Presents for students at university

Starting university is a big deal and can be a scary time, and not just for the student. There's a lot to figure out at once: new city, new flatmates, living on your own for the first time. A good gift can take the edge off that first wobbly month and make halls feel a bit more like home.

Below are our favourite ideas for gifts for university students at every budget. And if a few of you want to go in together, pooling money means you can stretch to something they'll actually use every day, like noise-cancelling headphones, a second monitor or an air fryer, rather than five separate mugs.

Low-budget university gift ideas

Ear plugs. Halls are loud, especially during Freshers' Week. A decent reusable pair, like Loop Earplugs, means they can actually sleep or concentrate when they need to.

A hamper of their favourite snacks. This can be a simple and sentimental gift that they'll really appreciate in the first weeks away from home. Fill a box with treats from home and you've got a homesickness cure that costs less than a night out.

A beginner's cookbook. Most first-years are cooking for themselves for the first time, and it shows. A book of simple, cheap recipes gives them the confidence to try something other than beans on toast.

Mid-budget university gift ideas

A meal delivery plan for the first couple of weeks. Great if they're in temporary accommodation, don't have kitchen kit yet, or don’t have time to cook in those first days. It's one less thing to think about while everything else is new.

A proper dressing gown. Communal bathrooms are a rite of passage. A warm, decent one makes the walk down the corridor far less grim.

A heated blanket. In those winter months, nothing provides comfort quite like a warm blanket and a cup of tea. Student accommodation is rarely warm, and heating bills add up fast. This solves both problems at once.

Higher-budget university gift ideas

If you want to make a real difference to their university experience, get them something a bit more expensive that will get used daily for many years. These ideas can be a lot for one person only, so we would recommend getting a group of friends and family together to chip in.

Noise-cancelling headphones. These make it so much easier to focus in any environment. They completely block out outside noise so they can work in a café or around noisy flatmates.

A second monitor. Once someone's had two screens for essay writing, they never willingly go back to one. These make it so easy to have your research papers in front of you while typing on your laptop.

A kitchen starter kit. Pots, pans, knives, chopping boards, storage containers, the lot. Cheaper and easier than buying it all piece by piece.

Running shoes. University life gets stressful and it’s important for students to stay active. Running is popular for students as it doesn’t cost anything and it’s an easy way to get some fresh air. The only significant cost is a pair of running shoes, which you can help them with. It’s important to invest in a good pair to avoid injuries.

An air fryer. It's become the unofficial mascot of student cooking for a reason: quick, cheap meals with barely any washing up.

Chip in for a bigger gift with Collctiv

Some gifts are just easier to give as a group. Instead of everyone buying something small, a joint collection means you can get them something they'll use for the next three years.

With Collctiv, you set up a collection in a couple of minutes and share the link over WhatsApp, Messenger or email. Everyone pays in whatever they're comfortable with, no app download or account needed. Once it's all in, you can put it towards a gift that actually helps them settle in.

Create a pot and start collection today!