Hi Glassvisage,

I was wondering if you would make a page on what parents should get their college student kids for Christmas.

Ooh, now I'm getting requests! :)

Well, this is a hard question, and one that my mother has bemoaned for a year now. Of course there are the things that I cannot generalize, the personal things that only family know about their loved one. But there are a few types of things that I can offer as suggestions for the confused and frustrated gift-givers for college students.

1) Practical/household items.

So I'm getting older and for the first time in my life I thought, "Wow. I want a Brita filter." Just the little things that people need as they get older and have their own homes or spaces. You can get them vacuums, suitcases, all of those things; you don't need to wait till they get married. Even rugs, flower pots, or other home adornments are nice and they make me feel all grown up :)

2) Unusual, captivating, useless things.

Lava lamps, fibre-optic electronic things, flashing lights, and other such items are fun for me because they really doll up a room and they're fun and entertaining to look at when your brain is fried from studying.

3) Trips.

For school breaks it's nice to have someplace cool to go. Send your kid to another state where you know relatives or friends, take them to Disneyland or something. My mom went in with my best friend's mom and they got us tickets to Chicago to see the museums; we stayed with my dad's friend there and it was a blast!

4) Cards.

Don't forget; one of the best things a college parent can get a college kid is a heartfelt card. I still get embarrassingly choked-up when I read a sweet note my mom wrote me in a glittery card. Maybe that's just me, but, especially for the first Christmas back from school, it feels like you never can get away from home.

5) Cars. Haha.

6) Gift cards.

It's a last resort, but really, I don't care if I get gift cards either. They give me the freedom to buy things I know I want. My mom has learned long ago not to get clothes for me unless she takes one of my friends. Honestly it's nicer to get something personal, but I understand that older kids are hard to buy for.

7) Movies.

Music is pretty touchy, but it's not too hard to find a film that most college kids can enjoy. There are the college classics, like "Animal House" and "Old School," and I highly recommend comedies rather than dramas. And parents know exactly what their kids like. They give us something to do when we don't want to study or if we're just bored.

8) Credit for restaurants.

I hate cooking. And I don't have money for cooking. Case closed.