7 Original and Enjoyable Gift Ideas for Your College Roommate

Choosing a gift for your college roommate can be difficult, especially if you aren't close friends. However, with the holidays around the corner, it's still customary to get something for a roommate and vice versa.

If you've clicked on this article, it probably means you want to come up with something to give your roommate before the holiday break starts. You've come to the right place! Here is a list of gifts that will make your college roommate go home happy this holiday season!

Short Term Subscription

This gift should be perfect for your roommate if they enjoy watching TV. If you want to be highly thoughtful, you can pay for a month or two worth of subscriptions to your roommates’ streaming channel of choice. Luckily, there are many options, including HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Sling TV, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime video, and YouTube TV.

You can get the Disney+, Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ Streaming Bundle for $7.99 a month, giving you access to an array of shows ranging from Disney originals to basketball for any sports fans. This gift can also be beneficial if you and your roommate like to watch TV together after a long day of studying.

Headphones

Once you head off to college, your privacy is minimal, and the walls are paper thin. Whether you're in the library studying or in your dorm resting, headphones are the perfect gift for any college student looking for peace. You can get regular headphones from brands such as Sony for $349 if you’re willing to splurge on them. Suppose you want decent headphones without breaking the bank. In that case, you can get the AKG Pro Audio K371 Studio Headphones for $166.

If your roommate has been looking for good headphones forever, they will appreciate this gift for Christmas.

Touch Screen Gloves

Touchscreen gloves may seem a little random, but this gift allows your roommate the opportunity to use their phone in -20 degree weather without freezing their fingers off. Touchscreen gloves are handy for keeping your hands warm and allowing you to use your phone easily. If your roommate travels around town or campus a lot, this gift will be helpful when they’re on the go.

You can get touchscreen gloves from many places ranging from Walmart to Target. However, if you’re too busy being holed up for finals season, you can also order your gloves from Amazon. You can get glider gloves for $16.99 that have touch features but are mainly used for temperatures above 40 degrees.

If you want to spend a little extra money, you can get better quality gloves like the Moshi Digits Winter Touchscreen Gloves for $29.95. With the extra money, you also get three layers of insulated protection for your hands.

Snack Package

This gift is excellent for anyone who loves a great snack more than anything itself. A snack package can be equally thoughtful and can be relatively cheap. Who doesn’t like getting free food during the holidays? You can order a basket online from Amazon for $14.99 or $26.28 and get a variety of snacks/candy for your roommate to enjoy.

Note: Make sure your college roommate doesn’t have allergies when buying this gift.

Skincare Set

You can’t go wrong with giving a skincare kit as a present. With the stress of studying for finals plus getting ready for the holiday season, the best thing you can provide your roommate is clear, refreshed skin. Skincare kits can be on the pricey side sometimes, so if you’re willing to spend $44 to $51 on your roommate at the minimum, this gift should be no problem. Your roommate will be thankful once they have glowing skin.

Spa Set

Navigating the daily challenges of life and college can be a lot for even the most organized people. A spa set can help your roommate relax and destress for a little bit before they get back to real life. Imagine it's snowing outside and it's super cold.

What would be a better cure than hot chocolate, a bath bomb, and your favorite spa kit to relax with? That's the ultimate cure for stress! There are many spa kits to choose from, but you can get a 13-piece spa kit for $40 and a 10-piece spa kit for $46.99 at Macy’s. You can even buy one for yourself if you like bath routines!

Have their portrait made

This one is mainly for artistic people, but anyone would love a free portrait of themselves. Giving someone, let alone your roommate, a portrait may seem unconventional. However, it is a unique gift idea that few people have thought of giving.

It’s even better if you make the portrait yourself, but it’s also okay if you buy it from a portrait painting service. Luckily, painting services can be cheap, ranging from $10 to $25 if you want a thoughtful gift that won’t waste your funds.

Hopefully, this list has helped inspire you on what to buy your roommate this holiday season. Things might be stressful now that you’re dealing with many projects, papers, and exams. Finding the perfect present might seem challenging, but your roommate should love it either way. Good luck with holiday shopping!