The First Semester Survival Kit for University Students
The care package parents send when their kid starts university. Seven comfort-first essentials — no snacks that vanish in a day — arranged in the signature navy Gitano Kit gift box and shipped free, in 1–2 business days, to any campus in Canada or the United States.
Why we made First Semester Survival
Gitano Kit is a Toronto gifting studio, and every September we watch the same scene play out across our city: move-in day at U of T, TMU and York — cars double-parked, mini-fridges on the sidewalk, and parents making the quiet drive home to a house that suddenly feels bigger. The first care package most students receive is a box of snacks that's gone by Friday. We wanted to build the one that lasts the whole semester: a box about sleeping better, settling in, and feeling looked after — made mostly by Toronto makers, and residence-safe (no candles, no open flames, nothing that expires on a shelf). That's First Semester Survival.
What's inside the box (7 items)
- Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask — Silk & Snow (Toronto), 19-momme, OEKO-TEX certified. Blocks the dorm-hallway light. Choose the mask colour: White, Champagne, Pink, Navy or Black.
- Soft Silicone Ear Plugs + travel case — because residence walls are thin and roommates keep different hours.
- Everyday Cotton Socks — Province of Canada (Toronto). Made in Canada; a pair is donated to a shelter with every two sold.
- Handmade Ceramic Mug — FIKA Café × Akai Ceramic (Toronto). A late-night tea mug that isn't from the res caf.
- Gold Tea Infuser — Cup of Té (Toronto). Loose-leaf ritual, zero equipment needed.
- Loose-Leaf Tea Sachets (3) — a calming caffeine-free blend to get the ritual started on night one.
- Sleep Shower Steamers (3) — Bathorium (Ottawa). Spa-calm from a residence shower stall — no bathtub required.
Make it personal
Every box ships with a Gitano card. Add your message in the order note at checkout — we handwrite it word for word, so the first thing they see when the lid opens is you. First-week homesickness doesn't stand a chance.
Who it's for
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends sending love to a first-year (or any-year) student — for move-in week, midterms, exam season, or the first cold that hits residence in October.
Common questions
What is a good care package for a university student? One that helps them sleep and settle in — not just snacks. First Semester Survival packs a silk sleep mask, ear plugs, cozy Canadian-made socks, a handmade mug, a tea ritual and shower steamers into one gift box.
Can you ship it to any university? Yes. We're Toronto-born — U of T, TMU, York and McMaster are our backyard — and we ship free within 1–2 business days to any campus or address across Canada and the United States: McGill, UBC, Queen's, Waterloo, or a dorm in New York or Boston.
Is it residence-safe? Yes — no candles, no flames, no food that spoils. Everything is dorm-friendly.
Order today — ships free within 1–2 business days across Canada & the U.S.
WHY THE FIRST SEMESTER SURVIVAL KIT
Gitano Kit is a Toronto gifting studio, and every September we watch the same scene play out: moving day at U of T and TMU and York, parents unloading cars, students standing in dorm hallways for the first time on their own. Most care packages are gone by Friday. We built the one that lasts the whole semester. Seven comfort items chosen for the real moments of university life: the Silk and Snow mulberry silk sleep mask that blocks the hallway light during late study nights, the soft silicone ear plugs for thin residence walls and roommates on different schedules, the handmade FIKA Cafe ceramic mug and Cup of Te gold infuser that turn a tea ritual into a reason to close the laptop for five minutes, Bathorium sleep shower steamers from Ottawa that make a four minute dorm shower feel like an actual exhale, and the Province of Canada cotton socks, made in Toronto, where every two pairs sold means one pair donated to a local shelter. Seven items. One box. The whole semester.
THE GITANO KIT PROMISE
Every Gitano Kit is assembled and quality checked by hand in Toronto, then packed into our signature navy gift box with a white ribbon and a handwritten note. We source from Canadian makers and small studios who put care into their craft. The result is a gift that feels like someone thought about it, because we did. Every kit ships free across Canada and the United States, arriving in 1 to 2 business days, ready to hand over with no wrapping required.