(Not Your Average) College Gift List: 8 Tools to Help Your Student Succeed
Note: we created an independent list and earn no commission on any products.
In the hubbub of back to school season, I think there's a reminder worth addressing. College is about independence, transitioning into a new stage of adulthood, making friends and memories, and all of that wonderful stuff. However, what college is really about is getting a degree and learning things.
While it might be tempting to snag that desk vanity or photo clip string light set, maybe we can turn our attention elsewhere.
Below is a curated list of gift ideas for your college student that you may not have seen before. Each of these gifts was selected for the purpose of improving their organization, productivity, and mental health.
8 Gifts for College Students for their Productivity, Organization & Mental Health
Pencil Pouch/Cosmetic Bag
One of the easiest ways to add unnecessary stress to a semester is letting items get cluttered. These beautiful, organic cotton bags from Terra Thread make organizing study tools and personal toiletries easy. Tidy room, tidy mind!
Headspace App Subscription
Meditation is a powerful tool to reduce stress, improve focus, and sleep soundly. Consider buying your student a Headspace app subscription for them to use throughout their school year! Headspace offers daily reflections for morning, mid-day, and evening check-ins. You can try a 7-day free trial to see if Headspace is a good fit for your student.
The Centered Student Planner
The only academic planner created by a teaching college professor, this is a top-rated tool to help your student stay organized. Unlike tech tools, The Centered Student Planner breaks down the psychology of time management step-by-step. Every planner comes with weekly college success tips to help students thrive in school and life.
Stationery
Here at the Centered Student, we love to say Write, Don’t Tap™. Writing by hand is a powerful way to slow down, deepen your focus, and connect with your emotions. Why not bring back a pen-pal system with you and your student with a personalized stationery set? We love these custom packs from Phoebe & June! Sending letters will help your student reflect more on their emotions and give them the excitement of picking up mail from their mailbox!
Time Timer
Visualizing time is a powerful method of productivity. This beautiful visual timer from Time Timer is the perfect tool to make your student's study sessions twice as powerful. Paired with the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method that breaks work into intervals separated by short breaks, productivity will become far more achievable.
The Brick
One of the greatest thieves of your student’s productivity is their smartphone. That’s why we love the usefulness of Brick. This device removes all the major distractions from your phone with a simple tap, allowing your student to stay focused and in still accessible.
Blue Light Blocking Glasses (NightFall edition)
Research shows that the blue light emitted from our technology screens can disrupt our melatonin production, affecting our quality of sleep. Since turning off technology when the sun goes down isn’t realistic, blue light blocking glasses are a great solution. Sleep is an essential need for college students that often goes neglected. A quality pair of amber blue light blocking glasses like these will help protect your student’s eyes and sleep quality.
Shower steamers
While candles are still a no-go in dorms, shower steamers make a great alternative for stress-relieving aromatherapy. Slowing down for a hot shower with a Shower Steamer like these from Thulisa Naturals is an effective way to reduce anxiety and practice some necessary self-care.
