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Birthday present ideas for DSD going to uni?

34 replies

ohhahhh789 · 15/06/2019 10:55

So it's my DSD's 18th next week. Me and her dad aren't together any more so I don't see her very often but have maintained a relationship. I've no idea what to get her as she has everything! Any ideas?
She is starting uni in September so I also wondered if there is anything I could do/ buy to prepare her for that?

OP posts:
BooksAreMyOnlyFriends · 15/06/2019 11:05

For uni my dd appreciated gifts such as a bale of towels, cushions, throws, nice toiletries. Anything to make her room feel homely.

Banhaha · 15/06/2019 11:08

My parents gave me 2 nice towels that lasted years. They are the sort of thing that might not be appreciated until she starts buying that sort of thing for herself and realises how expensive they are.

Banhaha · 15/06/2019 11:09

A decent wok would be handy tok

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Fallofrain · 15/06/2019 11:10

A door stop! I realise against regulations but was very handy in halls. I agree with like a care package type thing with blankets, maybe some pratical things (for me it was a decent wok!)

Fallofrain · 15/06/2019 11:11

Oh and a way to display photos eg photoframes. I had a board that i could pin them on or one of those lines with pegs

negomi90 · 15/06/2019 11:14

Ikea or Amazon voucher

cherryblossomgin · 15/06/2019 11:15

Airfryer.

gumbucket · 15/06/2019 11:16

One of the best gifts I got for uni was a basket of toiletries. Saved me so much money and they were nicer than the ones I would have bought on a student budget! It was literally just soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath, deodorant, body lotion, sun cream etc, but it was a well thought out gift (and each item had thought into it rather than a gift pack of smellies).

Potentialmadcatlady · 15/06/2019 11:17

A large glass mason jar filled with useful things- nail file, hairtags,clips,pens, plasters, painkillers, paperclips, brush, laces, elastic bands, change for washing machine/chips, safety pins, key ring, scissors,sellotape, glue, whitetac, batteries, tissues, etc etc etc... basically all those things we have in our ‘messy’ kitchen drawer...
Or a photo frame with an ‘emergency’ £20

SoupDragon · 15/06/2019 11:29

It's her 18th birthday! Don't buy her towels or a frying pan for that!

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 15/06/2019 11:56

An Ikea voucher.

If you know what size bed she'll have (in halls, it's usually single but some of the very new ones have 3/4 or double beds, but shared houses are almost always doubles) then some nice bedding would be good.

Fairy lights for her bedroom (plug in, I can't stand the battery ones myself)

SisterMaryLoquacious · 15/06/2019 11:56

I bought my younger cousin a sandwich toaster for her 18th.

Sooverthemill · 15/06/2019 11:58

All good ideas. What about a gift voucher for the cinema? It's expensive even with student discount.

Banhaha · 15/06/2019 12:45

@SoupDragon why not? I got given nice towels for my 18th. And a pair of earrings.

animaginativeusername · 15/06/2019 12:48

One of things I gave to my daughter was a portable charging device, she loves it abd says her most useful and favourite gift

Mustbetimeforachange · 15/06/2019 12:50

Sandwich toaster. My friends bought me one for my 18th and I still have it!
Glasses
The basket of toiletries sounds nice
Amazon voucher very useful but a bit impersonal

Loopytiles · 15/06/2019 12:53

Yes, portable charging device. Or ikea voucher if there’s one where she lives.

anothernotherone · 15/06/2019 12:55

I got a plane ticket for my 18th, it doesn't have to be a useless but expensive commemorative present!

As it's a dsd from a former relationship the OP is by no means the buyer of the main present so I think nice towels could be good, but only if she's a home comforts type - just being a girl doesn't mean she is.

I'd have preferred stationary to soft furnishings - but I don't know whether students still hand write notes in lectures in the UK, I imagine not (though there's research showing the muscle memory process means hand writing notes is preferable to typing them, and it's certainly preferable to passively receiving prepared notes from the lecturers).

I'd probably go for restaurant vouchers for a restaurant in her university town - enough value to treat a friend as most 18 year olds won't enjoy eating out alone, or vouchers for her favourite clothes shop, or failing that a supermarket voucher (ensuring that the supermarket is conveniently located) or Amazon...

GreenTulips · 15/06/2019 12:57

Sainsbury’s voucher

LizzieMacQueen · 15/06/2019 13:09

Silver earrings for the personal and a warm blanket for practicality. Based on what my then DD 18 would want.

Ricekrispie22 · 15/06/2019 13:18

Student cook book
Costa gift card
Paperchase gift card
Mugs (even if she’s in catered halls for her first year, most people have a kettle in their room). Sara Miller and Anthropologie have some nice cool designs. Or you could get her a personalised one.
Travel mug
Laptop bag
Bottle opener (you can get really nice personalised ones)

Snog · 15/06/2019 13:34

Take her to Ikea and let her choose some stuff

Flamingosnbears · 15/06/2019 13:38

Make a photo book with all your treasured pics in they will love looking through that.

user1493413286 · 15/06/2019 13:40

A nice going out bag for her nights out at uni?

Thursday452poh · 15/06/2019 13:44

Costa mug and a voucher would be good, maybe say £30 as that’s a lot of coffees to go though!

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