Photo: simply bloom photography

If you’re a college student without a ton of cash that wants some affordable date ideas for Valentine’s Day, you have come to the right place.

1. Fondue and bubbly. Get some cheese and chocolate to melt, borrow a fondue set, and cut up pieces of fruit and cake to dip. Pop the cork (Martinelli’s or soda may be a good alternative if you’re underage) and you’ll have a Valentine’s date to remember.
2. Look for things going on around town. For example, dmadesign says that a theater in Boston is showing Casblance on V-Day
3. Check out an open mic night. Local cafes will often have open mic nights when amateur musicians and poets can perform their latest creations.
4. Plan a Clue Murder Mystery dinner. A Murder Mystery dinner is sure to add some intrigue to your Valentine’s! If you want to get really into character, you can even dress up!
5. Take a couples massage class. Learn a few massage techniques to make your Valentine melt!
6. Go ice skating. You can hold hands the entire time!
7. Group dinner date. If you and your Valentine have just started dating, a group dinner date is a great way to take the pressure off on February 14th. Have everyone bring a dish to share.
8. Go for dessert. Find a local place that serves decadent desserts or frozen yogurt and go
9. Stargaze. There’s nothing quite like winter stargazing with impressive constellations like Orion high in the sky. It will give you a chance to get close and share body heat while you’re staring up at the cosmos.
10. Go sledding. If there’s snow on the hills by your campus, grab some inner tubes or a toboggan and go sledding! Afterward you can warm up to hot chocolate. Mm!
11. Hit a karaoke club. Warm up those vocal chords and get ready to do your best Cher!

For college students that are looking for some economical Valentine’s Day gift ideas for their friends and sweethearts, today’s back to school tip has 10 economical suggestions.

1. Homemade baked goods. When you give your own baked goods as a gift, be it cookies, cupcakes, or even caramel apples, you infuse a little love into every batch. Might I recommend these delicious sour cream sugar cookies.
2. Love Letter. If your beau’s Language of Love is Words of Affirmation, a love letter will be a bulls-eye. Particularly if written in this “I love you more than XBox” Valentine’s Day card.
3. Homemade Coupons. Coupons for a massage or homemade meal shows a gift of time and affection. Whatever you do, if you’re already on a hugging basis, don’t give a “free hug” coupon.
4. Picnic or homemade dinner. If it’s not in the budget to splurge for a night out, a candlelit homemade dinner is the next best thing. Something like lasagna is delicious and hard to mess up. As girls know, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
5. Valentine’s Day Candy. If you want to share the holiday with your friends, cinnamon hearts and conversation hearts are a fun choice.
6. Custom Fortune Cookies. There are places online that allow you to customize the message in your fortune cookies. You could write fortunes like “Kisses from [insert your name here] are in your immediate future.”
7. Chocolates. Though it’s obvious that chocolate is its own food group for women, don’t forget — men dig chocolates, too.
8. Couple’s T-shirt. If you are willing to shout your love from the rooftops, try this “You Complete Me” t-shirt. It’s sort of nauseatingly adorable.
9. Flowers are a traditional Valentine’s Day gift. Red roses mean love and passion, pink mean romance and yellow roses mean friendship, and white roses signify loyalty. For an eco-friendly gal, bring her a potted flowering plant, like azaleas. Whatever you do, don’t give her carnations. Yuck!
10. Massage. If you’re looking for a gift for someone whose Love Language is Physical Touch, schedule an appointment with a massage therapist. They’ll eat it up!

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may be racking your brain for the perfect gift for your beau. Keep in mind that there are times that “it’s the thought that counts” gifts just doesn’t cut it. While you may be in a relationship that can withstand a silly Valentine’s Day gift, exercise caution! That said, if you’re looking for a great prank Valentine’s Day gift, something on this list might just fit the bill. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you!

For today’s back to school tip, here are 8 awful Valentine’s Day gifts to avoid.

1. Tattoo. You can’t tell me it wouldn’t freak you out if someone you were casually dating showed up with a tattoo with your name on it.
2. Soap / Deodorant. Nothing says “I can’t stand the way you smell” like the gift of soap and deodorant.
3. Stuffed Animals. While a teddy bear was a cute gift when you were 12, what are they really going to do with a stuffed animal?
4. Mangroomer. If you have a hairy man, this electric back shaver is almost too good a gift not to give.
5. Gym Membership. Anything fitness related (gym membership, exercise video, scale) screams that you’d love nothing more than for their body to change. This one’s a deal breaker!
6. Carnations. When we talk about giving flowers for Valentine’s Day, that doesn’t include tacky carnations.
7. Vacuum Cleaner. She’ll be reading between the lines that you think she’s a messy slob who can’t clean up after herself. Best to avoid this one.
8. Padded Underwear. Even if your significant other could benefit from a more curvaceous caboose, you don’t have to rub it in their face!

Stay tuned for great Valentine’s Day gift ideas for college students!

Do you have an online college student on your Christmas list? Thinking about splurging on yourself this holiday season? Here’s our list of five must-have gifts for someone working to earn their online college education:

1. Laptop Bag - Every student enrolled in online courses uses a laptop. So why not get them a stylish and functional bag so they don’t break their back?

2.USB Drive - Online college courses consist of homework done on a computer. A USB drive will make transporting files and submitting homework a snap for your friend enrolled in online school.

3. iTunes Gift Card - Earning an online college education doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Give your friend an iTunes gift card and next time they need a study break they will be grateful for some great music!

4. Planner - An online college student can always use a planner to schedule tests and study groups, and to set goals and keep track of homework assignments.

5. Wireless Mouse - Why not get the online college student on your list a wireless mouse so they can take their classes on the road and work on homework no matter where they are?

As Christmas nears and you wonder what to ask for from Santa this year, think about the classes you will be taking when you go back to college. College is a major investment, but the opportunities that will come from it make it more than worth the time and money spent on the education. To get the most from your education it is important to be prepared with the materials necessary for your upcoming studies. The following are some great items to ask for.

1. Laptop Computer-A laptop computer is a powerful tool for taking notes and doing research on the go. A laptop computer offers portability without sacrificing the power and CD drive of a desktop.

2. Notebooks and Pens-The easiest way to take and carry notes from one place to another, these are extremely valuable to any student. You can never have too many of either.

3. Class Materials-From books to lab essentials to art supplies, these are the materials required for each lecture or lab.

4. Mp3 Player-Some colleges now require them for audio recordings of lectures. They are also useful because you can bring your study music anywhere.

5. Preloaded debit card-A preloaded debit card allows you to make purchases wherever debit cards are taken. This can be useful for anything from study snacks to household essentials and any school supplies you run out of.

6. Coffeemaker-This allows you to make coffee instead of visiting coffee shops or the cafeteria.

7. Tablet Computer-Not a necessity, but a spiffy and handy item, this thin touch-screen computer is great alternative to a reader as well as an alternative to paper and pen for note taking.

8. Alarm Clock-An essential for waking up in the mornings and setting for other deadlines.

9. Cellphone-This item is necessary in today’s world. As a student on the go, this allows you to stay connected as through calls and text messages.

10. E-Book Reader-This small tablet can store hundreds of texts in a thin, light-weight device. More and more schools are also making required texts available in e-book form.