Gift Ideas for Your Professional Student

Give the Gifts of Time and Space

Jerome’s grades were tanking because he wasn’t getting his homework done each night, and it was quickly snowballing. At a conference with his parents, I found out he wasn’t getting home from school until 7pm because of lacrosse practice and a long commute. When he got home, he was zonked and hungry, so he wouldn’t start his homework until after dinner. He did his homework at the kitchen table, and often didn’t finish in time. His mom said she would cut him off at 10:00 for bedtime, even if he wasn’t done. The parents didn’t think it was fair that the school should expect him to stay up all night doing homework as just a 9th grader, and they were suspicious of why his homework was sometimes taking 2+ hours - was the school unreasonably demanding and assigning an exorbitant amount of work? Or did he have some kind of disability, and should they pursue testing and accommodations?

This is one of those conversations I’ve had so many times it’s practically an archetype, and in most cases, the answer is “no, and no.” At least, you should always try to make all obvious and inexpensive fixes before you resort to the more costly ones. What many kids in this predicament need is (1) help rearranging their schedule based on their highest priorities, and (2) a designated work/study space.

In the case of Jerome, he did end up dropping lacrosse altogether. Soccer was his main sport, and he was really just playing lacrosse because his friends were, and he was an athletic kid, so he was good enough to make the team. I never want kids to have to quit a sport that they enjoy - I believe competitive sports have so many benefits, and I wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of that. But there are too many kids out there nowadays whose schedules are just bonkers. It’s school, then violin, then basketball, then space camp, then his part-time job as a dog-walker. When your child’s grades are tanking, it’s often an indicator that his or her mental health may be following that same trajectory, and you need to help them re-prioritize, drop a few of the less important engagements, and return to sanity. Yes - that will mean dropping something that’s good, rewarding, or even fun, but do it anyway. You have to see the bigger picture - because the student often can’t.

Besides creating space in the schedule, create a space in the home - somewhere the student actually wants to be. Put a little effort into it. Make it beautiful, attractive, comfortable. Set it up near a window, and get a couple pieces of abstract art, a plant or two, maybe a succulent for the desk. If you create a space your student likes being, then the student will go there. If you build it… as they say.

This Christmas, most students are probably not asking Santa for school supplies. But what about giving them the gift of a beautiful, efficient study space, equipped with everything they need to be successful in school?

A little thought goes farther than a lot of money, so as long as you understand the spirit of the thing, you should be able to go about this with very little overhead. But if you are looking for anything from little stocking stuffers to larger-ticket items, I’m including a list of some of my favorite pieces of school equipment, along with other general guidelines to follow when setting up an optimized work/study space that will get the student’s brain humming like a V8 engine.

I made my list using the following outline:

1)  Choosing the Right Space

2)  Structural Essentials

3)  Standard Supplies

4)  Technology

5)  Decor

Someone can fact-check me here, but I calculate that if you bought every single thing on the list below, the total cost is about $1,112 (plus or minus a few items I didn’t have a specific recommendation for, and keeping in mind that prices on Amazon might’ve changed since I posted this). It sounds like a lot, but just hypothetically, if Jerome’s parents had gone down the accommodations pathway, they certainly would be paying orders of magnitude more for what ultimately would turn out to be a complete wild goose chase. Setting up an optimized workstation for your child can simply remove many other variables that interfere with productivity, and help facilitate independence, self-efficacy, and confidence. Also, keep in mind most of the items will last for years. Take my advice or leave it, but having an attractive and optimized workspace is absolutely transformative for many students - and essential for all.

The List

1. Choose the right space

   • Choose a low-traffic area to minimize interruptions and distractions

   • If possible, avoid the student’s bedroom. The brain learns to associate the bedroom with sleep (understandably). The student should NEVER do homework on the bed, since it can create a new association of work with the bed, and then this can lead to insomnia. Separate work and rest. If you don’t have anywhere besides the bedroom for the study area, then clearly separate the part of the room that’s for study from the part of the room that’s for relaxation and sleeping.

   • If possible, set up near a window. Natural light can boost focus and mood.

   • Avoid trafficky areas like the kitchen or dining tables.

   • Ensure there are no TVs, no game consoles, and any other technology that might be distracting. For those students who are gamers, I think it’s a good idea to have a separate computer for gaming, and a school device which is only used for academic purposes.

   • Be near an internet source or wireless router for strong, uninterrupted internet - especially for virtual classes, online tutoring, etc.

2. Structural essentials - I’m including links here to some particular items that I like. I get no kickback from Amazon or any other company if you buy anything from this list - although they probably should, because I recommend most of these on a practically daily basis to students and families.

