<p>I got something in the mail from school about purchasing care packages. I had planned on making my own but wanted to hear if any current parents had any experience with what the Residential Student Government offers. Do most parents participate? Do the kids like what is in the packages (junk food!)?
Thanks!</p>
<p>I always made up my own. You can get a flat-rate box from the post office and stuff it full of things you know your student will love. The pre-made ones are nice, but there were a lot of food items included that I knew my student would not like.</p>
<p>I included gift cards, shoes, comfy slippers, granola bars, dark chocolate, T-shirts - for those with kids who are Arrested Development fans for example, there is a Bluth Banana Stand t-shirt at Target for $9 - I picked up one of those for my freshman son (at another college).</p>
<p>According to my daughter (recent USC student), all the kids don’t get the official care packages - just a smattering here and there - so, despite the advertising to the contrary, you student will not be devastated to see every other kid in the dorm getting one :)</p>
<p>I’ve also just sent stuff myself (things I knew my D really wanted/liked). She didn’t know anyone who got these official care packages-- most got stuff packed with love from home.</p>
<p>Thank you both so much for responding to this. My gut feeling was just to do my own thing but what came in the mail was a little heavy on the pressure/guilt and I didn’t want my son being the only one not to get this.
And thanks for letting me know about A.D. stuff at Target…he will love that!</p>
<p>I spent $5 to make homemade cookies and $45 to fed ex them overnight so they would be fresh :)</p>
<p>Never bought those packages either. It’s all candy anyway, I think they are more for the 9 year old types.</p>
<p>Yes, that Care Package mailing was really a hard sell! I was pretty much resigned to buying it even though it sounded like a pretty crass and generic way to send something to my son. I wasn’t too worried about him not liking some of the stuff as I figured he could share/exchange it, especially if nearly everybody received the kits. </p>
<p>So glad I saw this thread. It’s shameful how the mailer strongly implies that nearly 100% of parents participate (something like “We’re hoping for 100% parent participation”) and they pretty much come right out and say that your student will feel disappointed and left out if you don’t participate. Sounds like I can safely skip it in favor of compiling my son’s favorites and sending them myself. </p>
<p>@alamemom, Arrested Development t-shirts would be a HUGE hit with my son. Did you find those recently?</p>
<p>Yes, the Bluth Banana Stand t-shirts were in the men’s department as of a week ago. They are on one of the T-shirt stacked displays (not hanging up). Here it is; [Arrested</a> Development Bluth’s Banana Men’s Screen… : Target](<a href=“http://www.target.com/p/arrested-development-bluth-s-banana-men-s-screen-tee-blue/-/A-14454152#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=bluth]Arrested”>http://www.target.com/p/arrested-development-bluth-s-banana-men-s-screen-tee-blue/-/A-14454152#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=bluth) the price has now dropped to $8 (online… it may be more in-store).</p>
<p>I bought them last year. D was happy to receive them, but said she appreciated the “home made” ones more. I won’t buy them again.</p>
<p>You guys are my kind of parents!! I was also being sucked into the RSG care package, but I will just make a note to send my own from time to time with things my DS would love. BTW CADREAMING, I love the idea of cookies, and expect he would like that so much better. And I am ahead of some of you - already bought the Arrested Development tshirt from Target!</p>
<p>A room-mate from overseas got diagnosed with celiac his first year, and I felt so bad for him so far from home dealing with that. So I would make a regular bunch of cookies and a gluten free batch and put them in separate glad plasticware and into mailing box. Another fav snack nowadays is the chocolate covered almonds and other nuts that grocery or costco sells. Those were always big hits as well if ya don’t have time for baking stuff but just want to send something… Better than a pre-packaged bag of Skittles that they could buy at the bookstore. Getting packages in the dorms was always really reliable and timely when I sent things which helped. What is it with so many AD fans on one forum?! :)</p>
<p>I am envisioning a handful of kids walking around campus in the fall in their Arrested Development shirts giving each other knowing looks like ‘I see your parents are on College Confidential too!’
