Speaker 1: So you have a student in your life that you're trying to shop for holiday gifts for. The first thing that you need to know is that there are two types of people. There are those of us who like practical gifts, things that they're going to use, things that are going to make their lives easier, things that they need. And then there are people who just like to get treated. They want to receive gifts that are wants rather than needs, things that they might not buy for themselves, but they're happy to receive from other people. Lucky for you, I'm going to be providing examples of gifts that you can get. Both of those types of people, or if the student in your life is like me, they're both of those people combined into one. I'm going to have all the options for you. As a grad student myself, I know what grad students are looking for, what kind of gifts we would like to receive. So after this brief intro, I'm going to get into it. Welcome to Grad Life Grind. If you're new to this channel, thank you for checking it out. And if you're already a subscriber, thanks for being back again. My name is Arielle, and I'm a PhD student in clinical psychology. And in this channel, I bring you information about the mental health field and talk about my journey as a PhD student. So we're going to start with the practical students. I'm a busy PhD student, and I like to receive gifts that are going to save me time, make my life easier, things I can use on a day-to-day, things that I didn't even know that I needed, but once I receive them, I'm really happy that I got them. So of course, one of the ways to make a student's life easier is to help them, pay for things, give them money, give them a gift card. But I want to give you tips that are more personalized, things that are going to show that you're really thoughtful about the student in your life. So this year, being a student has been pretty different. Most students are doing online classes. I know I am. And one of the things that's been really challenging as a student who is attending virtual classes is dealing with the amount of screen time. And one of the awesome things that has become really popular is blue light glasses. So I usually wear glasses, even though I'm not wearing them right now. And one of the things that I did once I noticed that I was spending a lot more time in front of my computer was I went to Warby Parker, where I got my glasses, and I asked them to change my lenses and add this blue light. It protects your eyes, it makes your eyes feel less fatigued, and it's just all-around awesome. You can notice the difference right away. So if the person in your life doesn't wear glasses, you can buy glasses with no prescription that have the blue light protection on them. And I'm going to link in the description for this video a website where you can buy the blue light glasses. So if the person in your life does wear glasses, it'll be a little bit more complicated to get their prescription and their lenses changed and stuff like that. But if it's just something that you're doing for someone who doesn't normally wear glasses, it won't bother them at all. They'll look exactly like regular glasses. It'll be a lens with no prescription, and it also looks kind of cute. So I know some people who have gotten glasses even though they don't normally wear them because it's stylish, because it helps their eyes, and they end up really liking it. So that's one gift option. The next gift option is a planner, and one of my favorite purchases this year was a push journal. This is the one that I'm currently using. And the push journal is based on the idea that you set goals, and then you set a goal that's going to propel you towards those goals, and that's your push goal. And I won't get too into that, but they're really, really cute. They come in packs of threes. So this is the Queen Bee Collection, and they look super cute. And essentially, they're a daily planner, and they have a monthly calendar, and they also have a weekly calendar. They're only 30-day journals, and that's why they're so small and light. But they're undated, and so if you miss a day, then it's okay because you won't have to skip any pages. It has a daily goal and task tracker, a daily schedule, and it also has a health tracker. So this is what it looks like, and I absolutely love these. And if you get someone a three-pack, then they're set for the next 90 days. So the reason why I love the push journal is because I can keep track of my goals. I love to keep a daily schedule. This is something that is not for someone who doesn't already love planners and organization. This is a great journal for somebody who is super organized and super busy and likes to track things and make lists. So if your student is not that person, then this is probably not the right journal for them. But I love that it's not a huge, heavy yearly planner because, in my experience, those always fall apart, and I start in January, and they never make it to December because something happens, the packaging is precious, and it also comes with a little booklet that helps the person who receives it to set their goals using the push goal system, which I love. So the push journal is a great practical gift for somebody who is a busy student, somebody who is goal-oriented and detail-oriented and is really meticulous about their schedule and managing their time. The link to the push journal is going to be in the description for this video. So another one of my favorite purchases this year, ever since we started work from home and school from home, is this ergonomic laptop stand. And it's stainless steel, it's super sturdy, and it's adjustable. It goes up this way so that you can lean your computer towards you, and it also goes up in height. And I love it. I'm able to adjust it to wherever I'm sitting. So if I want to be at my desk in my room, then I can use it there. If I happen to be on my couch and I have my laptop on my lap, I can adjust it there. If I want to sit at a different table, if I want to stand. So I love that it's adjustable. I originally found it on Amazon. The brand is called AboveTech. And I found it on Amazon, but then I decided to order directly from the vendor because I wanted to support the business directly. So in the description for this video, I'm going to provide the Amazon link and I'll also provide the AboveTech link. I know some people prefer to shop on Amazon, while other people prefer to go directly with the brand. So I really love this. I think it's made a huge difference. I felt like my back was killing me because I was crouched over my computer when the pandemic first started. And I was noticing the difference immediately once I got this because I can sit up straighter. It helps with my posture. And posture has a huge influence on your mood and health and so many other things. So I really recommend this for any student or really anyone who's working from home. So if you have a student in your life, especially if they are a graduate student, then you know that we spend a lot of time reading as students. And as you can see behind me, I have a lot of books I love to read. And sometimes I'm reading for pleasure and sometimes I'm reading for school. So one of the ways that you can support a student in your life is by helping them buy some books. And that can be done either with an Amazon gift card because you can buy textbooks on there and other books on there. Or one of the things that I've started doing this year is supporting