Coming up with college care package ideas can be hard. College students are a hardy lot. Yet, hardy or not, Moms feel as if their precious child will starve and whither away if they don't get goodies on a regular basis from home. And college students feel the same way. Therefore, every parent should know the basics of what to put into a college care package and how to ship gift baskets from home.
Cramming for Tests and Thinking About Home
Remember when you were in college? Remember cramming for upcoming tests well into the wee hours of the morning, trying to study but not being able to because all you could think about was Mom's famous brownies? How your belly rumbled with hunger! More often than not, you never seemed to have correct change for the vending machine.
To ensure your child never goes hungry, it's best to send a care package from home the first week of school and another one at least once a month.
Include plenty of snack foods. Remember: college students don't get much in the way of home cooking, so a batch of homemade cookies or brownies will be very appreciated.
Additionally, since college students often stay up well into the night--studying, of course--a nice cozy throw would also be welcomed with open arms.
Containers that Ship Well
When shipping a care package or gift basket through the mail, traditional woven baskets can always be used, but baskets do not ship as well as one might think. Instead, try packing the goods into a regular cardboard box, which will ship and store better.
What to ship to a college student:
Place the fleece blanket (folded into a neat square) on the bottom, arranging the remainder of the items on top.
Centering the items with heaviest in the middle is the key to keeping this basket balanced.
Once the items are arranged, cover the basket with shrink wrap. Shrink wrap will keep everything in place during transportation. Finally, pack the basket into a sturdy box, making sure to fill the empty spaces of the box with crumpled newspaper.
Other things that go great in a shipped college basket include:
Send a second Phone Card. That way, despite calling every friend and acquaintance your child has met during the past 18 years, he or she will still have enough minutes left to squeeze in a call home once every Blue Moon.
Care Package Hints
Include enough items to make the basket appear over-full. Items will settle during travel.
Heavy gift baskets are best hand-delivered. Shipping costs can be astronomical.
Never assume your package has arrived. The Post Office or UPS assign tracking numbers to every package. Ask for the tracking number and know where your package is. If you don't receive a thank-you note, ask the recipient if it was received. Some other college student may be running up and down the halls wearing your college student's slippers.
 | You can get at least as good an education at a public college as you can at a private one. Here are some of the wonderful things about your very own state school. |
 | Private colleges cost substantially more than public colleges. The expense may be well worth it. |
 | Some dorm room furniture is ready and waiting for students when they arrive on campus, but it's generally bland and more functional than comfortable. |
 | With a bit of planning, you can find money for college and earn your college diploma without going into debt at all. |
 | What is the real value of a college degree? The college experience imprints students with education, encounters and life skills that may outweigh the monetary value of a college degree. |
