Gift Giving Guy

The Class of 2011 heads to college in the coming weeks. If you’re looking to send off your favorite undergraduate with a gift or a dorm-warming present, here are ten suggestions for new freshmen.

1. Visit the college’s web site for merchandise at the book store, spirit shop or gift shop. Or you might go with the classic “College” t-shirt or sweatshirt from Animal House.
2. For coffee drinkers: Senseo Single-Serve Coffee Machine Gift Pack. I love the convenience of the Senseo, and I’m only in grad school part time.
3. With different morning class times each day, the Neverlate seven-day alarm clock is a oversleeper’s best ally. As the name implies, your student can set a different alarm time for each day of the week.
4. And if your student is not a morning person, consider Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap.
5. Give a laundry bag customized in the school’s colors. If your student doesn’t know delicates from permanent press, try a college laundry bag with a Laundry 101 manual.
6. Offer the Cliffs Notes to college life. Been There, Should’ve Done That II : More Tips for Making the Most of College is an excellent choice and a quick read.
7. When difficult lectures need a second listening, give an Olympus digital voice recorder. I like Olympus products for their ease of use as well as Windows and Mac compatibility.
8. Another two great “on-your-own” survival guides:
   • Where’s Mom Now That I Need Her: Surviving Away from Home (ring binder)
   • Where’s Dad Now That I Need Him? (paperback)
9. Dorm rooms are staggeringly small in size. If your student is mechanically inclined, look into a bed loft that he or she can assemble.
10. And if they don’t have them already, all college students want an iPod from Apple (even more than beer) and need a USB flash drive to store all that academic work.