Graduate Student Gift Guide

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…the holidays are coming up, and no matter what you celebrate, if you have loved ones who are grad students, you might be wondering what to get them. (Alternatively, grad students, feel free to print this out and “accidentally” leave it around for people to see…). Whatever the case may be, you’re in luck, because here’s our holiday gift guide for graduate students. There are gift ideas here for every budget, because you don’t have to spend a lot to make a gift meaningful.

Gift card to iTunes. If your grad student has a Mac, a gift card to iTunes will let them download music, movies, TV shows, and more. Gift cards typically start at $15.00, and you can buy packs of 3, or single cards. This way, your grad student can download some relaxing music, a meditation podcast to help them relax, or a movie or two to reward themselves for making it through the semester!

Relaxation. Okay, so you can’t exactly give the gift of relaxation, but you can get your loved one a gift card to a local spa or massage place, or even gift them a package of yoga sessions. If you know they’re not allergic or have any sensitivities, you might even want to put together a relaxation basket for them that contains aromatherapy candles, an essential oil diffuser, and some Sleepytime tea. Read our blog post on aromatherapy to learn more about how this can help them de-stress.

Scrivener. No matter what kind of computer your grad student has, buying them the writing software Scrivener might be just the thing they need, especially if they’re gearing up to start their dissertation. This writing software is geared especially for writers, and for those who have it and use it, it’s often seen as invaluable.

Meal plan service. This is something that most graduate students would never spend the money on themselves, but it’s a nice, thoughtful thing that someone can buy for them. Grad students often don’t have the time to scour cookbooks for recipes or go food shopping to hunt down every ingredient that might be out of the ordinary – but meal services like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh send everything in one box, and have weekly meal kits that can be delivered. This way, you know your grad student won’t go hungry!

Insulated coffee mug/thermos. Most graduate students run on caffeinated beverages. Whether it’s coffee, tea, or soda, many times, you’ll see grad students with a beverage in hand, lamenting about how tired they are. Even if they’re not a caffeine fiend (what? Is this even possible?), it’s important to stay hydrated. Rather than using disposable coffee cups or carrying around mugs or refilling water bottles, why not invest in an insulated mug or thermos that will keep their cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot? The S’well bottles come in a variety of styles and colors, and start at around $25-29. Places like REI often carry insulated mugs, tumblers, and thermoses as well, at a variety of price points. Why not throw in a gift card to their favorite coffee shop, too? Perfect!

Gift card to Thesis Editor! Did you know that we aren’t just for dissertations or theses? We also have coaching and consulting services to help students through brainstorming and organizing their research projects, we have a whole stats team that can assist with data analysis, and we offer comprehensive dissertation-to-book services, as well as book editing and formatting. We have also helped hundreds of clients with journal articles, fellowship applications, and polishing up CVs, resumes, and cover letters to help them reach their goals. Contact us today to learn more!

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