Mail/P.O. Boxes - Availability and Need?

<p>Besides the mailboxes-for-rent in the Commons (<a href="http://www.tamucms.com/Mailbox-Rental.aspx"&gt;http://www.tamucms.com/Mailbox-Rental.aspx&lt;/a&gt;) are there other mailboxes on campus for students? When I was in school (mid-80's, not A&M) every student had their own, free, mailbox (I know, I know, that was before email and the internet). Any recent opinions/experiences with regard to the need for a mailbox?</p>

<p>I’m no expert on the subject but I’m pretty sure you can rent at the Northgate Post Office</p>

<p>The only other PO boxes on campus are at Hullabaloo Hall. Not free! In fact, A&M even in the 80’s didn’t have free boxes. I rented one at Northgate post office and as mentioned before, that’s still an option. They used to be down in the basement which was super creepy. I think they closed down the basement ones. There is no problem with availability. We got one at our NSC.</p>

<p>There are also mailboxes for rent in the Commons. Wait until you have a dorm assignment then pick the closest location. You will need one as nothing is delivered to dorm rooms directly. You may need it for online book purchases (usually cheaper), mail from home (or friends & family)& online purchases of other items. If you lived close by and are making trips to College Station-home regularly you could manage without one.</p>

<p>Thanks, AGmomx2! I had actually heard otherwise, that some mail/packages are in fact delivered directly to student rooms (thus lessening need for mailbox). Good to hear something more recent! Appreciate your and others’ suggestions and experiences!</p>

<p>They say that they don’t deliver to dorms, but my son has received UPS and FedEx packages at the dorm. He has had a mailbox all year; the only mail he has gotten has been from home. He’s moving to an off-campus dorm next year, and they provide mailboxes there.</p>

<p>We had no problem with the Commons mailroom accepting packages, but the Northgate Post Office would only accept USPS packages since it was a PO Box (but now they have merged with other companies, maybe it has changed). Last year you had to have a mailbox address though, you couldn’t just put your dorm room on a package & have it delivered. Did they change that policy? </p>

<p>My son has had a PO Box at Northgate each year. When companies use only UPS or FedEx for delivery, my son MUST give his dormitory name and his room number for his address, instead of his PO Box, and the zip code changes slightly, too. UPS and FedEx won’t deliver to his PO Box … or maybe it’s that the Northgate PO won’t allow it? … and so, delivery is made directly to his dorm when something’s being delivered by one of those two carriers. The policy hasn’t changed in the past 3 years. Just a few weeks ago, I was required to give his dorm and room number to an online company to place an order (because they used FedEx or UPS for shipping), and his package was, in fact, delivered to his room. I’ve done this each year for various deliveries, but most of his mail goes to his PO Box. If the US Postal Service delivers it, it will go to the PO Box and the dorm is NOT an option.</p>

<p>For both of mine the dorm RAs said no room deliveries - one was in the commons & the other in a northside modular so they would have to get access to the dorm rooms since they are secured by card access to main doors for the dorm itself (modulars) & to the room section (commons). Made sense to us at the time, I guess like many things at a big school - answers depend on who you ask & which students you know. </p>