12 Graduation Gifts They’ll Actually Use in College
Sometimes the best gift is the most practical one. And so ADDitude has curated a list of 12 must-have items for new high school graduates with ADHD that range from laptop cleaning kits and pill organizers to portable chargers and reading pillows. These inexpensive presents will help your child transition to campus life with ease, so consider investing in more than one.
Color-coded pill organizer for the week, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Pill Organizer
$5.99
This weekly pill organizer helps college students better manage their ADHD medications with a visual reminder — and confirmation that they have taken their daily dose — thanks to the clearly marked rainbow-colored lids. This pill organizer also saves time by streamlining the chore of organizing pills to just once a week.
BPA-free, 32-oz motivational water bottle, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Motivational Water Bottle
$9.99
A must-have accessory that doubles as a canvas to showcase each student’s collection of decals, water bottles are ubiquitous on college campuses. But just because your student has a water bottle doesn’t mean they’ll remember to drink from it, especially when hyperfocus or distraction takes over. This gift can help. The BPA-free, 32-ounce water bottle is adorned with inspirational quotes and a time marker that breaks down the goal of staying hydrated into small, easy-to-accomplish goals. A one-click button opens the bottle, which comes with a silicon straw and a carrying strap.
Stick-on cord organizers, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Cord Organizer
$5.99
Backpacks and dorm rooms love to tangle and knot device cords. This pack of nine cord organizers keeps cables neat and secure. Students can just peel and stick the cord organizer to the location of their choice — under the desk so their laptop will always stay charged, or on the wall next to their lofted bed so their devices charge overnight and reliably wake them with alarms in the morning.
Laptop cleaning kit to help clean device screens and keyboards, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Laptop Cleaning Kit
$9.99
College laptops travel to classes, student unions, libraries, dorms, and even gyms. And everywhere the laptop goes, dust, dirt, debris, and crumbs follow. This product allows students to give their laptops (or earbuds, or phones!) a deep clean anytime it’s needed. Soft brushes and a lens cleaning pen delicately keep screens and phone camera lenses streak-free. The accompanying retractable brushes provide heavy-duty help, removing stubborn stains or embedded dirt hiding in crevices. Meanwhile, the cleaning spray and microfiber cloth effectively clear fingerprints.
2-pack of portable phone chargers, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Portable Charger
$19.99
Some days are just hectic… with back-to-back classes, three-hour labs, and professor meetings. During those days, a portable phone charger is simply essential. With this two-pack of portable chargers from Miady, a student can keep one charger in their dorm room and toss one in their backpack. In case of an emergency, this portable charger works in a jiff; it can charge an iPhone from 0 to 65% in 30 minutes.
Two blue light glasses to minimize blue light exposure from devices, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Blue Light Glasses
$13.59
Between their iPads, phones, and laptops, college students spend a substantial amount of time in front of screens. Non-stop device use can cause exhaustion, dry eyes, and poor sleep. Blue light glasses, like this pair, can reduce eye strain, prevent glare, and protect eyes from harmful UV rays. The glasses block up to 99% of harmful blue light.
Command poster strips to hang up posters in dorm rooms, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Command Poster Strips
$6.92
Students today practically major in the art of making boring dorm rooms look and feel cozy and comforting. This pack of 60 poster strips eases the process of hanging pictures of family or friends, or posters of Billie Eilish or Real Madrid. The adhesive strips work on concrete cinder blocks, wood, glass, and more.
Soft throw blankets can make dorm rooms look more comfortable, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Soft Throw Blanket
$16.99
At the end of exhausting days, tuning out is essential. This super-soft, flannel fleece throw blanket will help your student unwind and sleep blissfully (even on those twin XL beds). The 3D-ribbed design provides texture for students who seek tactile input to unwind and self-soothe. The blanket is wrinkle-free and shrink-resistant.
Chair-shaped pillow for back support, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Reading Pillow for Sitting
$29.99
After remaining hunched over a laptop, hyperfocusing on a paper for hours, your student’s back and neck begin to perpetually ache. With reading pillows, students can relax and sit in a more comfortable position while completing their reading assignments or reviewing online flashcards. This reading pillow offers support for the neck, back, and lumbar region. It has a strap for easy transit down the hall for movie night in a friend’s room as well.
Pair of hand dumbbell weights for indoor workouts, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Dumbbell Hand Weights
$17.82
Exercise is a great stress reliever and dumbbell hand weights offer serious benefits while taking up little space in a too-small dorm room. This neoprene-coated dumbbell set contains two 5-lb. weights that come in various colors; heavier weights are also available from the same manufacturer. Online or in any number of exercise apps, students can find strength-training workout tutorials incorporating the dumbbells to squeeze in a workout before class.
Non-slip shower shoes with small holes on the soles, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Shower Shoes
$15.98
Any student staring down communal dorm showers needs a good pair of shower shoes. Not only do these unisex shower shoes dry quickly, but they feature drainage holes that leave feet dry and comfortable. Non-slip bumps on the soles prevent slipping.
Battery-operated pencil sharpener for both graphite and colored pencils, a graduation gift idea for ADHD high school students
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Electric Pencil Sharpener
$9.99
Even tech-centric college students benefit from pencil and paper occasionally. Writing by hand has been shown to improve memory and learning. But a good pencil is worthless if it’s dull or broken. This compact, battery-operated pencil sharpener features two modes: electric mode and manual for colored pencils. It requires two AA batteries and takes about 5 seconds to sharpen the average No. 2.
