Picking a gift for college students can sometimes be a challenge. After all, the vivacious youth comes with an experiential mind and quick impulses. They have tried every new trend and are probably bored with it.
Therefore, as a parent and even as a friend, it could be difficult to pick a gift. Are you tired of scrolling through the internet, analyzing various lists of best gifts for students, and yet wondering what to give which is within your budget and also manages to excite a college goer?
Staying in a dorm room with three other roommates, we doubt they would consider a decorative dinner set or a home appliance too big for the room the ideal gift.
Books are too common!
A good perfume is not personal enough!
A good wine might be great in a few years when they are over beers and boxed wines!
To clarify, anything to do with home decor or reminding them of their impending adulting years coming forth is not eligible as gifting ideas. Rather go for the functionality route, something they will cherish and take help from.
How about a good tech gift to assist with their online learning?
Tech Gift Ideas For Online Learning
We can debate the usefulness of online learning all day long and how it is nothing like physical classrooms. But there is no denying that online classes are here to stay.
No matter what some netizens claim, it has advantages for a student in many ways:
The amount of information they can gather through online learning is still mind-boggling. Regardless of being digital, it is one of the biggest Bibliotheque students can find.
No time or geographical barriers. One can enroll in online classes and courses all over the world.
The learning is not syllabus bound. Online learning always teaches a ‘little extra’ to college students.
That being said, there have been a few drawbacks to the online education venture. Most of it is on the grounds of technological problems. Plus, some could be traced from the sheer laziness which most students get during these classes.
As someone planning to give something, this would be your ground to cover!
We will give you the top tech gifts which can help college students do better in their online classes.
1. A Web Camera
The faulty in-built web cameras of the laptop are good for a few Zoom sessions. Not only are they poor when it comes to picture quality, but for desktop users, it is a question of nonexistent. A standard laptop can always be upgraded with a good web camera exuding high-quality images and videos of yourself.
A web camera will help improve the quality of interaction in online classes when your teacher is able to see you clearly. Plus, it will encourage college students to keep their cameras on. When they constantly see themselves on the tiny screen, they will be more alert about paying attention in class.
2. Wireless Noise Cancellation Headphones
It is already a nuisance to live with three roommates. The utter chaos is irritating at best and borderline mental at worst. College students go through waves in their mental bandwidth, trying to concentrate on the lecture, all the while trying their best to distract themselves from the asinine conversations (which can clearly wait).
All this can be canceled literally with the help of good wireless headphones. They do not have to be huge over the top. Simply wireless so that they can carry their work in different locations, and noise-canceling to mute any external noises. Offering them the chance to concentrate solely on the lecture.
Ensure that the headphones have a good microphone, or else the student won’t be able to communicate for the entirety of the class.
3. Bluetooth Item Locator
How many times have you wondered if only you could bring your remote like you could with your mobile phones? Now imagine living in a dorm with three people and all their piles of junk.
It is easier for college dwellers to lose their items, especially important notes or accessories required for their studies. A Bluetooth locator is the most functional gift to prevent them from wasting too much time searching for something.
A Bluetooth item locator is sleek and can be attached to any item (the best items being keys, remotes, airpods, etc.). The Bluetooth is then connected to your smartphone. It gives you the option to ring or even check the location if you can’t hear the ringing.
4. Mini Projector
There are still colleges that have divided their classes into physical and online. Although many are accustomed to the new normal, students often crave the feeling of going to a classroom and facing their teachers.
If not the real thing, you can always bring the stimulation to the dorm room. Or your college friend can with a gift of a mini pro projector. All they need is a blank wall and a mini projector connected to the phone, and they will be able to attend their online classes on a massive screen.
No more straining their eyes for attending simultaneous lectures on a limited screen. Now they can sit back and attend classes with much ease, just like a real lecture.
5. Himalayan Salt Light
Yes, we did warn you against any form of home decor. However, this advice doesn’t count in the form of any lighting. The absence of homely warmth in any dorm room is a concern for many. Therefore, many try to bring that through the warm hues of lights. You will find many dorm rooms adorned with fairy lights of their choice.
Although fairy lights mood lights are excellent, many have complained about the wires tangling and making a mess. In order to make the ambient lighting a little less of a nuisance and more functioning, you can give them something like the Himalayan Salt Light.
Students have reviewed this light as the ultimate mood lighting essential. It projects a calming sunset hue in the surrounding area and is a perfect accessory for a study table, helping students to concentrate better.
6. An Electric Diffuser
When the pandemic hit, we were concerned about making our environment better rather than cribbing about not going outside. This is where students who were attending long online classes also started focusing on beautifying their dorm rooms.
Not just visually but also through the element of scent. However, most dorm rooms weren’t allowing the use of candles for obvious fire hazard issues. Thus students started investing in good electric diffusers which emitted the scent of their choice.
Plus, since a dorm room is simply a big studio apartment, the aroma of chilly oil from late-night ramen cravings could be easily diffused through this device. Many have given the testimonial that an electronic oil diffuser is much more efficient in eliminating bad odor in the dorm room and leaves it with a comforting aroma.
A perfect companion for someone who gets very distracted while attending online classes. The light is calming, and help calm the nerves from excessive stimulation.
7. Wireless Portable Charger
Speaking about distractions, studies have shown that an uncluttered space is the number one cause of procrastination during studies. Online classes have given many the wrong opportunity to not pay attention in their classes with their cameras turned off.
Laziness and distractions flourish under a lack of surveillance. Over time, many have realized that an uncluttered messy desk is the biggest catalyst. Especially the charging wires, which are everywhere, and you have to keep moving to places where you can plug in.
Help your college friends ditch these charging wires, and help them sit for distraction-free classes. The solution is simple; a portable charger will do the trick. They can help charge mobile phones, and even smart watches, allowing them to keep their study corner more organized.
8. Portable Cold Brew Maker
Not all dorms have a space for a coffee maker, especially the fancy kind. On top of that, if someone is a fan of iced coffee, brewing it early in the morning could be a nuisance. No one wishes to go to Starbucks every day. Tempting for the taste buds but not so much for the pockets, though.
This is why you should bless them with the gift of a portable cold brew maker. Without hot water, it is difficult to bring out the taste and aroma of a good coffee. Plus, brewing a coffee hot and then cooling it down doesn’t serve the same purpose.
A cold brewer, on the other hand, can speed this process, giving them fresh iced coffee every morning.
Pick Your Gift!
These technological-infused gifts are best for any college student to make their college life a little less difficult. They miss home and the people that surrounded them. Thus, these would be the best homecoming gifts.
Some other technology-inspired gifts within your budget would be as follows:
- Starry projector for the ones who are scared to sleep in absolute darkness.
- Portable vacuum cleaner to ease their adulting troubles.
- Nintendo Switch for the best gaming experience when they need recreation after all their studies.
