Gifts for boy heading off to uni

[Crackery]

A few friends sons heading to uni in a different city and I'd like to buy them a gift- £25 ish.

Any inspired ideas?

Tia

Mugs for coffee are useful.

Toastie maker
George Foreman grill
Crimp it
A student cookbook and some spices

I got some lovely kitchen bits for DDs friend from Tiger. Cute but practical stuff. Like heart shaped scourers and things.

Sandwich / panini toaster. My. 2 sons loved their’s for uni.

Cash or gift card for a local supermarket.

In my experience what students want more than anything is money.

Yeah £25 Tesco / Asda / sainsburys voucher - though depends obviously which supermarket is close by for him

Bottle of vodka? Always goes down well! Pack of cards too for drinking games!

Wall / desk calendars? You can use a personalized calendar maker and cooperate with parents to make something with family photos.
Coffee mugs, laptop bags, maybe funny blankets? Redbubble has things like that.
Also supermarket vouchers are a great suggestion.

Laundry basket, soap and clothes airer?

My ds took A levels a year ago and sadly the only thing him and his friends really wanted was money or at a push supermarket voucher / coffee shop voucher.

Or maybe a bottle of vodka!

Toasty maker is a great idea or supermarket voucher for food

Definitely cash or supermarket vouchers or maybe costa or Starbucks vouchers. What about a voucher for Nando's or Zizzi or similar.

Alternatively a doorstop, always useful for their room in halls or shot glasses which will make them popular!

Alternatively a doorstop, always useful for their room in halls or shot glasses which will make them popular!

In my experience doors in modern student accommodation tend to be heavy fire doors which aren't meant to be propped open and are too heavy for a normal doorstop to stay in place. My dcs used to use cheap rubber door wedges.

Give them what they really want. Give them cash. Put it in an envelope and call it Treat Money.

yy as others say, money is what is wanted, sorry OP.

At a stretch a bottle of what he likes to drink or a voucher for a takeaway (is that a thing?). Please don't buy him mugs. Or a calendar. Or a photo montage. He does not want those things.

My DS2 has just finished yr 1 and I promise you that all he has ever asked me for is to pay for a supermarket shop for him or just cash (and all he has done with it is spend it on food or drink or sports club fees. Sorry).

yy also doorstop, much vaunted on uni websites, is not any use IME - my kids' accom indeed had fire doors which should not be propped open and a doorstop did not work anyway.

Male students are always hungry. Give them gift cards for supermarkets or Weatherspoons

Student rooms are small, I wouldn’t buy more stuff.

Voucher so they can choose what to buy or alcohol (a great ice breaker) would be appreciated by my dd who is off to uni this autumn.

Costa or Starbucks voucher?

Brilliant thanks. Hearing a toasty maker loud and clear and vouchers for supermarkets/ eateries.

Lots of packets of condoms!

Check with the accommodation website if they are allowed to use toastie makers.

I would say £20 plus something practical (eg a sewing kit). Tiger has an amazing range of cheap but useful tat.

Definitely check before buying anything electrical - in my DS' halls last year they weren't allowed to bring their own kettles/toasters/sandwich toasters etc.

I would suggest a Costa or Starbucks voucher. A lot of students head to coffee shops to work (there's always good WiFi).