In an age of texting, email, Facebook, and FaceTime, that postcard of the White House still manages to sneak into student mailboxes courtesy of the aunt who visited D.C. for a leisure trip.

Writing a letter by hand, slapping a stamp on it and sending it through the post office is often mocked as a foreign and antiquated concept with today’s youth.

However, there is no need to condemn such an old-fashioned method of communication. Think about Grandma and Grandpa, or even Mom and Dad, who relied on writing letters to family members to keep in touch. They didn’t have social media or cell phones. Those old letters, lovingly preserved in a shoebox, are pages in a family history book.

It would be much more sentimental if the aunt who sent the postcard received a handwritten letter from her beloved niece or nephew. It would be infinitely more meaningful if the host family from Japan had a letter to practice English with while remembering their American exchange student.

If you’re stuck for content, take any event from the last two weeks and write about it. If you get a good grade on an English exam, write about it. If you almost broke a bone running down the stairs, write about it. Even if nothing overly exciting happened, write about the first thing that comes to mind. Thoughts and feelings, the pain of the homework load, and the stress of an oncoming project are all potential topics. Things you see as regular and boring experiences might seem fascinating to extended family.

Even though online communication is more mainstream, the handwritten letter gives a much more personal feel. Letters also make for a great opportunity to practice penmanship and get creative.

Writing a letter with a pen or pencil offers the chance to include something more creative than an emoticon. Try something more artsy. Draw little cartoons around the edges of the paper. Include a photograph of you doing something enjoyable at college. Use colored ink or write in unique fonts.

The potential for a letter to be attractive doesn’t have to come from the writer. Stationary comes in a variety of styles, from floral to elegant to movie-themed. School-spirited stationary works well for students who want to write a letter about college events. The themed cards make good keepsakes for the recipients of the letters. Palouse and Washington State University postcards also serve as beautifully decorated stationary for quick notes.

Even the envelopes can match the artsy style of the letter and its contents, either through its color or by decorating the outside with more doodles or stickers. Seal the envelope with stickers to avoid the (sometimes disgusting) process of licking the glue. Stamps come in a variety of themes, from the classic Liberty Bell to endless Disney characters.

A hand-written letter holds the chronicles of a student who can’t wait to see the letter recipient when the next school holiday rolls around. Take advantage of the rarity and surprise an unexpected loved one with a simple treasure that will stand the test of time.