Back to School Gift Guide for College & Law Students

It’s back to school season! A time when parents, teachers, and students shop for supplies and clothes needed for the upcoming school year. If you have a college or law student in your life, check out these gift ideas to help them prepare for a successful year ahead.

Laptop & Accessories

Use of laptops is prevalent in schools from as early as kindergarten through graduate school. Gifting a college or law student a durable—but lightweight for ease of carrying—laptop will aid in their notetaking and outlining, homework, studying, and testing (including the bar exam for prospective law graduates). Don’t forget noise-cancelling headphones and laptop stands can be useful accessories (e.g., headphones can help students focus on their work and block out distractions; stands can improve posture for students using their laptops for extended periods of time).

Pens & Notebooks

You can’t go wrong with classic pen and paper for jotting down quick notes or reminders, drafts, or long-term notetaking. Some professors, to avoid the potential distractions of laptops (e.g., gaming, instant messaging, or general internet surfing), may even ban electronics in their classroom leaving students to rely on pens or pencils and notebooks.

Highlighters

Both college and law students tend to use highlighters to identify and focus on important information from their often-dense reading materials. Especially in law school where many professors use the Socratic Method to discuss case law, students will find it helpful to refer to highlighted information in their casebooks.  

Planner

College and law students are often busy with rigorous coursework, internships, and other day-to-day responsibilities. Plus, class and internship schedules are not the same every day. The gift of a daily planner can help the college or law student in your life organize the many demands of their studies, meet school and non-school deadlines and commitments, and feel accomplished as they cross off items on their to-do list.

Cold & Flu Care Basket

Nobody enjoys or has time to be sick but missing a day or more of class can be a setback for many college or law students (especially for classes that do not meet daily). Help the college or law student in your life prepare for cold and flu season by gifting them with a care basket filled with items like antibacterial hand soap, hand sanitizer, tissues, soups, teas, feel-good items and other items you know they usually use to help fight a cold, etc.

Water Bottle

Help the college or law student in your life stay hydrated while in class, studying, or on the go between classes on campus or while commuting. Gift them a thermal water bottle that can keep their water (or tea or whatever other hydrating drink of choice) as cold (or as hot) to keep up with the long and busy hours of a college or law student.

Snuggie

College and law students study at all hours and in all places, including air conditioned libraries and dorms or apartments. A Snuggie blanket or other blanket with sleeves provides comfort, warmth, and access to flipping pages in books or typing on laptops for studying.

Suit & Accessories

College and law students are entering various stages of the professional world. A comfortable, appropriate, and well-fitting suit is needed for internships, clerkships, externships, interviews, etc. as they move through the working world while pursuing their degrees. As a bonus, also consider gifting a professional backpack to the college or law student in your life so they can carry their supplies and books between school and their place of experiential learning or stylish, but comfortable shoes to complete their professional look for school and for work.

Gift Cards

It’s no surprise that college and law school are expensive. You can’t go wrong with the gift of money towards groceries, take-out, tuition, books, housing, coffee, travel, etc. The college or law student in your life will most certainly appreciate a gift card towards their many expenses—one less thing to think about so they can focus on their studies.

Back to school season is an exciting time, especially for college freshman and first-year law students and those graduating at the end of the academic year. No matter your class year or milestone ahead, Zerega Consulting wishes all students the best of luck this upcoming school year.