Tips For Fabulous Finals Week Care Packages

Finals week is a popular time for parents to send care packages to students.  There are a number of online merchants who will send basic care packages to your student and a Google search will turn up dozens of them offering various packages in various price ranges. Most students, however, prefer the personal touch and sending a care package is not difficult if you follow these tips.

1. If you send baked goods, try to send soft items such as unfrosted cakes or cupcakes, muffins, brownies, or bar cookies. *Cookies that are crisp will turn into crumbs during shipment.
2. If you are sending a cake, brownies/ bars, cupcakes or muffins, simply bake it in the pan (the recyclable aluminum or non-stick varieties work well and come with a cover) and send the entire pan uncut to preserve freshness. This method also works well with rice crispy treats or other bars that do not require refrigeration. 
3. I'm also a fan of the gingerbread house kits available in stores during the holidays. No, it's not like a homemade gingerbread house, but it's a fun and yummy distraction from the stress of studying for final exams.
4. Send your child a specialty item from your hometown or something else he can’t get on campus. You may also consider sending items that are expensive for him to purchase himself. Even “K-cups” can add up if he uses more than one or two per day.
5. Send a pizza party from the internet. Most national pizza delivery chains (think Pizza Hut etc) and many local ones, offer online ordering of pizzas, snacks and drinks. Average cost for a large pizza, wings, and drinks for a party of 4-6 is $40.00 plus tip. Be sure to make arrangements with your child in advance so he knows when the party will arrive and can invite his friends.
6. * Commuting students love care packages too! A gift basket of favorite snacks or gift cards to shops or restaurants on or near campus left outside your commuting student’s bedroom door says, “I love you” and is just as comforting to a student living at home too! the gift cards will be welcome while he's studying on campus instead of at home.

7. I'm a big fan of the pre-paid priority boxes from the USPS. Not only are they generally a good size for a care package, they are automatically tracked so you know when the package arrives. 

End of Semester Wrap-ups

For most students, the spring semester will end before their spring break tan lines fade. This is the time of year when deadlines, exams, and papers come fast a furious. On my campus, students have only three busy weeks of classes after they return from spring break and this is also a very busy time of the year socially. There are numerous scholarship banquets, end of the year student club meetings, and a final community service push before students leave campus. All of this activity can leave your child feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, so this is a great time for you to talk with him or her and conduct a mental wellness check. As you talk to your student ask:

• What big deadlines or exams do you have coming up? How are you preparing for them? Asking your student about how he plans to work on assignments isn't prying, it's actually a good way for you to prompt him to think about how he will finish the semester strong.

• Do you need any time away from campus? This may be a good time for a weekend visit home where your child can get away from campus and concentrate on studying or finishing papers without distractions.

• If you suspect your child is feeling stressed or needs help from a counselor, this is a good time to remind him about campus resources that can help him with study skills, time management, or stress management.

• Send him a care package or a pizza party. Care packages are fun to send any time of the year but this is a great time to send a little extra something to your child. Treats from home and gift cards are popular or you can also send a pizza party from the internet. Many national (and local) chains offer online ordering for everything from pizza, to wings, to salads and drinks. A typical pizza and wing combo from Pizza Hut runs about $40.00. Order it from home and have it delivered to your child at college *Always make arrangements with your child in advance!

Tips for Care Packages During Finals Week

Finals week is a popular time for parents to send care packages to students.  There are a number of online merchants who will send basic care packages to your student and a Google search will turn up dozens of them offering various packages in various price ranges. Most students, however, prefer the personal touch and sending a care package is not difficult if you follow these tips.

