help!

[happymommy]

Hi,

Dh just got a phone call his sister mentioned getting our daughter a Palm Pilot sp? for her graduation. She also asked if she had an Ipod and she does. Those were her two ideas she had and she wants us to get back to her about a palm pilot or another idea if we have one.

I don't know anything about palm pilots except to keep phone #s, memos etc.
Then i did see one that you can store work and excell on them.

I'm not sure on her price range, and I don't want her to waste her money on a gadget.

Is this a good gift that that would come in handy for college?

Or any other Graduation gifts that are helpful to the new busy student?

I would greatly appreciate any information you could share, or NEW ideas. Callling any parents of college students or college students themselves, what is a helpful gift?

Thank you for you time.

[geckoace]

if your daughter is the type to keep an appt book, then it is great! i had one in college and it was a life saver, but if she has a different type of system then it wont be that helpful. the thing that is most useful in my opinion is a thumb drive/ flash drive. i use one for my music storage and one on my keychain to store assignments and then i keep another for important docs. they aren't expensive. or if she really wants to spend more an external hard drive. just a thought.

[happymommy]

Thank you Reba for sharing. My daughter has one of those flash drives and loves it!

[FrugalMomof3]

I think it will surely come in handy for a college student but might be better to invest in a PDA type cellphone like the blackberry its a PDA and cellphone in one.

[FrugalWitch]

Gift certificate to the college bookstore

[Dancing Lotus]

Gift certificate to the college bookstore

Ditto, I know my dh would to have that.

[Missy]

I think it will surely come in handy for a college student but might be better to invest in a PDA type cellphone like the blackberry its a PDA and cellphone in one.

yeah, that's what i'd think too. Except for having to pay for the phone service.

[lgw]

Gift certificate to the college bookstore

This is a great idea. I work at a university, and I can vouch for the fact that college textbooks are VERY expensive, easily running $200+ per semester. Most students have no idea about the cost.

All college students today have for electronics:

-- cell phone, which they are on 24-7.
-- IPod
-- Laptop

Honestly, I think most college students would benefit from *unplugging* more. They are going in a million directions. I'm so glad I'm past that time.

[mombottoo]

Personally I think the best gift for a graduate is cash...they know what they need and in this day and age they generally like to buy their own gadgets.

[Frugal Nurse]

so skip the Palm Pilot.

Yes for the gift cards for the bookstore... or! if you know where she's going to college.. some gc's to the area restaurants.

That's what we stuff my three college age children's stockings with... gift cards to to pizza hut, dunkins, starbucks, Sarbos, Quiznos.. etc etc. They get so tired of same ole same ole at the cafeteria.

Gas cards...
A transportable container for the shower- stuffed with shampoo, soap, etc.
A laundry bag (or 2 or 3) filled with laundry detergent, dryer sheets.... and some quarters
A nice comfy home made quilt from Auntie. (All my children brought their Aunt's quilt with them.)
I could go on and on and on... seeing that there are three in college here and all the things they needed ..... and wanted.... and ask for.... and .. and... and....

[LuvMyHubby]

Oh yeah, GC to the bookstore is a fantastic idea... GC for food places and coffee dunkin donuts, tim hortons etc.

Keep in mind that often the professor has their own list of what is needed and the poor kid doesn't know that until they get to the class or the school may require that each student purchase a removeable hard drive which is selected by the school so that school computers are not clogged up and in my daughter's experience, this was not added on to the tuition bill it had to be a cash purchase. So, cash is always a good thing.

My daughter has a huge dayplanner kind of thing along with a huge dry erase calendar on her wall which lists each semester class plus tracks all her assignments/projects/exams etc. So, she may like something visual as well as the palm pilot.

[frugalfoster]

I would not suggest a palm pilot even though I live with one daily. The gift card to the bookstore is a much better idea. I have two daughters who have gone through college and they would have really loved that! Even if they didn't buy books there is so much available to them at the bookstore (university sweatshirts and such).

[MomK]

I've been giving gas cards the last few years, but I like the gift certificate to the college bookstore,too!

[happymommy]

Thank you so much for all the great ideas!

I love the college book store gift certificate.

Thanks again!

[Lady_V]

Just tossing in my

Book store GC is a great idea... sometimes my profs. would 'add on' something mid-semester and most of us had to scramble to get the money for it.