When school begins in August, student renters often have to face the stress of both moving into their apartment and then immediately starting classes only a few days after. Oftentimes, these students are freshmen or first-time renters who haven’t experienced living on their own or even taken a college class before. If you are a property manager of an apartment community for student renters, help new residents feel at home and ease the stress of starting school by giving them special treatment on the first day of class!

Send out an email or put a notice on residents’ doors letting them know they can stop by the office all day for a first-day pick-me-up. Have coffee, bagels and fresh fruit available for a grab-and-go snack in the morning, and then wraps for lunch. On their way out, hand them a goody-bag with first-day essentials.

Try thinking outside the box when coming up with content ideas for treats to give residents! An easy and traditional route would be to purchase inexpensive wholesale backpacks or drawstring bags and fill them with pencils, a water bottle, energy bars and an encouraging note letting them know you appreciate having them as a resident and you hope their first day of class goes well. You could even include a mini calendar so they can use it as daily planner, type out a list of study and/or stress management tips, or give them any sort of gear relating to your nearest college’s mascot (as a property manager of Gainesville apartments near the University of Florida, we always include Gator gear!). It’s important to be creative, but just remember that no matter what, your residents will appreciate the nice gesture. Since college students have classes starting all throughout the day, be sure to keep enough food and goody-bags to last until you close!

The first day of school is unforgettable in and of itself, and residents are sure to remember how you help made their first day a little less stressful!

Does anybody else have any other first day of college resident appreciation ideas?