Top Ten Gift Ideas for a Male College Student

Buying a gift for a college-age boy can be a rather daunting task. Parents and other loved ones find that he is too old for childish toys and too young for socks and embroidered handkerchiefs. To help those buying gifts for a male college student, I'd like to present a few ideas that would thrill both me and many of my friends to find under the tree Christmas morning.

Firstly, focus on the activities the young man takes part in and any other interests that you know of. As a parent or other loved one, you have the advantage of knowing many of these interests on an intimate level. For instance, does he frequently talk about sports, art, logic-based games, clothing, photography, or any other hobbies or interests?
Think about both the things he is intensely interested in and the areas he has expressed interest in but has not fully explored. In my case, I love disc golf and would be thrilled if my parents researched the sport and bought me a new disc, or a bag to carry them in. On the other side of the fence, I have many times expressed interest in photography but can't afford a camera to explore it as a hobby. If my parents recognized this interest and got me even a cheap 35mm camera, I would be touched that they put so much thought into it. Like the old saying goes, "It's the thought that counts." Often this is used as an excuse to buy a poor or inadequate gift. However, if serious thought goes into a gift, the difference will almost always be visible on the receivers face when he or she unwrap it.

To give you an idea of what a thoughtful idea consists of, I'll list 10 ideas for myself and many others I know, as well as why I would see them as particularly thoughtful gifts.

1. A disc bag for use when playing disc golf
This would be a meaningful gift because though the giver may not take part in the sport, they recognize how much I enjoy it. They are encouraging my interests.