My niece is in her first term at uni, it's her birthday in a few weeks and I'm trying to think of something she might like as a present. Remembering back to that time myself I know that my likes and desires changed quite drastically and the sort of things I coveted, or that would make a good, practical, difference to my life weren't easily predicted. Of course, there's always the option of cold, hard cash, which might well be the best one, but I haven't resorted to that in the past 18 years, so ideally I'd like to come up with something more personal.

Any suggestions?

A 4-pack of Heinz baked beans. They are expensive these days...

I'm not in my first term at uni, but - working on the assumption that your niece is at least a little strapped for cash - how about something useful such as a voucher for Amazon / M&S / Boots / John Lewis / her favourite restaurant and a little something she wouldn't normally buy for herself like fancy chocolate or luxurious toiletries of some description. Or perhaps a book she needs for one of her courses?

Strange you should mention this, I was only ruminating this weekend on how much cheaper (relatively speaking) large tins of beans are than smaller tins.

How about some mobile phone top ups or a book token, a first aid kit or a wooly hat and scarf set with matchng gloves, a pair of funky wellies or a i tunes voucher? These were all things that the Rat family kids requested at regular intervals when in uni.

At the moment I'm desperate for some GHD straighteners, but that's just me. Umm, I'm doing literature, there are always books to buy, so that could be helpful.

Posters for her room? Mine was really bare when I got here - all my photos are on facebook, so I didn't have many to put up. Or you could get some nice cushions or something for her to decorate her room with.

My flatmates and I have been discussing recently how we always avoid buying make-up, hoping it'll be bought for us, because it feels too much like a luxury - but that depends on you knowing what sort she wears, and what will suit her colouring etc.

If you still aren't sure, and want to avoid giving money, there are gift certificates, so you can be assured that she will be able to spend it on fun things, rather than having to put it towards food shopping, or accommodation.

A couple of my flatmates were talking about asking for vodka for Christmas, but that's probably not what you were thinking of. We get a lot of use out of a massive punchbowl that someone brought, with a ladle and everything at my flat.

Otherwise, you know her interests and they probably haven't disappeared - I'd be grateful if someone offered to buy me a singing lesson, so I didn't have to scrape together the cash myself every single week, maybe there's something similar she'd like?

Hope some of this is a little helpful!

That's really useful lucky - thanks.

I think she's OK for hair straighteners, there was some disagreement between her and her younger sister about ownership of the working pair, but I think she won that one!

Something for her room is a good idea - I'd forgotten about that. I've no great problem with buying alcohol for her except I'm not too sure what her tastes are - she used to be virtually teetotal, but I believe freshers week has put paid to that! Cosmetics isn't a bad idea either, although that would probably be in the form of a voucher to let her choose herself. The other thought I'd had is maybe a chocolate hamper to share with flatmates and celebrate plus a cheque for something more useful.

Nothing pleased my daughter more than paying off her overdraft.

These days I tend to really try to get people to buy me vouchers for the shops that I love, but can't afford to go into. Lush is a good example. I'm always after book tokens too, especially as I love reading, as well having to cough up for £40-£80 books every few months. Bascially vouchers are great, as they let me go shopping without feeling guilty.

That said, buying vouchers often seems like a real cop out, so I never do it myself. A big hamper of nice food is a fantastic idea, although I've never managed to quite persuade my family that this is the case. I have a real fondness for nice chocolates, shortbread, wine and decent coffee... and can never afford any of it! Slightly random kitcheny things like the suggested bunch bowl or, a chocolate fountain or cafetiere work quite well too. I ended up making a teapot in my ceramics class, because no-one would get me one! One of my housemates got a food processor for Christmas... it seemed like a really odd and boring present, but we've all been using it ever since! If it wasn't there, it would be a lot harder to make my house's famous cakes, meringues and homemade burgers or pizzas.

The nice stuff for room idea I'd second too. My walls were just painted breeze blocks, and gradually got turned into a big collage of photographs. Fortunately I got to choose the nice yellow colour the ones in my current house are. Handy under-the-bed boxes (Smiths do nice ones) and attractive stationary is another thing that I like getting to brighten up my working day.

tamsin you sound like someone from my family!!

I've discussed vouchers with my family - it turns out that all of us love receiving vouchers, and all of us feel really lousy giving vouchers! It always seems like a present you don't have to put much thought in to, but it does allow someone to buy something exactly what they want - and in my family, quite often something you wouldn't splash out on with 'your own money'.

And on the boring-odd-present front, one Xmas my mum bought us a huge (king size bed) patchwork quilt. Oh, how nice and motherly, we thought. But in summer we have it instead of a duvet, and in winter as an extra warm layer - we'd never have thought of buying one for ourselves, it seemed odd at the time, but now we wouldn't be without it...

When I was in my first year someone bought me a M&S voucher for my birthday. It was very well received by me

Nothing like buying some expensive food that you wouldn't dream of buying otherwise. Yum.

I love getting book or music vouchers, but like others have said, it feels like a bit of cop-out to give them. I've got round this by sometimes giving people a selection of vouchers from different places - Threshers wine, Odeon cinema, Argos, Lakeland, Hobbycraft etc. If you get vouchers from places which are a bit different to your standard HMV store, and from different places, it looks as if you've put more thought and effort into it.

I think cinema vouchers are a great idea for a student.

People are different and if you think carefully you will come up with something that will suit her. My eldest whilst at Uni, hated all vouchers (even those from Body Shop) as she found them impersonal. Sensible music stuff didnt appease her either. One year I did make up a food hamper for her to take back to Uni and she did ring to say she really appreciated it as it was full of chocs. No 2 daughter loved vouchers even if they were Sainsbury/Tesco food vouchers! My son wanted his room to look like something from a Contemporary Art Magazine and sent us long emails with links to said pics - however he occasionally welcomed vouchers but prefered hard cash.

I have also given teachers vouchers for the theatre and concerts. As skylark says, avoiding the usual run of the mill places makes it seem like you have put more thought in to the gift.

My birthday is after Xmas and I love getting M&S vouchers for both events so that I can hit the Sales in January! I am happy to get vouchers from everyone except my husband as I expect him to have listened carefully to my "Oh thats lovely I wouldnt mind having one of those...", said regularly the previous 12 months . So once I got a Voucher for day's pampering at the Sanctuary in Covent Garden!

A sandwich toaster.

Couple of slices of bread and you can put anything in the middle... yuuummmmm (banana, cheese, ham, tuna etc etc)

I found mine a lifesaver at Uni when I found food very expensive. If you use wholemeal bread it can be 'healthy' too... and great for a bunch of hungry studes with the munchies after you've been to the pub....

Am I just being cycnical suspecting that many husbands would fail that task dismally?

Just a small idea regarding vouchers:
iwantoneofthose.com (and I'm sure other places do similar) sell a 'money maze' in which you place vouchers, etc, and the recipient has to do a puzzle to get them out .
Sounds frustrating...