Gifts for Grad Students

Whether your favorite twentysomething is heading for another year of college or he's off to grad school, his laptop will need protection. There's a slew of possibilities out there ranging from solid color Neoprene padded sleeves to versions that look like a Van Gogh, an interoffice envelope or an old leather-bound book. The latter, dubbed the BookBook, is made by Twelve South and it looks so very real, even the zipper tabs resemble bookmarks. Still, it's best not to leave even a disguised laptop unattended at the library. It might get stolen. Or reshelved. Prices? $20-$80.

Coffee and grad school go together as naturally as exams and exhaustion. So give that new grad student a nice coffee press and an insulated travel mug, plus a pound or two of great coffee. Or pair the travel mug with a well-loaded gift card for Starbucks, Peet's or any coffeehouse near campus. Price? $17-$30 for the coffee press, $8-10 a pound for the coffee. INeedCoffee.com has a great FAQ for proper use, cleaning, and common concerns.

Hard-working grad students get neck and shoulder aches. It comes with the territory - all that hunched-over studying. So consider a gift certificate for a shoulder massage at a nearby spa, or a lavender-filled neck roll, which can be microwaved to soothing warmness, then wrapped around aching muscles. Price? $27-$30 for an aromatherapy neck roll, $50-$150 for a spa gift certificate.

Fancy pens are nice and leather attache cases splendid, but after four or more years of undergraduate work, chances are your 20something has very empty pockets. So cash is the most welcome gift of all. Money may not be a very exciting thing to present, but there are some very clever ways to package it, including rolling a check inside a prescription bottle, filling a personalized piggy bank or tying it with a graduation-style tassel. You'll find a few ideas here.

This tongue-in-cheek advice book by Adam Ruben is light on the actual, practical advice - although giving your dissertation advisor brownies is always a good idea - and heavy on the humor. The result is a very funny, entertaining read and a light-hearted gift choice for the new college grad headed for grad school. Tuck in a few twenties as a bookmark.

Got a new nursing student or nurse in your family? That new RN or RN-to-be will love everything on this list, from the career advice books and medical thrillers to scrubs, socks, a retro 1950s series, and clever gift cards. Hello, Cherry Ames! And hello 21st-century version too.

Dental students aren't exactly known for their leisure time and recreational opportunities, but these ideas offer a little something for everyone, from laptop bags and gift cards to bacon-flavored floss and dentistry-related books (pictured).