Shopping for gifts shouldn't suck. Getting gifts shouldn't either. At Daily Arts, we're here to help. We've compiled a list of the essential gifts this holiday season — both for your own wish list and as purchases for others — so no one has to waste time or money picking through useless junk at Wal-Mart. Because these are the things no college student should go without this holiday season.

"The Sopranos" The Complete Series
Amazon, $254.99

This behemoth — containing all 86 episodes of the critically acclaimed HBO series — weighs in at 10 pounds. The set is so massive Paulie Walnuts could've used it to finish off the Russian in "Pine Barrens." Retailing at $400 (though you can find it much cheaper), it's more expensive than a private room at the Bada Bing. Still, the die-hard "Sopranos" fan who gets off on minor production details — like the fact that Meadow Soprano's Lexus, which she had so much trouble parking in the show's infamous final scene, actually had an auto-park feature — will find the three days of special features and deleted scenes the only suitable tribute to a show defined by its layers and complexities.

“The Official High Times Pot Smoker’s Handbook”
Amazon, $17.95

Has your time at Michigan made you both a dedicated academic and a raging pothead? If so, this exhaustive guide to all things ganja will help you marry your passions together with over 200 pages of the stickiest grass literature around. Still new to the green? Learn how to deal with a dealer or smell-proof your dorm room. A veteran connoisseur? Try the recipe for “Cocoberry Ganja Goo Balls" or read up on the cultural and legal history of cannabis. Too high to read? Stare at the vivid photos of the dankest bud. The “Handbook” will be your second best friend — behind only your bong — in no time. For a resource so comprehensive, all it’s missing is an index. But really, who cares. Let’s roll another.

"Rock Band 2" for Xbox 360 and PS3
Best Buy, $59.99-$189.99

If “Rock Band” was last winter’s must-have music video game, then “Rock Band 2” is this winter’s must-have music platform. Though not a complete revamping of last year’s game, “Rock Band 2” is an expansion of the original in nearly every way. World tour, online and quick play have all been bolstered, and sturdier instruments make an already appealing package more attractive. But “2” truly shines in its depth of content. The game comes loaded with 84 new songs, but nearly all of the tracks from the original game can be ported over for $4.99, and over 300 more are available for download. “Guitar Hero: World Tour” might offer a flashier drum kit, but “Rock Band 2” turned EA’s video game into a legitimate music platform. If you’re going to pay for music, you might as well be able to play it.

"Best American Short Stories 2008"
Shaman Drum Bookshop, $14

Since 1915, the "Best American" series has been compiling the best in short stories. Yes, 1915. Gathering stories from Harper's, The New Yorker and The Paris Review, the Best American series editors know short stories, and this year's installment is no different. After a down year last year with Stephen King as editor, "BASS 2008" returns with editor Salman Rushdie and features stories from mainstays Alice Munro and T.C. Boyle, as well as the outstanding "Wizard of West Orange" by Steven Millhauser and beautifully rendered journey in "The King of Sentences" by Jonathan Lethem from The New Yorker. If you're looking for other winning combinations from the BA series, check out their best nonfiction and "Non-Required Reading," edited by Dave Eggers. There really isn't a better collection of writing out there.

Fold-A-Way Cardio Stepper Exercise Machine
Brookstone, $199

You glance out the window, still bleary-eyed, on Saturday morning, and a cold chill runs through your body just imagining that brutal walk to the gym.