Sorry, everyone, but it’s time to call it: summer is over. Time to deflate your donut pool float, pull out the cardigans, and — if you’re a student — get ready for another semester of textbooks and exams. If you’re feeling the back-to-school blues, why not treat yourself (or your favorite student) to a little retail therapy? These useful gifts for college students get an A+ from us.

$5 a Meal College Cookbook$5 a Meal College Cookbook: Good Cheap Food for When You Need to Eat
Authors: Rhonda Lauret Parkinson, B. E. Horton

Nobody is born a great cook, but it’s important for every adult to have some basic cooking skills: how to scramble eggs, boil pasta, bake cookies, and so on. This beginner’s cookbook teaches simple cooking techniques and shows you how to use them in basic, user-friendly recipes. Bonus: they’re cheap and filling, and even occasionally include veggies! With recipes covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there’s a school year’s worth of affordable and easy meals, from omelets to taco salad to grilled cheese sandwiches. A great gift for any beginning cook!

 

 

 

color me drunkColor Me Drunk: A Drinking and Drawing Activity Book

Let’s be real: college students are going to drink. So why not have some fun with it? This coloring and activity book lets you color in beer bottles to track your drinking, finish partially drawn illustrations, and take drunk-vs-sober drawing challenges. Keep it in your dorm room for parties or take it to a bar when you want to make new friends. See more awesome coloring books for grownups.

 

 

 

 

I Am Very Busy PlannerI Am Very Busy 12 Month Planner

A paper planner in 2017? Stay with me here. Phone calendars and to-do list apps are all well and good, but sometimes you just need a place to get a big-picture view of the full upcoming month, jot down important dates, or quickly scribble a note to self. I love the cheeky cover that never lets anyone forget how busy you are! Throw in a set of college-themed planner stickers and they’ll never forget an exam, interview, or raging kegger again.

 

 

 

All Out Of NotepadKnock Knock “All Out Of…” Pad

You’ll never have to suffer through another “Who used up the milk and didn’t replace it?” argument with this handy-dandy grocery checklist! Stick it to the fridge with the attached magnet and just check a box when you run out of beer, toilet paper, or other essentials. Nobody likes wandering around the store trying to visualize the contents of the fridge, and now you don’t have to!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Boyfriend Barfed in My HandbagMy Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag . . . and Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha

Terrible things happen to clothes, shoes, and accessories all the time, but don’t despair! Everything from barf to red wine to grass stains can be cleaned with the right supplies and techniques. This friendly, no-judgment book shows you how to remove all kinds of party damage, as well as cleaning basics like how to clean a kitchen or bathroom, and everything you’ll ever need to know about doing laundry.

 

 

 

 

 

Pendleton Notebook CollectionPendleton Notebook Collection

Brighten up an early morning class with these colorful notebooks decorated in Pendleton’s signature geometric patterns. These lined, stitched notebooks look great and stand out from all the other boring spiral-bound black notebooks, and the bold colors are just right for fall. You get three in a pack, so grab one for every class. Perfect for girls and guys!

 

 

 

 

 

Q&A a Day CollegeQ&A a Day for College: 4-Year Journal

Your college years will be full of memories, but who has time to sit down and write every day? This pocket-sized journal will last you through all four years of college. Each of the 366 dated pages has a different question about your activities, thoughts, feelings, and milestones; take a minute every day to answer today’s question, and as you work your way through the book, you’ll see how your answers have evolved from year to year. There’s also a 5-year journal that makes a great gift for anyone with a busy schedule — which is to say, everyone.

 

 

 

 

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Stephanie Perry
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