The closer the holiday season comes to fruition, the more stressful it can be to find the perfect gift, especially for loved ones or a person who appears to have everything they could want. Here are five gift ideas for the UF student.
A memory
Countless UF students at tailgates, parties and hangouts snap pictures with digital cameras, a fad popularized in the 1990s and reborn around 2022.
This choice of media coverage allows students to feel like they’re right in the actionーadjusting settings, capturing memories and having fun. A digital camera makes the perfect gift for the Instagram savvy, a scrapbooker or those with an eye for the camera.
Kodak and Canon are trendy brands for digital cameras, ranging in pricing and features. For a more inexpensive option, disposable digital cameras are available at stores like Walmart and Target for $18 to $30.
Cooking supplies
Many young college students would love to do more cooking, or higher-quality cooking, but lack the necessary tools.
In the past few years, air fryers have become a popular culinary tool for students and chefs, regardless of their cooking experience. Although it is not the only gift option in the realm of cooking, it is one most students would use daily.
If the air fryer has already been checked off the list, some other solid pieces include a knife set, blender or mixer for the baker in the family. Students would be overjoyed to have something new and cute to cook with.
Ninja’s 4 in 1 Single Basket Air Fryer allows its user to choose from four different functions: air fry, roast, dehydrate and reheat. This diversity of choices provides the perfect all-purpose kitchen utensil.
Target also offers cute dishes, ceramics and charcuterie sets at affordable prices.
Tutoring help
If there’s one thing UF is known for, it’s the challenging and exhausting general education classes. First-year students are notoriously stuck studying biology, calculus or chemistry in their dorms. StudyEdge, a helpful online and in-person tutoring service, could make the perfect gift.
StudyEdge features two pricing options: gold and diamond. Gold provides students with 100 tokens, points that users dedicate toward unlocking study materials, which translates to roughly six to 12 hours of video. Diamond offers 200 tokens, unlocking 12 to 24 hours of study video.
Deciding what pricing option to purchase should be based on how many classes the student needs tutoring services for. StudyEdge is a subscription-based service, and the card used to purchase the plan will be charged monthly, unless canceled before the next payment deadline.
Sports equipment
As pickleball continues to rise in popularity, it seems like every student is asking for a paddle this holiday season. Many UF students spend their time on one of the many different types of courts, and with sports comes equipment.
The Prince Pickleball Paddle is affordable at Target and a great option for the beginner pickleball player. This paddle comes in various colors and is only one of many that can be found online or in-store.
A spikeball net, set of golf clubs or a quality tennis racket also serve as excellent gift options.
Something blue (or orange)
If students aren’t playing sports themselves, they are most likely watching them. Whether it’s watching basketball, volleyball or gymnastics in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center or cheering on DJ Lagway at The Swamp, students will need some gators clothing to keep them warm.
A favorite of many tailgaters is the Game Day Bibs Overalls, which conveniently come in orange and blue for ultimate UF pride. Many students wear these overalls to every sporting event, and they are very popular at football games.
Contact Rachel Mish at rmisch@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mish_rache62827.
Rachel Mish is a junior English and business major and the Fall 2024 Food Reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she enjoys playing pick-up basketball or sewing a gameday outfit.
