Moving into a dorm room as a college freshman is overwhelming and a big transition. Here are the best dorm gifts!
Buying gifts for college freshman or even high school students who are heading to college can seem daunting. It’s a transition period in the student’s life and they will living on their own. Giving a college freshman a gift can help ease the process.
These gifts can also be given at anytime of the year from graduation, Christmas, birthdays, or just for fun!
Here are 37 of the best dorm gifts you can give to a college freshman.
What You Should Gift a College Freshman
1. Back rest pillow
One thing that I absolutely loved as a college freshman was a back rest pillow. Aside from being a scoliosis girl (this that a TikTok aesthetic lol), I also did a lot of homework in my dorm’s bed. A bed rest pillow like this from Amazon is a great dorm gift.
2. Throw blanket
Having a throw blanket is nice. Dorm rooms can get cold, too!
3. Mini Vacuum
Cleaning up messes in dorms are a bit difficult and students do not have room for a regular vacuum. A mini vacuum will also make a great tool to use for cleaning cars and eventually when they move out in their apartment.
4. Lap Desk
Again, college students do a lot of homework in their bed or dorm room. A lap desk will so useful. This one from Amazon has a spot for a cell phone.
5. Grocery Tote Bag
One of the most annoying parts I remember from freshman year was grocery shopping. It wasn’t that annoying but moving groceries from the parking lot to all the way to your dorm wasn’t easy. I learned that carrying groceries in a tote bag instead of having tons of bags helped (especially since I lived on higher floors).
6. Brita Water Filter
Have you seen the costs of water on campus? $4-5 dollars! Imagine spending that everyday….for water. There are even water bottles that students can use while on campus.
Related: 11 Examples of the Perfect Water Bottle for College Students
7. Rain Boots
Rainy days on campus are not fun. Getting to classes are a pain in the butt. A great gift for college students are rain boots. They will come in handy.
8. Makeup Organizer
Dorms and college apartments do not have that much space for storage. A makeup organizer is a great idea for a college freshman who has tons of makeup.
Related: The Best Guide To Building a Basic Makeup Kit For Beginners On a Budget
9. Macbook Air (or a Laptop)
Every college class will use a laptop eventually. It’s a requirement at this point. I had a MacBook Air my freshman year of college and it was perfect for my first year classes. But I also upgraded my laptop to a MacBook Pro since my classes used heavy programs like Photoshop my last few years.
10. A Cool Extension Cord
Plugs in college dorms are limited and placed in odd spots. Give a college freshman a cool extension cord to help them keep all their wires organized.
11. Planner
I lived by my college planner every year. This is how I stayed organized and recommend that every college student has one. My favorite brand for planners (even after graduating) are Ban.do’s planners. This is my exact planner for this year:
Related: The Best Planner For College Students & How To Organize It
12. AirPods or Noise Cancelling Headphones
Airpods are the main thing you’ll notice on a college campus. It’s best to give a college freshman a pair of the noise cancelling Airpods or headphones because it will come in handy when they are studying.
13. Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime yearly subscription was the most useful thing I had during college. Whenever I had to buy textbooks for classes, they came in on time and were cheaper than at my college campus’s bookstore. Click here to buy a membership for students.
14. Sunglasses
Sunglasses are a nice gift to give to a college student because of how useful they are. They come in handy, especially when walking around on campus on sunny days.
Buy sunglasses from Privé Revaux.
15. Mini Keurig
Is your high school grad a coffee lover? Get a Mini Keurig for them.
16. Mug Warmer
This is general good gift for anyone who drinks warm drinks and need to keep it warm. I love my mug warmer and recommend it to anyone.
17. Clothing Steamer
This is a great gift for dorm rooms since college dorms (again) are small. Then, college students won’t have time pull out an iron board and the iron itself to iron their clothes. A clothing steamer is small and enough for a college student.
18. Bedside Shelf
A bedside shelf is a nice thing to have when studying or chilling in their dorm on the weekend.
19. Cube Organizer
I always saw people with cube organizers in their dorm room back during my freshman year.
20. Comfy Robe
A comfortable robe would be a useful gift for any freshman living in a dorm with a communal bathroom.
21. 32 inch TV
This the exact television I had when I was in college that my family bought for me. A 32 inch TV is the perfect fit for dorm room.
22. Snacks
Find out what they and send the snacks in a gift basket!
23. Starbucks Giftcard
Coffee is one of the drinks that college students live by, especially if Starbucks is on or near their campus. Gift them a gift card and they’ll definitely appreciate it.
24. NorthFace Backpack
My Borealis NorthFace backpack lasted my entire time on campus. I loved how compact the backpack is. It’s the perfect backpack for college students.
25. Bluetooth Speaker
A Bluetooth speaker can be used in many ways—from playing music while they clean to playing class lectures in their dorm. I loved using my Bluetooth speaker during studying sessions and playing café ambience or study concentration music.
26. Pencil Bag
College students need somewhere to put their school supplies. A small gift idea would be a pencil bag like this.
Related: The ONLY College School Supply List You Need
27. Laptop Case
Every college student needs a laptop so that means they also will need a laptop case. I learned for sure after my laptop got wet on a rainy day and had dents from before to ALWAYS have a laptop case. I love this brand’s laptop cases that are more affordable on Amazon.
28. Apple Watch
FOMO on campus for me was when everyone was getting an Apple Watch. This is a trendy, popular gift idea that will be useful for college students, especially if they have an iPhone or MacBook.
29. Lunch Box
Another affordable, smaller dorm gift idea is a lunch box. Even though dorms don’t have kitchens, it’s still a nice idea to have a lunch box around to carry snacks or take food from the dining hall or from a free food event on campus.
30. College Sweatshirt
Everyone needs a sweatshirt to rep their university. Give them a sweatshirt with their college’s colors or name as a dorm gift.
31. Slippers
Slippers are another dorm gift ideas that will help any student living in a dorm. The floors are most likely not the cleanest, especially in a communal or suite bathroom. Even then, slippers are a comfy gift that anyone would love.
32. Walking Shoes
A pair of shoes will go a long way for college freshman, since most of their classes will likely be scattered across campus. As a freshman, I wore the Nike Tanjun almost everyday when I was walking on campus, and they lasted all year.
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33. Mini Waffle Maker
Breakfast made easy. I loved having this waffle maker and the Dash’s mini appliances are great gifts for anyone.
34. iPad
There’s a TikTok sound about iPads and being organized and it’s seems to be true. People who have organized seem like they are super organized.
Also, iPads are becoming the new laptops. If a laptop is out of budget, then iPads can help and I know several people who had them during college to complete their work.
35. Bluetooth Keyboard
After decorating their dorm, college freshman are going to plan to decorate their dorm’s desk. These Bluetooth keyboards are so popular right now and I see so many on study with me YouTube or on Pinterest. I have this Logitech one.
Related: 21 Ways on How to Make Your Desk Look Aesthetic
36. Hydroflask
Hydroflasks are some of the best water bottles you can buy!
37. Money
The best dorm gifts that you can give to a college freshman or college bound high school graduate is money. Seriously, I appreciated whenever someone gave me money anytime during college (and still do as a recent graduate). Whether it’s dollar bills or in gift card form, money is one of the best gifts to give.
That’s it for this blog post all about the best dorm gifts.
Before you go, check out more college content:
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