The Finals Care Package Guide

All 15 weeks of the semester build up to one important week, finals week. Did you know that 31% of students find finals week to be one of the biggest sources of stress? A great way to show your friends and family a little love during this time is sending a finals care package. 

You can get one prepared or you can take on the task of making one all on your own. Don’t worry this article will help guide you through what will make for an amazing finals care package to either buy or make. 

School Supplies

These are quintessential to any finals care package. First and foremost a few study tools are the best way to show the student in your life you care! Not only will it help them get good grades, but getting stuff to organize for school will be a blessing even if it doesn’t seem like the most exciting thing to shop. 

Gel Highlighters

The unsung study hero of the ages. Highlighters are great for weeding out the extra and focusing on the most important information. Although one of the drawbacks is the bleed through that can happen with the ink on pages. To avoid this try getting gel highlighters. This prevents unwanted ink bleed throughs, and they don’t dry out if you leave them capless. 

Sticky Notes and Page Markers

These bad boys make for great reminders, little study notes, book markets, and place holders! Plus the variety in color means you can use it to color code your study notes. This gift is a great way to help students get organized. Plus since they generally come in a big set it’ll be good for more than one round of finals. 

Pencils

Honestly, when you’re living the campus life losing your writing utensils is a struggle that is all too real. Whether the student in your life uses mechanical or good old fashion wooden pencils make sure to get #2 lead. That’s the kind of lead you need to fill out scantrons with, which is how some teachers distribute their exams. Besides it never hurts to have extra writing supplies. 

Notecards

Notecards are the friend of any test taker. What’s nice is that since they are blank, note cards can be used for any subject. They’re also really versatile as they can be used to also prep speeches, take notes, and sometimes the occasional lenient professor allows a notecard as a cheat sheet for some of the extra hard stuff to remember. 

Noise canceling headphones

This isn’t exactly a school supply, but it is useful for people who are looking to study for finals. Sometimes no matter where you go on campus it gets pretty noisy. Unless of course you’re in the library, but that’s usually packed during finals week so if you don’t need to be there sometimes it’s best not to go. Instead of having to worry about finding the quiet place to study, bring the quiet place to the. A pair of noise canceling headphones will help your student get into the study zone. 

Stress Relief Items

Finals week is tense week for everyone involved. That’s why stress relief items are perfect for your finals week care package. A little zen can go a long way to help focus on studying for finals. 

Spa day treatments

Since most college students can’t afford a luxurious spa, help bring the spa to them. You could get a gift card for a few fun treatments, but you could also pack a few relaxing treatments that can be done in the comfort of the dorm room. Try gifts like: 

• A facial mask- great for hydration and keeping up with skin care.
• Cucumber slices- they can be used to flavor some water or used to put over the eyes with a facial mask to maximize relaxation. 
• Bath bombs- these great gifts, just be sure to check with your college student to see if they have access to a personal tub. 
• A sugar scrub- this helps get rid of dead skin cells that haven’t fallen off your face. This will help your loved one feel refreshed and rejuvenated. 
• Lotions- to help avoid dryness and irritation of skin.
• A back massager- tension in the back can come from sitting for too long. Unfortunately not a lot of college students get a choice of how long they need to sit for so a back-massager would help relieve some of that back pain. 
• Things for a mani/pedi- nail file, nail clippers, some fresh nail polish, and nail polish remover in case you hit a few mistakes.
• Pumice Stone- To help get rid of dead skin cells of the feet.
• Slippers- for comfort and style.
• Robe- because every good spa has a nice soft robe.
• Heating pads- Heating pads are great for relieving tension throughout the body just like a massage would. 
• Mints- Another thing that every good spa has. Plus mint extract is linked to reducing anxiety.

Aroma Therapy

Aroma therapy can be a great way to relieve stress and even promote sleep depending on the scents used.  It has even been linked to reducing anxiety and depression. Here are few ways you give your loved one

• Candles- the light and the scent are oddly peaceful. 
• Incense- these are little sticks that burned to give off fragrant aromas.
• Wax warmers- this are a little safer since they don’t involve lighting anything which sometimes is a big rule when living the #dormlife.
• Essential oils diffusers- these are great because it’s safe to keep them going for a long time and you can even set a time for how long it burns to help manage your oil usage. 
• Air fresheners- even a little Glade could help wonders in a dorm room.

Fidget toys

These come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. This can be a great way to relieve stress for the loved one in your life that can’t sit still or likes sensory stimulation. 

• Fidget Spinners- just hit one of the axles on the ball bearing toy and spins. Not very complicated, but very satisfying.
• Slime or Putty- this is a little something that’s great for squishing, squeezing, and maybe even a little sculpting.
• Stress balls-  all you need to do is take a few tight squeezes will send the stress out of your body into the ball. 
• Fidget cubes- this a small cube that’s small enough, generally small enough to fit in one hand. This six sided gift has a number of ways to stimulate your fingers like a little switch, buttons to push, an analog stick to glide your finger across, and a few more.
• Magnetic fidget disks- these can be stacked to make the magnets stick together or make the magnets float! It’s a simple toy, but it’s super fun!
  

Food + Drinks

This is a gift that’s always in demand because eating is a daily necessity. Help out your loved one by packing some food and drinks into your finals care package. This can save a walk down to the dining hall or a drive out to fast food. Which as you can imagine is a great perk because time is always of the essence during finals week. 

Soup

Soup is an amazing care package stuffer because it’s a little meal that your loved one doesn't have to make. Good for on the go eating and sitting down to eat. Not only that, soup has been linked to reducing stress and boosting energy. Two of the best benefits when cramming for finals. 

Hot drinks

Certain hot drinks have been linked to reducing stress, boosting energy, or even just releasing endorphins. With a little research it won’t be hard to find a hot drink perfect for your friend during finals. Luckily, we’ve done a little bit of the research for you! 

• Hot tea- Did you know even one cup of tea can reduce stress levels significantly? Which makes sense because many common tea ingredients like mint and chamomile are linked to reducing anxiety.  
• Coffee- Obviously the caffeine is the energy booster in this one.
• Hot Cocoa- Cocoa has been linked to improving memory.

Dark Chocolate

Great for the sweet toothed friend in your life. Chocolate is generally crowd pleaser and it is linked to reducing stress and releasing endorphins. So less stress and a little more happiness. That’s a great gift to give when finals week is rounding the corner. 

Fruits

Fruits are a fresh and healthy snack to put into your care package. Besides, getting your fruits generally can only improve your health anyhow.

• Apples- the rich sugars and fibers found in apples are great for producing sustained energy. 
• Darker berries- blackberries, and cherries have been shown to improve memory.
• Bananas- are great for boosting energy and bring a side of potassium to the table.
• Oranges- This vitamin C packed snack is also great for fighting oxidative stress.
• Strawberries- this sweet fruit helps fight fatigue.
  

These are just a few jumping off points to help inspire what should go into your finals care package. Feel free to put your own twist on it and add a few fun items of your own! There is no wrong answer because really it’s the thought that counts. Plus any gift will show your friends and family that they are on your mind. Everything else is just the cherry on top!