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Gift Giving Etiquette for the College Student

Finals have been the only focus on your radar for the past week and a half, and
the holidays seem far off in the distance…or so it seems.

As scary as it may be, the reality is that Christmas is almost here and it’s already the third day of Hanukkah.  It’s time to get merry, blast those holiday tunes, and get your gift list together before you’re caught in a mob-scene at the mall on Christmas eve.

There are a couple of dilemmas you may encounter when creating the gift-giving list. In college it may be more of a tricky question of who to put on the list, rather than what to get them.

Here are a couple situations where gift-giving etiquette may be tricky and often debatable:

The person you’ve been hooking up with?

If it’s merely a hook-up buddy, attending her ugly holiday sweater theme party or grabbing him another drink are justified.

However, the situation gets trickier if your hook-up buddy is also your friend. This means there’s more to your relationship than late-night texts. Maybe you have a class together, you may even be study buddies or go on the occasional sober dinner date.

In these circumstances it may be safer to bake some cookies or make a mix CD just in case. This way if your hook-up friend surprises you, you won’t be an empty handed fool.

How about your friends from home who you haven’t seen since August?

There are some friends who even if you don’t see for a while, you can pick up right where you left off and things will feel exactly the same. These friends deserve a little gift. It’ll make you look thoughtful, and it’ll make your old friends feel good that they haven’t been replaced and there’s still a place for them in your life.

How about the roommate you were randomly placed with?

Unless you and your roomie are on friendly terms, I don’t see the need to get him or her a gift. If you leave a little note wishing them “Happy Holidays!” that should be enough to make them smile.

If you’re somewhat friendly, it wouldn’t hurt to leave candy or something else they’ve desperately been needing. (Maybe it’s the printer paper they’re always asking for, extra pens, staples, deodorant…Just kidding.)

What about your professors?

College professors are different from high school teachers, so unless you’re really tight with a specific professor, it may be more awkward to give a gift than to do nothing at all.

It may seem like an act to change a poor grade, rather than a genuine thoughtful present. Although, if the shoe were on the other foot and I was the professor, receiving a nice e-mail or box of chocolates would make me feel like I impacted the students’ lives.

I think that something subtle like an e-mail or an anonymous gift would make the professor feel like their lectures were actually worth attending and the students were getting something out of their classes.

In the end, it’s really the thought that counts. Even if you send a card, it’s better than sending nothing at all. The gift receiver will be thankful you remembered them, despite all of your final exams. You’ll feel better knowing you made the holidays a little brighter for someone who may be completely unexpecting.

On an ending note, homemade cookies are always a staple go-to gift if you do find yourself empty handed!