Gift for a young man about to go to university

[Aparecium]

I need ideas for a gift for a young man about to go to university. Budget flexible, about £30-£40. He loves his teas, so I thought maybe a really nice, 100% leakproof cup? Or perhaps 2, one for regular tea and one for herbal? (If you drink both you will know that black tea 'contaminates' travel cups and leaves a taint that ruins the flavour of herbal teas.)

There are so many cups that I'm struggling to choose! I could blow the budget on one Stanley cup, or is there something equally leakproof but cheaper, so I could get him a pair?

Or can you suggest a better gift?

I think those sound like a thoughtful gift. Do you know how much storage space he has for his kitchen gear? My DC only has a very small cupboard for their posts and pans in years 1 & 2.

I have a circular and co one, had it for years and still leakproof, enough in your budget to buy 2 and some teas

I have bought gift cards for coffee shops/M&S food and a friends son loved Greggs so I bought him a Greggs one

Essential items for uni students are a padded mattress cover, uni mattresses are crap; pillow (likewise); bottle opener, plastic not too deep boxes for transporting and storing his stuff under the bed, folding laundry basket or bag as he may be walking somewhere with his laundry; fold up airer. Could also provide a first aid kit (most will get freshers flu) that includes a large bar of chocolate, a sewing kit kit and a small screwdriver. I can promise that the bottle opener and screwdriver will make him popular but warn him they only get used in his presence as if lent they never return.

If you want to help with more frivolous stuff then just gift him a supermarket voucher (if you know which the nearest one is) or an Amazon voucher.

That’s a lovely idea. You could also consider a tea subscription. There are a few fancy tea places around that send a different tea every month. I’m sure they could organise this for you.

Our DD just wanted cold hard cash.
Ee dropped her off with a tray of beer, couple of large bags of doritos and a pack of cards

Honestly I’d get a supermarket voucher for the one nearest his accommodation. Or give him cash. They really don’t want stuff, they want money or food!

I also have this issue for niece and nephew both heading off to university. My view - and with advice from my kids - is cash but perhaps something fun for university. Not academic related (we’d almost certainly get it wrong) and not kitchen stuff (all the wise ones just take old stuff from home).
so the advice is cash and a game that might help them settle at university. Nothing too try-hard (so avoid beer pong type stuff) but draft quick fun games like Uno, Dobble or Lobster (I don’t know what this last game is but daughter said it was a big hit at her halls)

Just dug out the game. You’re my Lobster apparently!

Not my child. I know how to send a child off to university, done it a few times, myself. So I know that giving any of the basics might end up being a problem if the parents have also given it. I don’t know about his accommodation, local shops, anything.

Smoothie- maker/ blender went down a real treat with my nephew

I can promise that the bottle opener and screwdriver will make him popular but warn him they only get used in his presence as if lent they never return.

Ha ha! I have a very reliable combined corkscrew and beer bottle opener and often have to do the practical side of drinks receptions for a charity. I take it with me because it works for heavy duty stuff but still stand by the 'do not let it out of your sight' ground rule because the 'Ooh, that's actually a great tool' discovery still results in such a thing disappearing, even when it's altruistic pillars of society who are doing the drinking!

For most students, I give one of these corkscrew/beer openers (looks to be a 'spiral corkscrew' that completely covers a cork and you just twist the top key one way without having to pull arms or anything), a stopper that could be put into a bottle for the fridge, and sometimes a mug with an initial. These are cheesy but also great for containing leftovers in the fridge with the initial as standard.

Sorry but that sounds like the dullest gift ever for a teenage (?) lad. Give him the cold hard cash!

If he’s going to a city where there is a Bird & Blend you could get him a voucher for there?

Great idea for the teas if he's into them - he's a young adult heading off to university, not a 14 year old yoof.

Or if you want to give something lasting, does he have a wash bag / dopp kit he's happy to be seen heading to the bathroom with? They're likely to be used daily if they have shared bathrooms in halls / flats / houseshares, and the budget you have in mind would be sufficient for some decent quality ones.

If you get a cup, see if you can get it personalised in some way so it's less likely to go walkabout.

Money.

That’s a really good shout actually.

Chillys cups are apparently fashionable with the young’uns if you really want to give an actual gift, but I agree with PPs that they generally just want money! Or an Amazon gift card.

Does he even drink tea??? Cash or restaurant vouchers

And Yeti.

Our DD just wanted cold hard cash.
Ee dropped her off with a tray of beer, couple of large bags of doritos and a pack of cards⁸

Contigo travel cup is fabulous. Love mine. I like my yeti mug but I find tea tastes weird out of it so wouldn’t recommend that but it does keep tea hot longer than my contigo

My son has just returned from uni and he loved the Uber/Uber Eats gift cards he was given by family. When he had exams or not feeling well or couldn’t be bothered to cook he had those to get a takeaway delivered. Also uber gift card was good for getting home safely when separated from his mates on a late night out. He was also given a Chillys bottle and Stanley cup and loves both

TK Maxx sell some pretty decent travel mugs at decent prices

as someone whose gifted to lot of nieces & nephews off to Uni (VERY large family), I’d say it a super gift.

the other gift we give is Starbucks or Costa vouchers if they like coffee as student budgets don’t run to fancy coffees. Dd lived in Costa during her degree paid for by gift vouchers. Post grad quals she moved over to Starbucks and did a lot of her studying in the cafe paid for by gift vouchers!!!