Most university gift guides focus on the leaving part, packing up a bedroom and saying goodbye to a hometown.
Less gets said about the other side of that same move: arriving somewhere completely new, with a city to get to know from scratch. If someone in your life is heading off to Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle or York this September, a gift that welcomes them into that new city can mean just as much as one that reminds them of home.
Why a new city gift works
Freshers week throws a lot at a new student in a very short space of time. New course, new flatmates, new streets to learn, a new place that doesn't feel like home yet and won't for a while. A small gift built around their new city gives them something to hold onto from day one, a sense that this place already belongs to them a little, even before it properly does.
It also gives a nice talking point in a shared kitchen full of strangers. A Nottingham mug on a shelf in a Nottingham halls of residence is an easy, low pressure way to strike up a conversation with a flatmate who's just as new to the city as they are.
Matching the gift to the city
Nottingham. Chopper Orange and Sherwood Forest are two colours new students tend to ask about first, since both connect to stories that get explained properly on a night out with new coursemates.
Newcastle. Toon Army Black carries obvious weight for anyone heading into a city with that kind of footballing identity, while Bridge Steel gives a new student an easy answer when someone asks what the city's famous for.
Edinburgh. Arthur's Green and Festival Blue are a strong pairing for students discovering the city's landscape and its festival culture in the same first term.
York. Haunted Grey tends to be a favourite among new students quickly told about the city's reputation for ghost stories, something most freshers hear about in their first week regardless of what they're studying.
Glasgow. Ballroom Neon and Clockwork Orange both give a new student something to talk about with local flatmates almost immediately.
Cardiff. Dragon Red and Arms Park Green connect quickly to the city's identity around rugby and national pride, both of which most new students pick up on fast.
Birmingham. Sabbath Black is one of the more unexpected stories for students who don't yet know the city's musical history, and tends to get a strong reaction once explained.
London. Double Decker Red and Cab Black are instantly recognisable, giving new students an easy, familiar entry point into a city that can otherwise feel enormous in the first few weeks.
Gift suggestions for this stage
A mug for their new kitchen. Practical from day one, and a natural way to start feeling settled somewhere new.
A small print for their room. Halls of residence walls are usually bare and impersonal. A print gives a new student something to make the space feel like theirs.
A coaster set for a shared flat. A small, low cost way to bring some personality into a space they'll be sharing with people they've only just met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to buy a hometown gift or a new city gift for a student starting university? Both work well and say something different. A hometown gift offers comfort and familiarity. A new city gift offers a sense of belonging and welcome to the place they're about to spend the next few years. Some families choose to give both.
When is the best time to buy new city gifts for students? Late August through the first weeks of September, ahead of moving in weekend, tends to work best, giving enough time for delivery before term starts.
Do you cover all university cities? The current collection covers Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle and York, with new towns and cities added based on requests.
If your student's new city isn't part of the collection yet, get in touch. New palettes are planned around exactly this kind of request.