I really appreciate everyone taking the time to respond to this with such great ideas. I am sure I will need more as the year progresses. It might seem silly to some but I think that these types of gestures can really make a difference.
@CADREAMIN…I love that you send cookies, especially the GF ones. That is so thoughtful and I am sure they were much appreciated.</p>
<p>Before D got a car, I would fill a flatrate box to the gills, including chocolate soy milk, soups, and all kinds of things I thought she’d like me to send. I was pretty good at timing, as she said she mostly got the soups when the weather was getting cold and rainy. 
I don’t know anyone who actually purchased the pre-made packages and I always tried to send personalized care packages. I also sent nuts and other things that had SOME nutritional content instead of just candy. I also sometimes sent pears or other edibles from a company that sold it. D was thrilled.</p>
<p>Have recently gotten out of the habit of mailing things to D because some of her packages have been stolen recently, so will have to wait until she moves to a neighborhood where packages aren’t stolen. 
Oh well, it’s the first year we’ve had this problem. S lived in or near USC from 2006-2010 and D from 2009-now, so I guess that’s pretty good.</p>
<p>I was gonna mention that too - might as well send packages while you can to a freshman living in a dorm. Once they move to a house or apartment off campus, getting things can be considerably less reliable. The different package services sometimes leave them on porch, or entry if big apartment - depends if they have the security code or not - some leave them outside their door in a hallway - any of these being no guarantee they will get them.</p>
<p>They are ESPECIALLY grateful for care packages when they have limited transportation options and are just happy to know they are remembered and thought of. They can also share goodies with new friends and dorm mates, which is a great plus as well. I tried to be sure to pack healthy things and just a few junk foods. ;)</p>
<p>@alamemom, I snagged the Arrested Development T-shirt for S at Target. Thanks for the tip! Now I have to resist giving it to him now and save it for the first care package.</p>
<p>@HImom, that’s a total bummer about off-campus packages being stolen – that will be a concern for me in a year. Can you name the block or complex in which the problem occurred? Had she lived in the same block/complex in prior years without problems? </p>
<p>I wonder if there is a USPS shipping option to have them held for pickup at the Post Office just west of USC. Has anyone used that option? Or perhaps one of the services listed on this page [Postal</a> Services // SCampus 2013/14](<a href=“http://scampus.usc.edu/postal-services]Postal”>http://scampus.usc.edu/postal-services) ?</p>
<p>I wasn’t too excited that USC generally doesn’t have any on-campus housing after Freshman year; that was my only concern about USC as a school, although I am over it now. USC is certainly not alone in this.</p>
<p>These are all great ideas, and my hat is off to CADREAMIN for her kind gluten free goodies for the roommate. For anyone who gets a little too busy or fa-ditzed to bake, shop, get to the post office (like, um, me) in a timely fashion, I can very highly recommend the joys of Amazon Prime. Free 2-day shipping on almost everything, including many exotic imported teas, ramens (!), gifties of all sorts. And did I mention… free 2-day shipping. So imagine you–tired, harried, and oops! It’s 2 days before Halloween, Finals, (insert adorable event here). You get my drift.</p>
<p>But perhaps I’ve shared a little too much about my own personal time-management issues. ;)</p>
<p>Thanks madbean, he was way too far from home to be that sick, but he got through it after they figured it out, but it took months. ugh. Want to second the Amazon Prime recommendation. By the time you remember that you sent something, it is already there. This may feed the idea of what USC stands for, but I keep my card and his address on my account and he can go on and order something if he needs it. He’s really conservative/responsible so it’s not like he goes and orders new game systems or anything and he texts me that he’s gonna order something. But if he needs a t-shirt, sandals, etc., and is tired of the USC gear, or something for his room…he can get it on there and not have to find a way to get to a mall in LA. Love Amazon. Also, I give thumbs up to the USC bookstore for carrying a good variety of student needs. But sometimes, they just have enough USC shirts. :)</p>