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The best gifts you can give a computer science major are ones that help them get better grades, keep up their energy, and finish their degree while feeling well-equipped, confident, and energized.
Dive into our hand-picked list and choose your favorites.
The computer science student in your life is guaranteed to love these gifts.
To a great experience at university!
1. Bullet Journal for Productive Computer Science Studies – $31.95
As a computer science student, you have to track a lot of details.If you note something down by hand, you remember it better than if you type it. (Source)
- Bullet Journaling is a framework for managing notes, tasks, and appointments.
- Everything is divided into three modules: The Daily Log, Monthly Log, Future Log, and the Index.
- It’s a great system that keeps it all in one place
The original black Bullet Journal looks slick and oozes quality.
2. The Book that Gets Geeks Excited to Explore the Art of Cooking – $18.43
Most tech students don’t love cooking. They like to geek out on science-y topics – and cooking doesn’t seem to fit the bill.
So they end up viewing food merely as fuel: Not taking time to prepare meals (which would be healthier) and opting to order fast food every other day.
Let’s turn that around. This book dives into the biochemistry of food, a precise, methodical approach to cooking, and educative scientific background information – it’ll lure any science major into starting to care about healthy food prep.
3. Back & Shoulder Massager to Alleviate ‘Comp-Sci Neck Syndrome’ – $54
Sitting at university. More sitting at your computer after-hours. Hunched over, cranking your neck.
The result is chronic tightness, neck and back pain, and possible structural damage down the road.
Getting a deep-tissue massage is a great way to counter the negative impact a computer science major’s lifestyle has on your body.
But, as a student, your budget is limited and you might not be able to afford those massages multiple times per week. So why not have your own personal massager, ready to use whenever you need it?
This one’s great to relax after a long study session and start off the next day at university fresh and pain-free.
4. Double-Sided Magnetic Desktop Whiteboard
A compact desktop whiteboard keeps study goals, deadlines, and problem-solving notes visible without taking over a dorm-room wall. This model is magnetic, double-sided, and includes its own stand.
5. Home Fitness Kit – Sound Body, Sound Mind – $49.99
To encourage a computer science major to stay fit isn’t easy, because the intense study required to make it in this field already takes a lot out of you.
Who has time and energy to go to the gym when you’re drained from racking your brain all day?
That’s why it makes sense to have a little gym in your own room. It removes friction: Whenever you have a little break, you can go straight into working out your body.
A fit body is created by consistency – and your own little home gym helps you build it. To do that, it doesn’t have to be expensive either:
6. Laptop Stand to put Your Work at Eye Level – $49.99
You said you were going to watch your posture. But a few hours later, you again catch yourself hunching over like a caveman.
It’s not your fault – it’s inevitable when you’re working on just a laptop. You automatically go into bad posture because you’re forced to look down at the screen.
This is where a dedicated laptop stand is a godsend. It turns your makeshift studying situation into a proper workstation. If you have a great Computer Science laptop, why not work at it like a professional.
7. Amazon eGift Card for Music, Books, or Study Gear
When you do not know which subscription or tool a computer science student already uses, an Amazon eGift Card is the flexible choice. It can be delivered electronically and used for headphones, books, accessories, or other study essentials sold on Amazon.
8. My First Book to Polish Your Soft Skills
This is my first best-selling book. I’ve even recorded an audio version with some bonus content.
It teaches you the non-technical skills that aren’t emphasized in a traditional education – but they’re vital for becoming the most valuable programmer you can be.
9. Software Developer’s Career Guide to Plan for Your Life After College
This is my best selling book of all time, #1 best-seller in enter Amazon store for computer and technology books.
It packs about 800 pages of the best career advice I’ve ever given out. Anything from the job hunt, how to create a great resume, to salary negotiation.
10. Computer Speaker to Play It – $149
Most computer science majors are using a laptop for their studies. Unfortunately, those have terrible speakers.
To create the right atmosphere with some nice tunes in the background, a quality pair of desktop speakers will do wonders.
These are an often overlooked gift for computer science students!
11. Messenger Bag to Be Organized & Chic – $249.95
Pack everything you need for your computer science classes (laptop up to 13.3″, notepad, textbooks..) AND look great at the same time.
Just because you’re a STEM student doesn’t mean you can’t have a sense of style.
An attractive messenger bag conveys just that.
12. Book to Know All About Algorithms (Before Everyone Else) – $98
This book by T. Cormen is the leading text on algorithms worldwide.
It’ll teach you all types of algorithms in depth.
But it doesn’t just have you read about them – you’ll also be doing hundreds of exercises and solving problems.
Work through this comprehensive book and gain a leg up on the other students.
13. livho Blue Light Blocking Gaming Glasses
Computer science students spend long hours looking at displays. These computer glasses are designed to filter blue light and provide UV protection; fit and comfort still matter, so treat them as an optional screen-time accessory rather than a medical solution.
14. External Hard Drive to Store Any Computer Science Project – $238.99
Programming projects at university can take up a lot of space.
Especially when we’re talking about video game development, a single project can take up 1TB or more of disk space. But even for daily applications, it’s nice to not have to worry about your laptop’s capacity running out.
