Practical Gifts That Students Need or Want

In this holiday gift-giving season, parents often search for ideal gifts that will benefit their teenagers and be appreciated.  Some items fall more into one category than the other.  

An extremely pragmatic item to give your high school child is College Board’s “Official SAT Study Guide.”  It includes eight full-length SAT exams that mirror exactly what you child will face on his/her test day.  Any student who diligently works with this book and understands the correct answers to all of the questions is on track to earn extremely impressive SAT scores – and likely garner serious scholarship money.  An accompanying gift could be College Board’s “Book of Majors,” which explains scores of potential majors and the colleges that offer degrees in each one.

If your child is already in college, a gift that would surely be appreciated is a collection of gift cards to popular restaurants and stores near campus.  Princeton University students, for example, love the Princeton Record Exchange, PJ’s Pancake House, and Halo Pub.  Students at the many Philadelphia area colleges and universities cherish the abundance and variety of ethnic restaurants: Han Dynasty, Koreana, Terakawa Ramen, Koch’s Deli and the Greek Lady. New York City students wouldn’t turn down gift cards to Eataly, Paesano of Mulberry Street, or Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. 

Students of all ages love being comfortable and Ugg boots are often their favorite footwear.  Now this popular brand is not just for boots, but also offers sheets, blankets, pillows and comforters that will make it very difficult for your child to get out of bed in time for those early morning classes.

If technology is the field of choice, an extremely practical and popular item is the Apple Pencil.  It allows students to take notes on compatible iPads, as well as draw diagrams and mark up documents. It’s a popular tool for students of all levels, including medical school and law school. 

It’s ideal for students to get gifts that they can continue to enjoy and benefit from in the new year! 

Susan Alaimo is the founder of SAT Smart. For the past 25 years, SAT Smart’s Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362.