smaller bookstores, especially those that are owned by people of color. So you can find a bunch of different bookstores that are owned by people of color, just small businesses, local bookstores. And I will link to a few of my favorites in the description for this video. But you can buy your student a gift card, and that'll help them either find a book that they love or help them pay for some textbooks or something like that. Another way to support students who spend a lot of time reading is by helping them save time by getting them a gift card for something like Audible where you can listen to audiobooks. And I love listening to audiobooks because I can just pop in my headphones and be doing other things while I listen. So I also really recommend getting students an Audible gift card and it'll help them do what they like to do or maybe do what they have to do while also saving time. And you cannot put a price on being able to save time. I think that for me that's one of the best gifts that someone can give me is something that's going to help me spend my time in ways that I prefer to spend it rather than doing things that I don't want to be doing. So like I said, books are a great gift. In the description for this video I'll provide a few links to local bookstores. I'll also provide some links to some of the books that I like to read. And I will provide a link for you to buy an Audible gift card for your loved one. So now that I've provided you with a bunch of options for students who love practical gifts, now we can talk about the students who love gifts that are more for pleasure. So one of the awesome things about working from home or being in school at home is that all of us have been able to dress more comfortably and more cozy. So here are some of my favorite things that you can get for a student who loves to be cozied up and nice and warm while they're in school. So one awesome gift idea that you can give a student who is attending school or work from home is slippers. These are my slippers. My roommate got them for me and they're so warm and cozy and comfortable. And I love them. She also got a matching pair for herself in a different color. And I believe that she got them on Amazon, so I will link to them in the description for this video. But you don't need to get these exactly. You can get really any slippers or cozy, comfy stuff for the student in your life. It is nice for us to feel comfortable while we're in school. It's already difficult enough to be attending classes on Zoom or whatever online platform. So being able to have my feet nice and warm is always a nice part of my day. Another awesome gift idea that you can get for a student or really anyone in your life is a weighted blanket. Don't I look so cozy right now? This was given to me by my partner recently and I think that they got it from Costco. But you can search literally anywhere on the internet for a weighted blanket. They're heavy and warm for those of us who live in cold places and want to be nice and comfortable. This is something that, you know, if your student is attending classes from their bed, which I don't recommend, at least they'll be nice and warm and cozy. Or if they're taking time off from school, which I hope they are because self-care is so important, then they can be nice and comfortable and warm while they're relaxing. So in the description for this video, I will link to some weighted blankets that I found online. It may not be this exact one, but there are so many options out there. So you can check out the description to see which one you think would be best for your loved one. So sticking with the theme of comfortable and cozy things that you can get for the student in your life, one of my favorite things that I've gotten this year is this sweater. It says, how's grad school going? And then it says, do not ask me again. And the reason why this is my favorite thing is because I made it. This is official Grad Life Grind merchandise created by me, sold by me. And if you have a graduate student in your life, they're constantly being asked, how's school? How's grad school? How's online school? And the only appropriate answer to that question is, do not ask me again. Because we're having a really hard time. So this is, I hope you will agree with me, this is the best gift that you can give a graduate student. And if the person in your life is not a grad student, but they are a student, there are other Grad Life Grind merchandise that you can buy them. And I will link to the store in the description for this video as well. And you can also sign up to my newsletter to receive a discount code for this merchandise, either this sweatshirt or anything else that we have in the Grad Life Grind store. This is the best seller, and that's why I'm sharing it. This is my favorite thing that we have in the store. But like I said, there are other options. So if you want to get your student something that is relatable, funny, and cozy, definitely recommend this. And I would appreciate your support so, so, so, so much. Lastly, something awesome that you can give a student in your life for the holiday season this year is something to spice up their workspace. So behind me, there are two paintings from an amazing artist named Reyna Noriega. She is an Afro-Latina artist that I found on Instagram, and I had sent some of her work to my friends for my birthday so that they could buy me some of the art. And I love the addition to my workspace. I love how empowering her work is, and I love seeing it in front of me when I'm working. But any type of art or anything that you can add to your student's workspace to make it more fun, more soothing, more inspiring for them would be an awesome gift idea. So in the description for this video, I will link to Reyna Noriega's artwork and a few other artists who I really like. And you can support them by buying a piece of their art for a student or just anyone in your life. So this has been my holiday gift guide for students, especially graduate students. There's so many options out there, and I know it can be overwhelming to figure out what to give a student, especially if they're a graduate student and you have no idea what their life is like or what their day-to-day is like. I hope that this video was helpful for you in figuring out some ideas, some options, and I hope that providing the links below in the description for this video is helpful for you and makes it a little bit easier for you to just find what you need, add it to your cart, and check out. I know that it's overwhelming to shop during this season, and I know that this year is like no other, but I hope that you found this video useful, and if you did, I hope that you'll leave a comment and let me know. If you haven't already subscribed to my YouTube channel, I hope you'll do so now. And if you were a student and you watched this video and you saw something that you liked, this is your time to hit the share button and send it to your parents, your partner, your friends, and let them know, like, here's what I want for Christmas or for the holidays or here's what I want for my birthday. If you want to get me a gift, buy me something that's in this video. Send it to someone that you love. This isn't just a video for things you need to get for other people, but if you're a student, maybe these are gifts that you can get for yourself or gifts that you can recommend other people get you. So please do share this video as well. Thank you so much for watching.