Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Holidays

15 Questions To Ask Yourself If You're Stumped On What To Get Your Loved Ones For The Holidays

Questions that make the process of buying gifts a little easier.

Simran Jasnani

Dec 03, 2018

Rutgers University

123rf

It's officially the holiday season and I have discovered a new guilty pleasure: mindlessly scrolling through BuzzFeed and Amazon list to try and get some inspiration for gift ideas. Unfortunately, there's only so much the budget of a college student can afford so although I may absolutely love some of the ideas, my bank account definitely does not.

After days — OK maybe just a few hours — of scrolling, it was still difficult to come up with any definitive presents.

So, in an effort to help myself and anyone else in the same boat, I came up with a list of questions to ask that might make the process of buying gifts a little easier.

1. What are some of their hobbies, likes, or favorite things?

2. Are they always looking to add to a collection of theirs?

Ex. snow globes, books, fuzzy socks

3. What are some of our best memories together and how can I incorporate that into a present?

4. If I was this person, what would I want?

5. Recently, have they been mentioning, intentionally or unintentionally, specific things they want or need?

6. What are their favorite stores or restaurants that I could get them gift cards for?

7. Do they like chocolate or certain types of holiday treats?

Trick question: everyone loves chocolate!

8. Would they like a more sentimental and/or creative gift?

Ex. collages or anything personalized

9. Do I know their clothing/accessories sizes and styles?

10. Who and what can I splurge on?

11. For friends in college: Can I find something that represents or showcases their major/field of study?

12. Who would really love extra college gear?

Answer: anyone and everyone

13. For family: What activities, chores do they find to be difficult and annoying? Is there something I could do or buy to make it a little easier for them?

14. What do I want them to get me? Would they want some of the same things?

15. How can I surprise them?

holidays

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

Things You Can Get Away With Now That You're At College

83% of my trends in college would have been shamed in high school.

Keuka College

266

Google Images

Transitioning from high school to college can be a stressful experience, especially if you're like me and hate change. Over the past two years I've realized there's many things I couldn't get away with in High School that are typically applauded in college.

1. Eat

Keep Reading...Show less

college

Entertainment

The Life Of A Girl With Chronic Bitch Face As Told by Blair Waldorf

Because smiling gives you wrinkles.

University of California, Santa Barbara

238

Life is hard. You know what makes it even more tough? Living with chronic b*tch face (CBF). This condition is so debilitating that I have decided to chronicle the 10 things everyone who suffers from CBF experiences. Who better to help me than the queen of CBF herself, Blair Waldorf?

Keep Reading...Show less

blair waldorf

Student Life

The 15 Stages Of A Graduating Senior, Developing Senioritis

It hits hard in college.

Troy University

522

@harvard/Instagram

I thought senioritis in high school was rough until I became a college senior about to go into the real world. I'm supposed to have everything figured out, right? I mean I went through four years of tough classes and serious self-searching (and crying). What I found overall was Senioritis sneaking up on me.

Keep Reading...Show less

graduation

Student Life

8 Texts You Get From Your High School Friends

You might not see them everyday anymore, but you're still friends and your text messages prove it.

The Ohio State University

354

Ashlynn West

It takes a little while to get used to not seeing your high school best friends every day. Going away to college causes a lot of changes, but one thing that will never change is my love for my high school BFFs, and the texts that I get from them. Here are just 8 of the texts I get from them on the weekly:

Keep Reading...Show less

high school friends

Student Life

13 Things College Kids Do That They Know They Shouldn't

Sometimes these things are both necessary and inevitable.

Christopher Newport University

29236

College is filled with many things, and we're so often lectured to make the right decisions as we head out on our own into the college life. But sometimes it's necessary to indulge in some guilty pleasures as well as just doing things because you can. And honestly, a lot of the time it's inevitable. College is no piece of cake that's for sure, so it's okay to do some things you deep down know you shouldn't....once in a while anyways.

Keep Reading...Show less

college life

Recommended for you

15 Questions To Ask Yourself If You're Stumped On What To Get Your Loved Ones For The Holidays

Questions that make the process of buying gifts a little easier.

In This Article:

1. What are some of their hobbies, likes, or favorite things?

2. Are they always looking to add to a collection of theirs?

3. What are some of our best memories together and how can I incorporate that into a present?

4. If I was this person, what would I want?

5. Recently, have they been mentioning, intentionally or unintentionally, specific things they want or need?

6. What are their favorite stores or restaurants that I could get them gift cards for?

7. Do they like chocolate or certain types of holiday treats?

8. Would they like a more sentimental and/or creative gift?

9. Do I know their clothing/accessories sizes and styles?

10. Who and what can I splurge on?

11. For friends in college: Can I find something that represents or showcases their major/field of study?

12. Who would really love extra college gear?

13. For family: What activities, chores do they find to be difficult and annoying? Is there something I could do or buy to make it a little easier for them?

14. What do I want them to get me? Would they want some of the same things?

15. How can I surprise them?

Subscribe to our Newsletter

83% of my trends in college would have been shamed in high school.

1. Eat

2. Be seen running across campus

3. Sleep

4. Skip Class

5. Blurt out

6. Wear dresses

7. Wear Crocs

8.Run on 4 hours of sleep

9. Use a Laptop

10. Crying

Because smiling gives you wrinkles.

1. “When I first met you, I thought you were a b*tch.”

2. Somebody asks you if you’re mad at them at least once a day.

3. You always look unamused. Even when you are very amused.

4. Anna Wintour is your spirit animal.

5. You are never approached by people who are tabling on campus.

6. You have to practice smiling before you get your photo taken.

7. The word “judgmental” is thrown at you on the daily.

8. You make people visibly uncomfortable in section by glancing at them.

9. Your parents thought that this was just part of a teenage phase, but this is actually just your face.

10. Your face could get you out of jury duty.

It hits hard in college.

1. Excitement of the final year

2. Trying to take easy classes to make it out alive

3. Does attendance count for a grade?

4. Skipping once won't hurt me

5. Wait that is due?

6. I'm just trying to graduate

7. I'll just do this assignment during my other class

8. Patiently waiting

9. Rejection

10. Accepting that you might have gotten a degree for nothing

11. Probably should have studied for that test

12. Sanity > class

13. Finally an acceptance letter

14. Oh yeah, finals

15. Graduating!

You might not see them everyday anymore, but you're still friends and your text messages prove it.

1. "Should I skip class today?"

2. "Did you hear ________ is engaged?"

3. "When are you coming home?"

4. "I finally talked to the cute guy in my science lecture."

5. GIFs, on GIFs, on GIFs.

6. "I saw the cutest puppy on my walk to class this morning!"

7. "Do you remember when we ________ at ________?"

8. "I miss you."

Sometimes these things are both necessary and inevitable.

1. Spending their money - when they actually don't have any.

2. Take naps. Lots of naps.

3. Staying up late binge-watching a Netflix show when you have an early class.

4. Skip a class to do something completely unnecessary.

5. Putting all your homework off for the night before it's due just so you can do nothing for a night.

6. Going out on a Thursday night when you have a test the next day.

7. Making impulsive decisions.

8. Write an important paper in one night.

9. Classifying Ramen as your main food group.

10. Going on late night food runs - and I mean really late.

11. Having more than 3 cups of coffee a day.

12. Doing really dumb, irresponsible things when out with your friends.

Subscribe to our
Newsletter

7. "Do you remember when we at ?"