40+ Personalized Gifts For College Girls
Girls in college know their style. They can transform the simplest of dorm rooms and show off their unique wardrobe while tackling a challenging class schedule. There are so many ways to both help her express her one-of-a-kind creativity and stay organized for the upcoming semester. It’s all about finding a personalized gift that reflects her passions.
Whether you’re sending your daughter off to college or are looking for a personalized gift for your girlfriend, these gift ideas for college girls cover it all. College-themed gifts are also excellent for Christmas surprises when she comes home for the holidays each year. Create an unforgettable college experience by filling her dorm room with the comforts of home, the best desk accessories, and small surprises to make her week a little easier.
1. School Year Planner
Nothing keeps her more on task than a personalized planner for all her assignments, dorm events, and social events. Surprise her with a book personalized with her name and favorite colors that she’ll keep by her side from class to class. For a unique touch, include a few handwritten motivational notes on random pages for her to find.
2. Cooking Essentials
Is she renting her first off-campus apartment this year? Be sure she has all the kitchen essentials with a gift set of utensils, mixing tools and pots and pans. Wrap up the whole gift set with a beginner’s cookbook and any homemade recipes for her to learn to make on her own.
3. Phone Ring Holder
There’s no question that her phone is always by her side. A phone ring holder will make it easy to grab and keep a handle on as she treks across campus. It can match her phone case or serve as a pop of decor on a neutral background.
4. Chic Curtains
Window treatments can be the key to turning a dorm room into a truly personalized space. Gift her with a set of high-quality curtain panels and easy-to-use tension rod. Match the curtains to the style of her room’s color scheme.
5. Dorm Tool Kit
Learning to live on your own and set up your first personalized space can be a challenge. Prepare her for everything by creating a care package of dorm tool necessities. Include picture hanging hooks, cleaning supplies, measuring tape, and a level. Pair the kit with a framed poster from her favorite movie or a picture of all her high school buddies.
6. Laundry Membership
If the dorm’s laundry setup is getting her down, surprise her with a month of laundry delivery from a local laundromat. Pay for all her clothing to be washed, folded, and delivered to her door without a second thought. This gift idea is also perfect if you’re gifting her a new set of outfits for the holidays or her birthday.
7. Photo Collage
At the end of each school year, gather a collage of her favorite Instagram photos into a grid of colorful images. Set in a large wooden frame for her to hang on her dorm room wall. When she graduates in four years, she’ll have four collages to look back on her college experience with pride.
8. Dorm Room Keychain
If you need a small gift to mark a school year milestone, send her a motivational key ring to add to her school set. The keychain addition will keep her from ever losing those important dorm keys after a late night at the library.
9. Desk Decor
The more she’s motivated to sit down at her school desk, the more work gets done! Cover her desktop with accessories like a clock to keep track of study time, colorful notebooks, and headphones to help her concentrate.
10. Accent Bracelet
Getting through another school year or making it through a large project should be rewarded. At your next holiday visit, surprise her with a personalized piece of jewelry to send the message that you support her hard work.
11. Shoulder Bag
Has she been eyeing a specific cross-body bag or backpack to carry all things around campus? Surprise her with her dream bag right before she heads back to school. Fill the bag with fun dorm room snacks and desk essentials as an extra personalized touch.
12. Jewelry Organizer
Keep her most precious items tidy on her dorm room dresser with helpful organization accessories. Include small bins and makeup cases for her beauty products, a catch-all for bracelets and rings, and a key hook for the wall. Buy everything in a matching color or pattern, so it pairs well as a set.
13. Cozy Bed Set
In a small dorm room, your bedsheets are a great way to show off personal style and make it feel like home. A set of high-quality bed sheets will last her for years to come and make her space even cozier as she settles in.
14. Game Night Set
If you know she’ll be hosting the best game nights on her floor, send her off to school with her favorite games and a personalized deck of cards. Include other fun accessories for a game night with friends like a large snack bowl, mason jar glasses, and a notebook for keeping score.
15. Wireless Mouse
Remind her how much you admire her hard work with a new wireless mouse. This makes an excellent Christmas gift for her after she finishes her first semester. Customize it with a bold geo pattern and your favorite photo to add some personality to her workspace.
16. Coffee Essentials
She’ll need to stay caffeinated through those long nights before exams or a big paper’s due date. Keep her sipping coffee in style by wrapping up the best coffee accessories, including a new coffee maker and of course, some locally roasted beans.
17. DIY Spa Kit
Give the DIY gift of a shower as comforting as those at home. Send her a set of comforting homemade bath products like face cream, shower melts, and sugar scrubs. She can even throw an afternoon spa party with her friends to show off your crafted homemade goodies.
18. Local Classes
Sometimes it’s healthy to get off campus and build a local community. Surprise her with a membership to a local yoga or dance studio. You can even choose a one-night workshop like a cooking class or paint night just to break free from the academic schedule.
19. Portable Speaker
Equip her dorm room with high-quality sound so she can relax or study to her favorite tunes. Choose a Bluetooth speaker compatible with her phone and school laptop that she can take wherever. You can even make her a personalized playlist to try out the new system.
20. New Luggage
Is she headed off on a study abroad trip this semester? Time to update her luggage set with a new suitcase or carry-on bag. Buy it in her favorite color or a bold pattern with a personal luggage tag so she’s sure to pick it out at baggage claim.
