No, I'm not saying students shouldn't watch TV, but these days, there's no reason not to watch it via the Internet.

Instead of buying a television, get them a large flat-panel computer monitor with either DVI or S-Video and HDMI ports. That will come in handy when they need more screen real estate than comes with their laptop, and it will also save precious space in a crowded dorm room.

Why should a young person walk around with 20 pounds of books in the backpack? A growing number of sites sell electronic versions of popular textbooks that can be read on an e-reader or laptop at prices well below what you'd pay for a print edition.

Some sites will rent them, meaning they will no longer be accessible after a certain period of time. It's worth poking around, because some sites have a much broader selection than others. Simply search on "electronic textbooks" and you'll get lots of suggestions.