"Open When" Letters for College Students

[Small Town Princess]

My son is heading off to his freshman year in college during this crazy 2020 pandemic. I would like to make a box of OPEN WHEN letters and cards for him. Looking for free printables, wording and also fun ideas of things to fill each envelope with. I have checked Pinterest and googled, but hoping for more ideas. I am a little choked up to be sending him off right now.

 

[MrsPete]

I made an "Open when you're sick and far from home" box. But just that one box.

It contained a note, saying "We can be outside your dorm in 2 hours 15 minutes --just call." It also contained a couple cans of soup, crackers, orange juice, a can of ginger ale, hard candies for a sore throat, a couple small Kleenex packets, a new pair of socks (because new socks just feel good), and I can't remember what else.

I did not include medicines because 1) my kids went away with a box of basic medicines and 2) the health center has more than I would've had -- and at cheaper prices.

Related ideas:

- When you're helping him make his bed, tuck a $20 between the bottom sheet and the mattress and attach sticky-note saying, "Call me when you find this." You'll laugh at how long it will take him to wash his sheets.

- Call him and make sure he's in his dorm, then hit "Order" on the pizza you've pulled up on your computer. When you see that the pizza guy has arrived at his building, say, "Well, you have to go. Your paid-and-tipped pizza just arrived in the lobby." No kid has ever been disappointed with a surprise pizza. This is best on a cold, rainy or snowy Sunday evening when walking to the dining hall is not a welcome prospect.

 

[ctinct]

I did the money in the sheets, too. I also hid random notes and a few $$ here and there, like inside books, shoes, dresser drawer, etc.

Wish I had thought of the pizza thing, but her school did deliveries of birthday cakes and cookies, along with final exam care boxes. Your sons school might do something similar.

Btw, one girl in my daughters dorm did not change her sheets fo4 the entire semester. Ewww.

 

[Small Town Princess]

I made an "Open when you're sick and far from home" box. But just that one box.

It contained a note, saying "We can be outside your dorm in 2 hours 15 minutes --just call." It also contained a couple cans of soup, crackers, orange juice, a can of ginger ale, hard candies for a sore throat, a couple small Kleenex packets, a new pair of socks (because new socks just feel good), and I can't remember what else.

I did not include medicines because 1) my kids went away with a box of basic medicines and 2) the health center has more than I would've had -- and at cheaper prices.

Related ideas:

- When you're helping him make his bed, tuck a $20 between the bottom sheet and the mattress and attach sticky-note saying, "Call me when you find this." You'll laugh at how long it will take him to wash his sheets.

- Call him and make sure he's in his dorm, then hit "Order" on the pizza you've pulled up on your computer. When you see that the pizza guy has arrived at his building, say, "Well, you have to go. Your paid-and-tipped pizza just arrived in the lobby." No kid has ever been disappointed with a surprise pizza. This is best on a cold, rainy or snowy Sunday evening when walking to the dining hall is not a welcome prospect.

I love these ideas!

 

[a1tinkfans]

My son just drove cross country for school. He arrived after two days of travel to receive an email following morning. Sorry for delay, but COVID means unable to continue with externship ( next week) and it’ll be remote .. classes already remote. So, broke lease today, packing up apt. To head back. Just found the Thanksgiving Card I sent last year... lol. Stay safe all!

 

[LynnTH]

My DD19 just left this morning for college, she is a sophomore this year. DS21 will be leaving tomorrow. They both go to the same college and are only 1-1/2 hours away. I thought I was doing really well this year - but nope. I bawled last night and again this morning when telling DD Goodbye - and I will have to go through it again tomorrow when DS leaves.

I stocked up on different gift cards for eating out/take out. And I will mail them to them every so often. I like that they have DoorDash gift cards. They both use that quite a bit.