The time has come to do some shopping for your college-aged loved ones, but it’s hard. What do you get for an 18-21-year-old college student? The truth is, what they want isn’t necessarily something you can get from a department store. Sure, I’d love a new pair of boots or a Tory Burch Fit Bit, but a price can’t be placed on the things us college kids really need when we finally make it home for the holidays.
1. Unlimited access to our pets.
Let’s be honest. It’s been waaaay too long since you’ve played with your dog and you’re having serious withdrawals without him/her. It’ll be a heartbreaking separation when you have to leave your pup to go back to school after so much quality time during your winter break. Whether you put it on your Christmas list or not, we’re all thinking about it.
2. A break from dining hall food.
OK, so, we all loved having unlimited pizza and french fries at first, but, unfortunately, our bodies have a different opinion. Whether the freshman 15 is real for you or not, having to eat dining hall food can take a real toll on not only your physical health but your mental health. This Christmas, all any college kid wants is a home cooked meal, preferably not out of a bag from the freezer section of a grocery store.
3. No judgement for spending more hours asleep than awake.
If you’re like me, sleep is a thing of the past during the school year…especially during finals week. Last winter I came home from a 72-hour study binge and slept from 12:00 p.m. to taking 30-minute naps and staying up all night just doesn’t cut it anymore. We all need those precious eight hours, so catching up on sleep during the break is a must.
4. A long overdue haircut…
Let’s be honest, there aren’t a ton of opportunities when it comes to getting your hair cut, so we all pretty much tough it out until the end of the semester. Many of us will be going home begging Mom and Dad to take us in for a much-needed grooming. It’s a necessity on every college kid’s Christmas check-list.
5. A ban on talking about our GPA…at least for a little while.
After the past week of finals, we would like to talk about anything but how we did on our biology exam. The last week of school is difficult for everyone, and all college kids are going to need some time to get over the post-traumatic stress from taking four or five tests in one week that might just make us or break us.
6. Extra long showers in a bathroom we don’t share with a million other people.
Ugh. Let's face it, the bathrooms were tolerable for about a week. Then they just weren’t. If there’s one thing everyone coming home from a semester at college is looking forward to, it’s not having to share a bathroom with a bunch of people we hardly know. No more cringing before opening up shower curtains or awkward small talk at the sinks. No more carrying around shower caddies and walking around in shower shoes.
7. Money, money, money.
