As the holiday season approaches, students are noticing hints of the Yuletide at every turn. In malls, shops and on the radio — the Christmas spirit is in the air.

With the impending holiday season comes the annual rush to buy gifts for friends and loved ones. College students are no different, and the fads each year weigh heavily in their purchasing decisions.

“I think that one popular gift this year will be the Bouncing Tigger,” said Beth Kassmeyer, freshman in consumer food science. “Several years ago, they had Tickle-Me-Elmo, and now they’ve got this.”

Other students shared similar views.

“Chia pets are always a big hit … especially with horticulture students. Tinkertoys are good for engineers, too, but I think that anyone can enjoy them,” said Mark Lee, undecided freshman.

Some college students also have a more practical view of Christmas.

“What I think that I really need is a really big backpack,” said Jason Peterson, sophomore in civil engineering. “There is always so much stuff to carry and never anything that will hold it all comfortably.”

Many students concur with this ideology.

“College students are always needing useful things,” said Kevin Youngman, sophomore in computer engineering. “Often they have limited resources, and gift certificates can always be used.”