So you've got a young family member or good friend away at college. They're probably living in a dorm room, and are on a limited budget because college is expensive! If you want to do something nice for them, then a care package for your college student is a great idea. Here are three different kinds of care packages you can send.

The Dorm Food Survival Package

Living in a dorm is one of the most common housing options for college students who go away to school. Dorms are small, often shared with at least one roommate, and don't have a kitchen. Campus meal plans are the way most students get fed, but getting there for every meal isn't always possible when they're busy studying. Not to mention that they are usually on their own for snacks. Because of the limited space in a dorm room, most students only have a microwave and a small fridge, if they're lucky. Because of this, they're very limited on what they can make. So sending them a care package of foods that don't have complicated preparation is a must.

Your dorm food survival package should include some emergency dinner rations. These could include packaged ramen (easy to prepare and store), easy to eat fruits such as apples and oranges, and easy to eat vegetables like baby carrots or some other kind of prepared raw vegetable tray. If you're not sending your care package through the mail, you could also include the fixings for sandwiches: bread, cold cut meats, cheese, lettuce, mayo and mustard. Snack items would be an easy thing to send in the mail. You could include chips, pre-packaged cookies, and juice. Try to stay away from too much junk food, because they probably already get enough of that!

The "I Love You" Package

This is a great package for the student who's home sick. A stuffed animal should be the focal point of this care package. Include their favorite animal, or if there's a much loved pet they had to leave at home, get the plush equivalent. And if they need to cuddle up with your gift at night, no one needs to know. To finish out this package, include some home baked goods. Make their favorite cookies and send them a tin or bag full. Or maybe they prefer something like bars, cake, cupcakes, or even homemade bread. Give them a little taste of home, and you'll be sending them your love!

The Movie Night Package

This is perhaps not the traditional care package, but it's got some definite benefits. College is arguably more than just a place for learning; it's also a place for making friends and meeting people who will stick with you for the rest of your life. That's why sending your college student a package with everything they'll need for a great movie night is sure to make them popular. Your package should include a new movie or two (or a gift card to someplace where they can rent or buy their own), some popcorn, soda, and movie candy. Make sure there's enough to share so that they can have other students over for movie night!

So there you go, three themed care packages for the college student! Any of these would be much appreciated, and will actually make a nice surprise if your student lives far from home. The care package is a great way to show you care in a way that's useful!