioned cash. In this way, they can buy what they need or even pay some bills with it. What they do with the cash is totally up to them. The point is that you gave them something they can use for Christmas. You can even put it in a pretty Christmas card that they will cherish long after the cash is gone.
A Survival Kit
Okay, maybe this doesn’t seem like a great Christmas gift, but to a struggling college student, the simple stuff is sometimes the best. Put together a survival kit of everything from shampoo to toilet paper and your college student will be sure to thank you. You can even throw in some laundry detergent and a roll of quarters to help out, just in case.
Pay a Bill
While many college students live in the dorms, there are quite a few that live off campus and are struggling to pay their bills and eat at the same time. Pay one of their bills for them, the lights or their cell phone, or even better stock them up on meats, can goods, and other essentials that a college student needs to survive.
These are just a few tips for helping your struggling college student this upcoming Christmas season. Sometimes helping out is the greatest gift that you could give and your college student will thank you for the gift that is useful as well.