Sending a package to someone living in student accommodation: what to put in it and how to ensure it arrives intact
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
Someone's just moved into student accommodation and you want to send them something. This is how you choose the box, decide what will survive the journey, and make sure the package actually reaches the right doorstep.
In September, someone in your life moves into a room: a child, a nephew, a friend who's finally leaving home. Six weeks later, the novelty has worn off, the room is still half-empty, and money is tight. That's exactly when a package from home makes more of an impression than a gift in June. The only questions are: what do you put in it, and how do you ensure it arrives intact and at the right address?
Start with the box, not the contents
Most packages go wrong because the contents are gathered first, and the packaging is sought afterward. Do it the other way around. Place everything you want to send on a table, arrange it into a compact block, and measure that block. Only then will you know what size box you need.
For a flat package, pay attention to the thickness: for letterbox mail, maximum dimensions apply, and these determine whether you pay the cheaper or more expensive rate. The current sizes and rates are available from your carrier, for example, on PostNL's page on dimensions and weight. Measure your box including contents, because that half-centimeter extra from a chocolate bar is precisely what could push you over the limit.
What survives the mail and what doesn't
A package is sorted, shifted, and stacked along the way. Assume it will fall on a corner at least once. This sometimes simplifies the choice between two nearly identical gifts: a porcelain mug will break, a Sports and Coffee Mug Hard PVC 500 ml (€9.95) will not. The same goes for a Foldable Drinking Bottle Red with Carabiner (€7.95), which flattens out and therefore takes up hardly any space.
For edibles, temperature is the second factor. In September, a package left in a delivery van for a day can get quite warm, and chocolate that has melted and then re-solidified doesn't look appealing. If you do send chocolate, choose bars in sturdy outer packaging, such as a TWIX 10-pack of 500 g (€7.95) or a Mars 10-pack of 450 grams (€7.95), and place them in the middle of the box instead of against the sides.
Dry snacks are the safest. Jimmy's Popcorn Sweet 100 gram (€4.95) weighs almost nothing and simultaneously fills the empty spaces in your box. Freeze-Dried Apple Rings (€5.99) are light and will at most break into pieces. It's best to avoid liquids altogether: shampoo, oil, or a bottle of drink will leak at the smallest crack and render the rest of the package unusable.
Fill so nothing shifts
A half-empty box is more dangerous than a full one. Anything that can move, will move, and then the heaviest contents will damage the rest. Wrap fragile or hard items separately in Bubble Wrap 50 x 500 cm (€5.00) and fill the gaps with soft items you're sending anyway: a towel, a T-shirt, a bag of popcorn.
Then seal it with real packing tape, not Scotch tape from the desk drawer. A roll of KINZO Packing Tape 50 meters x 48 mm (€3.00) is enough for dozens of packages. Tape the center seam and both sides so the flaps don't pop open if another box lands on top.
If you're sending something small and flat, a box might even be unnecessary. For example, a Metallic Bubble Envelope 22 x 17 cm (€0.90) can hold a book with a card; for slightly larger shipments, there's the 33 x 23 cm version (€0.80).
Contents that are actually used
Snacks are the easiest, but they also disappear the fastest. Two or three small, practical items added to the mix make more of a difference, especially in a room where nothing can be hung on the wall and every square centimeter of desk space counts.
A handwritten card. It sounds cliché, but it's the only part of the package that will still be on the shelf a year from now.
Addressing: where it really goes wrong
Student housing is every delivery person's nightmare: eight doorbells, no nameplates, house numbers with additions like 12-B, 12bis, or 12hs. Therefore, before sending, ask for the address exactly as it appears on the mailbox or doorbell, including any additions, and not as you remember it.
Put the full first and last name on the label, even if you normally only use a first name.
Copy the house number addition literally.
Enter the recipient's mobile number in the shipping details so the carrier can call or text.
Send the tracking number after shipping. Knowing something is coming makes people more likely to stay home or check the pick-up point.
Also write your name and address on the back of the box, in case the label comes off.
With fifteen minutes of preparation, you'll have a package that arrives intact, doesn't leak, and lands on the right doorstep. And it avoids a phone call that starts with: it never arrived.
Looking for the right size or accompanying material? Check Boxes and Packaging & Shipping for box sizes and filling, Tape for sealing material, Bubble Envelopes for flat shipments, and Sweets for contents. Not sure which box size fits your package? Send the dimensions to info@verpakkingdeals.nl, and we'll help you figure it out.
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