It’s often fun to tuck a little something in your student’s luggage for them to find as they unpack at college. Just a little personal or fun something – maybe a note or a special hug friend from childhood. But you might also tuck in a little something that will be useful and provide some guidance when your student needs it most.

We’d like to share six of our favorites that can be great sources of reference for your student. And if your student has already left, don’t forget that they love to receive care packages! Send one or two of these along.

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It’s that time of year. If you have a student living on a college campus e in the fall for the first time, you’re probably awash in list upon list of those important dorm essentials. (Hint: your student probably only needs half of them.)

But in addition to all of the essentials, it’s always nice to have a few extras (but only a few!) There are some useful non-essentials (that your student might even consider essentials) and then there may be some that are just plain fun.

We’ve written an early post to give you some ideas. Check out that post for a dozen extras to think about.

Beyond Bedding and Mini-Fridges: 12 Dorm Furnishings You May Not Have Thought Of.

But just in case that’s not enough, or you don’t find anything for your student in that earlier article, here are a dozen more suggestions. You definitely don’t need them all, but some of these may be just what can make the difference in your student’s room.

Over-the-bed Storage Shelves

A little extra storage space is always appreciated in tight dorm rooms.

Laptop Cable Lock

Dorms are generally safe spaces, but it’s good to be sure. Keeping the laptop locked when in the room makes sense.

Storage Ottoman

A place to sit AND  extra storage. Double duty.

Underbed Storage Bags

Don’t leave any spaces unused! And instead of just shoving things under the bed, these bags keep things clean and in place.

Dry Erase Whiteboard Calendar

Many students like to keep track of assignments, exams, and due dates on a whiteboard where they can easily plan ahead and see what they need to do. Any helpful study tool is worth its weight in gold!

Bedside caddy for phone, laptop, etc.

All of your student’s essentials right at their fingertips – especially helpful if they’re in a top bunk or lofted bed!

Room Air Purifier

A lot of living happens in a dorm room. An air purifier can help keep it livable.

Desk Cart Organizer

Dorm room desks are sometimes not big enough for all of the stuff students need. This can give them that extra space – and it’s moveable, too.

Sunlight Desk Lamp

In the winter in many places it can be hard to get enough healthy sunlight. And that can be true anytime if your student can’t get out enough. This can help.

Bedside Shelf Wall Organizer

One way to keep everything your student needs right at their bedside. In dorm rooms students live in their beds!

Essential Oil Diffuser

No candles in dorm rooms! But that doesn’t mean that can’t smell good.

LED Photo Clip String Lights

Students love to display photos – of friends and family from home and new friends from school. This is a fun way to display them – and to decorate the room!

 

Don’t forget to check out our previous collection of a dozen fun dorm additions and if that’s still not enough, check out our list of 100 Holiday Gift Ideas and our list of Gift Ideas for Your High School Graduate. 

We’ve got literally hundreds of suggestions to get our creative ideas flowing.

Note: Some links in our post are for affiliate products. If you use our links, College Parent Central receives a small percentage of your purchase price. This does not change the cost to you.  We think it’s only fair to let you know that.

 

It hardly seems possible that the calendar has rolled around to the holiday season again! But here we are!

As we think about family and friends – those we will gather with and those afar – many of us naturally begin to think about gifts. And sometimes it can seem especially tough to come up with ideas for your college student. They’ve been away for a few months and it may be harder to think about what they need and want. Or perhaps your student will just be heading to college next fall and you’d like to give them a head start on some good college-useful gifts.

Of course, you know your student better than anyone and can tap into their interests and needs. Maybe they’ve even given you some suggestions or made some requests.

But just in case you’re stumped, we’re here to help. We have 14 new suggestions this year to add to the nearly 120 suggestions in our Holiday Gift Guide. Start with this year’s list and then hop over to our Guide for even more food for thought. Check out our ideas and then let your own creativity take over! If you have additional ideas or suggestions, share them in the comments. Let’s make this a community project!

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From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students.  There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years.  See the Recommended Reading section of our Resources page for more suggestions.

Eric Loucks’ book The Mindful College Student: How to Succeed, Boost Well-Being and Build the Life You Want at University and Beyond is an invitation. Dr. Loucks is an expert in the field of Mindfulness, and his book includes academic understanding of the field, but largely, throughout the book, Dr. Loucks invites his reader to join in the contemplations and exercises to come closer to their thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. The work isn’t always easy, but the invitation guides the reader.

Today’s college students are experiencing more stress and anxiety than ever before. Those of us on college campuses see it daily. Students are stressed and overwhelmed and many of them don’t know how to cope with what they are feeling. This book is for them – and really for all of us.

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