Care Packages 101: Advice For Parents Of College Students
Aug 26 '04
The Bottom Line Care packages are an excellent way to show your college student you care.
Going away to college is a very exciting time. But amidst all the excitement can be hard times: new friends, a new town, and tough classes. As much as a college student may be pulling from their parents, they still REALLY need support from mom and dad.
After a tough day at class, there is nothing better than going home to your dorm room to find a slip of paper in your mailbox stating you have a package. What could it be? Who is it from? Yippy! Off to get a package.
But, as most parents would, you are probably wondering what should be in these care packages. That is, besides the one thing a college student loves the most - cash. Of course, the checks my mother sent me were WELL appreciated, I loved getting other things as well.
Phone cards are a great item to drop in a care package. College students want to call family and friends back home, but the long distance rates on the dorm phones are outrageous! And even buying phone cards on campus or neighboring stores are going to cost more than they would at home. You want your student to call, send them some phone cards so they can talk to you - and their friends at home.
Pictures is another great addition to a care package. Most people do not think about sending pictures, but college students love them. Most of the girls on my floor, including myself, had their walls decorated in pictures from family and friends back home. Adding new additions to your picture collection is wonderful. Pictures of family, the household pet, the new mall they built in town - anything works. My mom was even able to snag some pictures of my best friend from home from her mother to send to me. It was great.
Gift cards, in addition to cash of course, work great as well. My mom would throw in a gift card to Wal-Mart on occasion so I could pick up things I need. She knew that I would be more tempted to use my cash on other things instead of shampoo and tampons. So with a gift card you can ensure your college student will be getting the things they NEED instead of things they WANT.
Ramen noodles are popular among students. These and Sphagetti-O's were my favorite fixings in the dorm. They are cheap, easy to fix, and good. Well, good until you have eaten enough to feed an army. And they are light enough to send a bunch of them to give your student an alternative to the cafeteria food.
Cookies are another great item to drop into a care package. As long as they are packaged and will not go bad by the time they reach your college student. Any kind of cookies or candies (even popcorn) that you can munch on while studying are great. And, hey, they even will make your student VERY popular with the other students on the floor.
School supplies are also wonderful. Pens, pencils, notebooks, highlighters, whatever type of supplies you can find. No matter how many pens I took with me to the dorm, I always lost them or let too many people borrow them. Again, this will save your student from having to but these supplies with their own precious cash. They will appreciate it.
Letters from family and drawings from the little ones is another nice addition. My sister, only seven when I was away, sent me all sorts of things. She would send me copies of her school work on which she made good grades stating how she wanted to be smart like me and go to college. It was really cute. She also sent drawings and even a pet rock when they had a class project to make a pet rock and give it to someone. Her class then had to do a report on who they gave the rock to and why, and after she got it back with an A, she sent it to me. Stuff like this from younger siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews makes you feel great. It also encourages you to do well as you have lots of little people looking up to you.
Movies and music is one thing my mom never sent but a few other girls would get. I know I would have LOVED to receive a movie now and then, so pick up one of your students favorites at the store, or even a brand new just released DVD to make them REALLY popular on their floor. If you have younger children that are good with the computer, have them make a few mixed CDs for your student. But beware, if you make it yourself keep in mind to put THEIR musical taste on it and not YOURS!
Care packages do not have to contain expensive items, just the little things. If your student does not have a car, it can be very hard to pick up small things that do not necessitate a special trip to the store. Asking for a ride from someone or taking a long bus ride needs to be saved for emergencies.
College students NEED support from family, no matter how much they deny it. It is really meaningful to a student when they receive ANYTHING in the mail, but especially a care package that was put together to show how much that student is loved and missed by everyone back home.
Further reading in Education...
What Should I Know About Dealing With College Roommates?
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