With the holidays approaching, buying gifts for your friends and family can prove to be both a rewarding and cumbersome venture. Some students create detailed lists, while others hope for unpredictable surprises, leaving many buyers unsure how to approach gifting for the holidays.
Whether to Wishlist:
There’s a certain excitement to ripping open a gift and having no idea what’s coming.
It’s more than just the element of surprise that makes an improvised present enjoyable. Surprise gifts require the giver to pay careful attention and think hard about what their loved one would want. A well-thought-out gift can signal care and effort to the receiver.
“[I prefer a gift] that they come up with on their own,” Audrey Munoz (’28) said. “I like when someone says that they thought of me.”
While a hand-picked gift can create a sentimental feeling, one issue is that they can be difficult for the buyer to choose, especially if they don’t know the person well.
“Sometimes it’s really hard to find something and I get nervous about whether they’ll like it…so having a list to go off of can be really helpful,” Brooke Dearing (‘26) said.
However, part of what makes a gift meaningful is the process of having to listen and get to know the person throughout your time together.
“If my friend mentions something, I take note of it, knowing I can use it for [gift giving] later,” Ella Yazdani (‘29) said. “I enjoy doing that, and I enjoy when people take note of what I tell them… It’s really about the thought you put into it.”
Taking the time to consider friends’ wants and interests contributes to the caring feeling of the holiday season. Ultimately, peoples’ preferences are going to vary, and whether to get a gift from their wishlist or do some personalized shopping, gift-giving shows loved ones affection.
Where to Wishlist:
Wishlists give gift buyers a reference to go off of, and sometimes even a direct link to follow. This ensures that the item they get their loved one will be something they want and not just another item that will collect dust on a shelf. With the rise of social media and countless unique websites, there are many applications which can help you create and share your ideal wishlist.
The first option, and the most wide-spread, is to keep things simple.
“I usually just write [my wishlists] down…but I don’t use a specific app,” Mykhail Severe (’27) said.
For those ready to take the next step and dive into the world of wishlist websites galore, one option is to explore the wishlist adaptations offered by businesses. This approach can be especially useful for Amazon lovers.
“I normally add [my list] onto [my] Amazon wishlist…and I share that with my relatives,” Munoz said.
While both options can prove sufficient for the task, some students are looking for something more. A category of applications that have risen to fame are those specialized in list-making and the convenience of their users.
“I use Gowish…You can send it to your family and friends and it shows what [items] they [intend to buy],” Ela Altug (’29) said.
These specialized applications and websites provide the most amount of personalization to the wishlist experience, and Gowish is not the only application to fill this growing niche.
“You can make a wishlist on this website called Giftful,” Alltucker said. “It’s really helpful because you can see pictures [of the items]…you can [also] add sizes and colors.”
In addition, Giftful has the option to create personal lists, such as to-dos and registries. These bonus abilities allow for further customization allowing users to get the full holiday list experience.
In the end, both surprise gifts and wishlists are viable options for the holiday season. The practice of surprise gifts can show a loved one how much you care and adds a personal touch. However, if you are struggling for ideas or shopping for someone with a specific taste, a wishlist can be a welcomed addition.