   • Desk

     • I like these desks that have Adjustable Height ($99) so that students can adjust their posture, since the whole idea is to create a space that’s comfortable for them to work in for an extended period of time

     • This one is also adjustable height, but it also has a keyboard slide ($127) that can help maximize tabletop space

     • This one has drawers ($136) built in, so you don’t have to buy drawers separately, but the trade-off is the height is not adjustable

   • Chair

     • Just something comfortable, adjustable, supportive, durable. I’d check out something like this ($149) just since lots of different parameters are adjustable. 

   • Lighting

     • A desk lamp with adjustable brightness and a warm light setting - again going for flexibility with this lamp ($20), which has a bunch of different light settings and adjustable elbows.

   • Drawer storage

     • I definitely recommend some drawer storage ($69) for supplies so that they’re not just strewn about the desk. It’s a great idea to keep extra/backup supplies like writing utensils and paper so that the student can re-up when needed. You can also pick up some drawer organizers ($12), file folders, or labels for easy access to materials.

   • Trash/recycling bin - don’t overlook it ($12). Junk needs somewhere to go. Fast. 

3. Standard Supplies - Every student should have these standard supplies at home, at the ready. And I can’t stress this enough - have a backup! Binders break, planners get lost - always have backups so that the student doesn’t have to go without for a week and a half. That’s a long time to go without a binder, and it’s just so easily avoidable with the tiniest bit of foreplanning.

   • Looseleaf paper

     • College ruled or wide ruled, $12, I like reinforced $26, wide $15 - these are what I recommend if you’re using my organizational system, which always uses looseleaf over spiral notebooks wherever possible.

   • Writing utensils

     • Pens - I like the Pilot G2 .7mm ($20) and I’m a snob about it.

     • Pencils

     • Highlighters - these are the see through kind ($12) that a lot of my students love

   • A physical, old-fashioned timer (it’s not a good idea to use the iPhone, and yes, I know that iPhones have that functionality). I like these which allow the student to visualize time: You can see time timer ($17)

   • 3-ring Binder - 3” touch rings ($14) - Always have a backup on hand!

   • Binder dividers with pockets - Avery $6

   • Planner - I like this one with the 3 holes ($15) so that students can keep them IN the 3-ring binder. One less thing to remember.

   • For some students, this is extra, but for some, it’s essential: A whiteboard magnetic whiteboard 36x24 ($30), magnetic eraser ($6), pens ($7)

   • This one’s a combo with a corkboard ($56) where you can post achievements or reminders.

4. Technology - A couple basic pieces of tech can make a HUGE difference to many students. I’m keeping it basic here, but lots of students are trying to do relatively complex homework these days on little 12-inch screens, with 14 windows open at a time, trying to flip back and forth - it’s an executive functioning nightmare, and a huge time-waster. So the focus of my tech recommendations are to create space and alleviate restrictions

   • External monitor with HDMI - Dell ($124)

   • Keyboard and mouse - definitely go bluetooth ($20). Avoid cable-clutter, and boost productivity.

   • Webcam with a microphone for online classes or tutoring. Emeet 4K ($50)

   • Surge protector ($13) or charging station for organizing devices.

   • Noise-canceling headphones for focus in noisier homes.

   • White noise machine or soft music for students who work better with a consistent background sound. I LOVE these little blue mp3 players ($22) because I would upload 3-5 tracks of just a few different types of white noise and a couple long instrumental piano songs, and they basically just have one button on them and no screen, so they don’t have the potential for distracting the way that using your iPhone can. 

   • Computer speakers - I like these Creative ($30) speakers because they are bluetooth and I always try to avoid cable clutter when possible.

   • TI-84 Calculator ($115) - great to keep one at home, in a drawer, where it’s always on hand. The math teacher probably already requested that you have one.

5. Decor - Now we’re in the less strictly-speaking necessary items - but this is where you can really set a study space apart. The goal is to create a welcoming, aesthetically pleasing area with decor that isn’t distracting or visually overwhelming. I like minimalistic artwork, and generally softer blue or green tones (I’ve actually looked pretty extensively into whether certain wall-paint colors can enhance focus and it turns out the research does tend to support blues and greens over other colors).

   • Inspiring but minimalistic artwork (abstract designs, or framed inspiring quote from an author the student loves).

   • A small plant or two for a touch of greenery.

   • Soft pinboard for displaying achievements or schedules. This one has lots of color options ($11)

   • Comfortable throw pillows if the area includes a seating nook.

   • Set up a reading corner - A small nook with a beanbag or comfortable chair, a side table, and a book rack. Perfect for independent reading or a break from screen time. Here’s a comfy looking ($161) reading chair, but there’s a ton out there.