1. If you send baked goods, try to send soft items such as unfrosted cakes or cupcakes, muffins, brownies, or bar cookies. 
2. If you are sending a cake, brownies/ bars, cupcakes or muffins, simply bake it in the pan (the recyclable aluminum or non-stick varieties work well and come with a cover) and send the entire pan uncut to preserve freshness. This method also works well with rice crispy treats or other bars that do not require refrigeration. *Cookies that are crisp will turn into crumbs during shipment.
3. Send a birthday or special occasion cake uncut with packaged frosting, sprinkles and candles, if they are allowed. Include a set of plates, napkins and forks so your child can have a party without having to bake.
4. I'm also a fan of the gingerbread house kits available in stores during the holidays. No, it's not like a homemade gingerbread house, but it's a fun and yummy distraction from the stress of studying for final exams.
5. Send your child a specialty item from your hometown or something else he can’t get on campus. You may also consider sending items that are expensive for him to purchase himself. Even “K-cups” can add up if he uses more than one or two per day.
6. Send a pizza party from the internet. Most national pizza delivery chains (think Pizza Hut etc) and many local ones, offer online ordering of pizzas, snacks and drinks. Average cost for a large pizza, wings, and drinks for a party of 4-6 is $40.00 plus tip. Be sure to make arrangements with your child in advance so he knows when the party will arrive and can invite his friends.
7. * Commuting students love care packages too. A gift basket of favorite snacks or gift cards to shops or restaurants on or near campus left outside your commuting student’s bedroom door says, “I love you” and is just as comforting to a student living at home too! the gift cards will be welcome while he's studying on campus instead of at home.

Tips for Terrific Care Packages

If you send baked goods, try to send soft items such as unfrosted cakes or cupcakes, muffins, brownies, or bar cookies. 

If you are sending a cake, brownies/ bars, cupcakes or muffins, simply bake it in the pan (the recyclable aluminum or non-stick varieties work well and come with a cover) and send the entire pan uncut to preserve freshness. This method also works well with rice crispy treats or other bars that do not require refrigeration. *Cookies that are crisp will turn into crumbs during shipment.

Send a birthday cake uncut with packaged frosting, sprinkles and candles, if they are allowed. Include a set of plates, napkins and forks so your child can have a birthday party without having to bake.

Send your child a specialty item from your hometown or something else he can’t get on campus. You may also consider sending items that are expensive for him to purchase himself. Even “K-cups” can add up if he uses more than one or two per day.

Send a pizza party from the internet. Most national pizza delivery chains (think Pizza Hut etc) and many local ones, offer online ordering of pizzas, snacks and drinks. Average cost for a large pizza, wings, and drinks for a party of 4-6 is $40.00 plus tip. Be sure to make arrangements with your child in advance so he knows when the party will arrive and can invite his friends.

* Commuting students love care packages too. A gift basket of favorite snacks or gift cards to shops or restaurants near campus left outside your commuting student’s bedroom door says, “I love you” and is just as comforting to a student living at home too!

When should I send care packages? Anytime!

Students love getting packages from home throughout the year, so really anytime is good, but in general there are about three to five times during the year that most families send packages.

Move-in - This can just be a package that you leave at the residence hall front desk as you leave after dropping your child off at college. It will probably take a few days for your child to even check his mailbox (most students rarely receive actual mail these days) so he will wonder how you sent this package so fast. Typical items to include are a handwritten note of encouragement, favorite homemade treats (nothing that will spoil too quickly), a few pre-packaged meals or snacks. Pictures from the family pet are popular as well, as is a little cash.

Mid-term exams - If you know exactly when mid-term exams will be, send the package to arrive the week of exams or if you don’t know, you probably can’t go wrong sending it right in the middle of the semester. This package can also include snacks, notes and gift cards to local restaurants or shops.

Get well package - This is an easy package to assemble and can contain cough drops, hot tea bags, chicken soup mix, crackers and a small supply of over-the counter medications for cold and flu. Chances are high that your child will get sick sometime during the first two months of the semester, so have this package ready to send when you hear that he’s ill.

Finals care package -These are the most popular and usually include a combination of healthy and maybe some not-so-healthy snacks, handwritten notes of encouragement for each day of finals week and quick, heat and eat meals like Easy Mac, soups, and stews.

Additionally, don’t forget holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving and birthdays.

Whenever you decide to send care packages, make sure that your student knows they are on their way. Students don’t check their mail very often and there’s nothing worse than finding a month-old care package, full of moldy cookies behind the mail desk of a residence hall.

*I am a big fan of the U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail boxes. These can be picked up at your local post office and you can either pre-pay the postage on them or pay online and print the postage yourself, so all you need to do is fill the box, tape it up and drop it in a mailbox.  The boxes are also trackable and pre-insured, which is handy when you want to know whether or not the package has been delivered.