Looking for the perfect present? The Phillipian offers fun, thoughtful, and student-approved gift ideas to make your shopping a little easier. Whether you’re shopping for friends, family, or that one person who insists they “don’t need anything,” this guide highlights the types of gifts people consistently resonate with.
Jaewon Choi ’28
“One element that I tend to value a lot in a gift is if it’s really useful for me. If it’s someone that I know very well, they would know something that might be useful based on my interest or some area of need. A gift given to me that I found to be particularly meaningful was from a reverend at a church I go to, and he gifted me a book. It was a book called “The Book of Common Prayer” about the different liturgical elements in my tradition and my faith as I was preparing to be baptized as a member of that faith. To me, a practical gift is sentimental in its essence. If you’re truly understanding of that person, if you have a good relationship with them, and you’ve spent a lot of time learning about who that person is, it coexists. A sentimental gift would be a practical gift, because you know what that person wants, who that person is, and what that person needs. I would actually say in an ideal case, they’re intertwined.”
Samiha Tasnim ’29
“A good holiday gift is something that you know about that person that no one else does, and it’s a gift that’s specific to them. It’s something like a small detail that you remember that shows that you care. For me, a gift that has really stood out was when my sister bought me a piano because I wanted to learn how to play. That was really cool. Sentimental gifts are something I will always keep in my memory box. It reminds me of the person. Practical gifts are also really nice because when it’s something that I would have bought with my own money, but it was gifted to me, it’s just really useful, and I would use it in my daily life. But like the piano, it’s best if it’s both. The most popular gifts now would definitely be water bottles, I feel, because everyone keeps losing their water bottles. You can’t go wrong with clothes.”
Camden Schopler ’27
“A good gift is something you know [your friend] need[s] or something that they would really appreciate, for example, something from one of their favorite shows or maybe their favorite artists. It’s definitely the thought that counts rather than the gift itself. A thoughtful gift really shows that you’re watching the person and that you really care for them. I’ve definitely seen a trend in gifting scarves as of this season. I know another friend who’s giving out a bunch of them to all of her friends. I’ve also given out scarves to people. Another popular gift is probably speakers.”
Michelle Oh ’29
“What makes a gift special and meaningful [could be the] price but [more importantly], the thought the gifter puts behind it. A gift I’ve received that really stood out to me was a water bottle a friend got for me because she remembered a throwaway comment I made a month prior, saying I really hated my Stanley because I had to carry it around and it leaked everywhere. I prefer both sentimental and practical depending on the occasion or what it is. My favorite gift I’ve ever given someone are the cards I make that go along with the gift because it speaks more to our friendship, and they are so fun to write!”