This is where an external hard drive comes in handy. These are getting bigger and bigger (in terms of capacity – they’re only the size of a large wallet) at not-too-expensive prices.
15. Course Platform Subscription to Individualize Your Learning or Get a Head Start – $120
In college, you’re learning computer science concepts from the ground up. You’ll also start learning one or two programming languages in your first year.
But, they might not be using the exact language you want to learn right now. On a good online platform, you can pick and choose which language you want to learn, and start mastering it in a fun way. You can do this to be better prepared for future computer science classes, or to acquire additional skills.
I like Edabit for learning a new programming language. They’ve gamified the learning process – you earn points and level up while you work through up to 10,000 coding challenges.
16. Mini Fridge So You Can Stay at Your Desk in the Heat of a Coding Session – $148
When you’re hard at work solving a tricky computer science problem, you don’t want to have to get up in the middle of it just to re-hydrate – breaking your focus.
Having everything within reach can prevent that, and make life a lot easier when you’re studying at home.
Also, in any co-living situation it’s nice to be able to keep your supply of snacks and drinks separate, so they haven’t magically disappeared right when you need them.
17. Smart Watch to Monitor Your Health & Sleep – $299.25
A perfect gift for geeks: A smart watch that allows you to check notifications or access your calendar and to-do list at a glance.
But more importantly, it tracks important health markers, such as your heart beat, sleep quality, steps taken and calories burned.
A great way to mind your health while also looking cool 🙂
18. Noise-Canceling Headphones for Full Focus – $149.95
Sometimes you’re working in a public space at university, or your roommates are having a loud conversation while you’re trying to progress on your computer science projects.
That’s when it’s time to shut off the noise so you can zero in on your studies.
Thankfully nowadays you have noise-canceling technology doing an amazing job at that.
19. The Art of Programming Book Series to Gain Sage-Level Computer Science Knowledge – $189.90
This is a masterpiece about the art of programming, written by the prestigious Professor of Computer Science, Donald E. Knuth.
Working through these voluminous books and solving the many problems presented (which are well-explained, and fully answered in the back of the book) will take time, but you’ll come out of it with deep computer programming knowledge.
A gift for those serious about mastering their craft.
20. Ergonomic Keyboard for Efficient Coding – $339
As a programmer, your keyboard is your direct connection to your coding program. If you can type faster, you can more quickly put your ideas into code. This keeps you in the flow, instead of having to wait for your fingers to catch up with your brain.
Even if it wasn’t a gift, investing in a professional keyboard is something no computer scientist will regret.
21. Quality Mouse for Complete Control at Your Computer
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a real threat for computer science students who spend endless hours each day clicking away on their PC.
But even more important than the sheer time spent using a mouse is the positions your equipment places you in.
An ergonomic mouse like the Logitech MX Master reduces the strain on your wrists and fingers. It also performs smoothly and reliably. It’s nice to have a feeling of quality every time you’re using your mouse.
22. High-End Monitor for the Best Coding Experience – $229.99
You can choose to code only on your laptop screen, or using any old LCD monitor you already own.
The other option is to give yourself more “real estate” and a better user experience by upgrading to a larger, high-end monitor.
For programmers who like to have their coding environment, documentation, and browser windows open at the same time, that can make their life a lot easier.
23. Professional Desk to Create Your Ultimate Workstation – $339.99
The work a computer science major does on their own time, at their desk, can make or break their studies. If you create a professional setup, it will pay off in increased productivity and comfort over the thousands of hours spent at their desk.
The criteria for the perfect desk for learning and working on computer science projects:
- Big enough for multiple screens, devices, notes & sketches
- High-quality, solid workmanship
- Beautiful optics
- Electronically controlled sit/stand option to allow your body a break
24. Ergonomic Chair to Be Comfortable and Save Your Body While Studying – $669.00
Prolonged sitting is never good for you. But you can minimize the impact of long hours worked at your computer – by getting the best chair money can buy (the Herman Miller Aeron).
Again, this is an investment in your long-term health as a computer science major who spends a lot of their time at university glued to a chair.
Make it the most ergonomic and comfortable one and you’ll even be more productive because of it.
25. HP OmniBook X Flip 14 for University Projects
The HP OmniBook X Flip 14 is a current 2-in-1 with a 14-inch WUXGA touchscreen, Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and Thunderbolt 4. That is a practical all-around configuration for writing, coding, and everyday university work.
26. Luxurious Macbook Pro – to Effortlessly Finish Your Studies… in Style – $2199
For those Apple geeks who want to go one step beyond, the latest Macbook Pro offers incredible performance – coupled with the unmatched design and quality the brand is famous for.
27. Powerhouse Laptop to Crush the Most Demanding Development Projects: Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon – $3,199.00
The cream of the crop when it comes to high-performance coding laptops is the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon.
It comes with the heftiest price tag – but it delivers on its promise to handle anything a computer scientist could ever throw at it.
Be it compiling complicated code, editing large video files, or developing video games from start to finish, it’s up to any task.
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