21. Shower Caddy
There are a few iconic essentials that college kids always need when they head off to dorm life. Make shower time a little easier in the morning by buying her a multi-compartment shower caddy. Fill it with all her favorite specialized toiletries and beauty products in the style of a care package.
22. Fuzzy Slippers
There’s nothing like a new set of cozy slippers on a winter evening inside. Complete the set with matching pajamas and an oversized hoodie. If she just got into her dream school, personalize the set with the name of her school and graduation year.
23. Cozy Candles
Is there a candle scent that reminds her of home? Send her back to school with a custom candle that fills her space with fall, winter, or spring scents. Decorate it with her initials or a floral pattern. If she’s not allowed to burn candles in her dorm, include a candle warmer and wax melts for a safer setup.
24. Headboard Pillow
Even a few small luxury items can make a new space feel more like home. Gift her with a plush headboard pillow for all the times she curls up in bed with a book or watches a movie with friends. The oversized pillow transforms the bed into a lounging spot—the perfect fix for a small dorm room.
25. Air Purifier
If she’s moved to a new state or is sensitive to allergens, an air purifier is great for a cramped dorm. There are various styles these days to fit her taste and space, so it can tuck right next to her bed or on her desk. Include a few replacement filters so she’s set for the full year.
26. Local Gift Certificate
Has she spent too much time eating in the cafeteria or microwaving dorm room mac and cheese? Surprise her with a gift certificate to a nice local restaurant to head out to brunch or dinner with her friends. This makes an excellent gift idea during exams or a busy project when she just needs to get off campus to unwind.
27. Photo Notebook
Every college student needs a notebook for the weekly lecture hall. Gift your favorite girl a stylish, personalized notebook with an inspiring quote and bright photo. As she heads off to class or the library, she’ll love being reminded of her goals.
28. Desk Calendar
Even with all her technology, there’s nothing quite like a paper calendar to keep her schedule organized. Fill a desk calendar with a collection of colorful photos from childhood and high school. You can even add sweet notes within the calendar to remind her of semester milestones.
29. Breakfast Mug
Try to encourage the most important meal of the day even though she’s away from home. Buy her a coffee mug that can be her go-to in the morning. Add a loving message or photos with her furry friend to the front of the mug to greet her each morning.
30. Closet Organizer
Be sure she’s well situated in her small closet space with a proper closet organizer. Include a place to store her shoes, matching hangers for dresses and pants, and small containers for storing scarves and other accessories. Head to school with her on move-in day to help her set it all up.
31. Tea Time Set
She’ll love hosting friends for a relaxing afternoon of tea with a complete tea set from you. Include matching teacups, a glass teapot with an infuser, and a trivet for keeping surfaces safe. Add several blends of herbal and black tea for her to sip and enjoy with her roommates.
32. Homemade Cookies
Stick to the traditional college care package favorite—your best batch of homemade cookies. Send them right before a big test or due date to help her through that all-nighter. If she has access to a kitchen, include your recipe for the cookies so she can try out a new batch whenever she likes.
33. Message Board
Every group of roommates needs a message board to leave each other notes between classes. Gift her a large magnetic message board with personalized markers. Include instructions for hanging so it’s perfectly secured to their dorm room door.
34. Favorite Clutch
Find a small purse that’s perfect for both running to dinner at the cafeteria and heading to a party with her friends. Chat with her about her favorite style at the moment and if there’s a color purse that would perfectly fit her wardrobe. You can even personalize the clutch with embroidered initials or her name.
35. Dorm Room Garden
She may not have a yard of her own yet, but she can still add some indoor plants to her dorm room windowsill. Include a variety of unique succulents in hand-painted planters for her to spread throughout her room. You can also plant fresh herbs or wildflowers to add a fresh scent to her room each morning.
36. Bathroom Decor
Is she moving into a suite or her own apartment this year? With a bathroom to decorate for the first time, she’ll need your help. Buy or decorate a set of matching bathroom items like a toothbrush holder, soap dish, and matching hand towels. You can even include fun framed prints that will brighten up the bathroom walls.
37. Picnic Set
If she and her friends want to head out to sit in the quad on a spring afternoon, gift them with a classic picnic basket and a tote bag for easy travel. It’s the perfect kit for a relaxing day outside.
38. Movie Night Box
Just at the height of finals, remind her to take a night to unwind with an old-fashioned collection of movie night favorites. Include microwavable popcorn, fuzzy socks, and a new throw blanket. Send a list of suggested movies she can find online or include a DVD of her favorite childhood film to watch and reminisce.
39. De-Stress Kit
Provide a set of gift items she can turn to every time she needs a break from the stress of school. Include a new yoga mat, an essential oil diffuser, and soothing lotion to calm any sore muscles. Package it up in a DIY or purchased yoga bag with a motivational print to hang above her bed.
40. Writer’s Gift Set
If she loves to kick back with a journal, put together a care package that creates the perfect setting to relax and write. Include a high-quality pen and lapdesk for sitting outside or on her bed. Add extra items like a coffee mug and new tea so she can truly unwind.
41. Monthly Box Subscription
There’s nothing quite like receiving mail, especially when the item inside is a fun surprise. Choose from one of the many box subscriptions that sell things like yoga items, snacks, and beauty products. Sign yourself up as well so you can discuss which fun items you receive each month.
College is an exciting time to learn to live on your own and explore your own personal style. Show that you support all her new creative endeavors with small gifts that celebrate this huge milestone and bridge into adulthood.