Planning Holiday Gifts for Adult College Students

Adult college students, whether returning to college or embarking on a degree program for the first time, often lead lives exemplified by time-pressed schedules and multitasking efforts. Holiday gifts that successfully combine utility, style, and convenience are bound to be warmly appreciated this holiday season.

Here are a few gift ideas for nearly all budgets, and suitable for both men and women, to help you get you started:

1. Designer (non-prescription) Reading Glasses. Good Candidates: Nearly anyone who begins to hold standard reading materials at arm's length. As presbyopia begins to kick in, reading textbooks, labels, uncomfortably small font sizes, and even one's own handwriting starts to become increasingly difficult. Those who never wore prescription glasses, as well as those who currently wear standard hard or soft contact lenses, will appreciate this gift. Be sure to include a sturdy eyeglass case, and make sure the item is exchangeable, as the lenses come in different strengths. Start with 1.5+, and you can always work your way up. Poor Candidates: Those with prescription lenses who may or may not require prescription reading glasses; those who are too vain to wear glasses and prefer squinting to reading.

2. Schedule Planner. Good Candidates: Those who need to have their schedules readily accessible at all times. Course times, exam dates, report due dates, and academic holidays are a few examples of data that can easily fill a Filofax or other type of personal schedule organizer or date planner. These items come in a variety of sizes, colors, and binders, and are suitable for those who prefer to write rather than key in their daily activities. Pocket-sized date books can be appreciated by all. Poor Candidates: Those who prefer to have all schedules electronically stored, such as via Microsoft Outlook.