Hello, I have a friend who will be attending and dorming at UC Berkeley as an undergraduate first-year this fall, and I would like to mail her a birthday gift later on in the year. However, according to their Mail Services website: “Use of the University’s mail system is designated for official University business only, and is not available for delivery of personal items. Personal shipments should be directed to your home address.” It seems inconvenient for the recipient to wait 6 months before coming home and receiving any of their mail. Also, her family was wondering how they could mail her things from home if personal mail isn’t permitted?
However, looking around at other school’s websites, a lot of other universities permit their students to receive personal mail/packages. I was wondering if anybody currently attending Berkeley can tell me if there is a possible way to send personal mail to student dorms, and if not, does anybody have any suggestions for alternate methods (besides just waiting for the recipient to come home)?
Send it to:
Name
Building-Room
Address of dorm complex (will be posted in mail room and various places around dorm)
Berkeley, CA 94720
Then, if it’s a package, they’ll get an email when it’s delivered every day until they pick it up from the mail center.
If it’s mail, you should probably tell them that it’s coming or they won’t realize it’s there for a few weeks.
They are talking about the inter-University mail system on campus in that online information. Students get US postal service, Fed Ex, and UPS packages with no problem. Once the student has a dorm or room assignment, they should be able to confirm their school mailing address (at orientation for sure).
OP, when I first looked on the Cal website about mail, I too got the whole “inter-University mail system” info and was confused. As @intparent says, when your friend gets settled in, have her send you her mailing address. It will get to her. The package may arrive and may also sit in the mail room for a day or two before an email notice is sent out. Tack onto that her having the opportunity to actually pick it up. If you absolutely want it in her hands on a specific day, keep all of that in mind. I’m an hour away, so a package sent USPS would arrive at the Cal mail room the next morning (very early), but my D may not get the notice until the following day.