What to get student for Christmas?

[BringOnTheScience]

I'm not often stumped for gift ideas, but I am genuinely flummoxed by what to get DC1 for Christmas.
First year at uni. In furnished uni flat, so they got everything practical needed for that.
All hobbies fully equipped.
Travelling by train, so can't be bulky.
Zero interest in what's fashionable.
Important gig tickets for favourite band already bought themselves.
Has a decent backpack already

Any ideas?
What are you getting for yours?

Ok, so we all loved the Velvetiser and were in mourning once he took it away so another one may be an essential purchase come Christmas for the rest of us left at home.

Last Christmas (when DS was in his first year) I bought him one of those blanket hoodie things (oversize hoodie with fleecy lining). He wears it a lot (in his room, not to go out).

Dryrobe beach towel if they have shared bathroom (or do festivals) - basically a Towelling maxi dress thing. My dc live in theirs. They also do a fab throwover thing for warming up after any outdoor sports, but that thing is a big expensive

A Hydro flask and Nutribullet were greatly received pressies by my little lot. All of them loved the flask especially, as they saved tons of money on coffees. The bullet was used for quick soups in winter and when they couldn't be bothered to cook.
I also used to give them little 2 day breakaway gifts in Europe, which were always appreciated.

Things I liked:

• luxuries to make my room seem posher and more personal - lovely blanket/throw for my single bed, scented candle (but go for the more neutral modern scents, not floral)
• practical things as people have said eg really nice dressing gown, Spotify subscription, headphones, reusable water bottle, Waterstones voucher
• stuff for cooking (other PP have mentioned). Make it a bit strange so it doesn’t get lost and so your dd recalls it with affection. I look at this bizarre but useful Christmas spatula my mum gave to me and it makes me grin.
• little things parents always get like weird socks (try Happy Socks!), sweeties, the nicer notebooks for lecture notes, a packet of nice pens

I actually, at that stage of life, loved being treated at Christmas a bit like a child, iyswim. A few thoughtful fun little things to open, not just an envelope with a voucher etc. But everyone’s different! Just sharing my experience.

Mine would probably look like a child in a towelling dress but finds the towelling dressing gown I got her excellent.

DD is a 6/7 train journey away so it'll have to be things that can be used before she goes back or small/light to fit in suitcase. I was thinking of asking her if she needed a new item of clothing/trainers. Probably a gift voucher, fun socks and items that can be used before she returns.

Pants pants pants!!

Ds is always howling for more pants (and socks) as it delays the need for schlepping (the two yards) to the laundry. You can get quite exciting patterns at Primark (or of course go posher) and the Sock Shop online is a great resource.

What about a student rail card?

My DS just took our spare nespresso machine back with him. So we might gift him a nespresso subscription so he can have his nice coffee fix.

@motherstongue did he have to buy another box like this one www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/hot-chocolate-variety-pack.html

or is he using some other drinking chocolate?

Desk calendar
Leather bound notebook (DS used his loads for lecture notes)
Socks
Pants
Nandos vouchers
Cinema vouchers
Aftershave/Perfume (the good stuff that they wouldn't buy themselves)
Ear pods
Netflix and Amazon vouchers (DS uses them for his subscriptions to both)
I did an IOU for tickets to whichever fesitval he wanted to go to in the summer

*festival

Fere - we originally bought him the package deal from Hotel Chocolat which included the variety box. It was gone in a matter of days and we had visions of having fallen down that rabbit hole that is Nespresso and paying out a fortune each month to cover the guilty habit! I visited a store and the lovely lady told us the individual packets are more for commercial use and she introduced us to the tubs of Hotel Chocolat drinking chocolate which come is various strengths of cocoa and different flavours too. As we all like different ones, we did have to buy quite a few!!!

It works with any good quality drinking chocolate though that is pure chocolate flakes as opposed to a powder as I have used others (in-case of emergency!!! and for market research, of course).

i am now craving a velvetised hot chocolate and he won't be home for weeks yet!!!

I think there's at least one type of drinking chocolate which is made of shaves of chocolate and not powder I tried from my local Sainsbury's and
I think also Lidl has them sometimes

I have bought dd a really nice towelling dressing gown and a cheese subscription

What is the DC into?
I often get them something hobby related so an amp/stomp box/sailing stuff/art materials/photography kit.
Nice scent from Penhaligans or wherever.
Jewellery.
Smart watch.
Fitness tracker.

Love all these ideas! There are great suggestions here for students.

Own DC1 is sorted for hobby-related & flat gadgets. Hot choc maker (less expensive brands are available!) is a definite possibility. Also thinking of Graze box subscription maybe?

Doc Martens

Monthly delivery of a cake - sort of subscription thing ?

Dancing cactus.

Jack Daniels

Silly string.

A bit off-beat but we got a photographer to take some of DCs favourite views from or near our house. Then had them framed. DS is now studying in the States and seems happy to have a b/w photo of the rather urban view from his childhood bedroom window.

My DS is really excited that his brother is getting him a phone projector, he says that the flatmates can watch movies together presumably using the kitchen wall as a screen.

www.amazon.co.uk/ELEPHAS-Projector-Portable-Display-Compatible/dp/B07N39NDDB/ref=sr_1_4?rnid=193408031&s=officeproduct&keywords=phone+projector&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1573946817&refinements=p_72%3A193424031&sr=1-4