<p>DS had a single in his freshman year. Didn’t ask for it, but was really glad he had it. There were lots of singles on his floor and in his dorm, so it worked out great. He’s still best buds with the people from his freshman dorm.</p>
<p>Hi Parents; I posted a thread on Dartmouth site called “Doc Trip - Hiking Gear?” My daughter is new to hiking. Did your kids do the moderate hike? if you came from a distance (by plane); did they check on their camping gear? She didn’t pick hiking so now we have to buy quite a bit of equipment for this. I am city person; so new to hiking (although she wants to do more outdoor activities when she goes to Dartmouth).</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Didn’t do hiking, but yes, purchased a cheap duffle bag and checked the camping stuff through.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, if she is going to purchase some light-weight hiking shoes/boots (which can double as snow shores if you make sure they have waterproof, Vibram soles), make sure she walks in them at home to break them in – the more hours the better.</p>
<p>Apparently running shoes are fine to wear for the moderate hiking trips as well. So, if she has these, they are fine.</p>
<p>Yes, she does’t think she will have time to break in new shoes…so she rather use the comfortable older pair. Just found a backpack; now trying to find the right sleeping bag, etc.</p>
<p>I think the best thing to do is to call the DOC and ask what they recommend. They are really helpful.</p>
<p>I read that students are only allowed to use map tacks and thumb tacks to put things on the walls in their rooms. Is this true?! There are so many “wall friendly” adhesives out now, but I wondered if any of your students have used them.</p>
<p>I just bought a bunch of 3M hooks and poster hangers for my daughter. They leave absolutely no mark (I’ve used them at home) so I can’t see why they can’t use them. I would think that thumb tacks would leave way more damage.</p>
<p>You can borrow a sleeping bag and a foam pad thing from the DOC for trips if you don’t have one/don’t want to haul one out.
I’m from california and didn’t have room for one in my luggage and it worked out fine</p>
<p>Anybody out there have kids who were in McLaughlin? Do you remember if the floors were carpeted or tiled? Can you hang a tension rod in the windows for curtains? And how high can you raise the bed (i.e. could you put a fridge under it?)</p>
<p>Just looked at the orientation schedule for parents. Basically a welcome address by President Kim, and that’s about it. Oh yes, you can have a lunch at the dining facility, and visit an expo at the gym…sounds really light. I guess the focus is on the students, but I was hoping to learn more about the school and meet other parents.</p>
<p>^^As I recall you meet some other parents during the actual move-in. They’ll be moving their kid in too. The schedule is light because most of the time will be taken up with the move-in and maybe making a run to the big box stores in Lebanon for dorm room supplies. </p>
<p>Also, there are formal tours of the campus you can take.</p>
<p>The big first year parent event is really Freshman Family Weekend in the spring. We found that just getting the kid moved in and his stuff set up, combined with the emotional turmoil of the whole experience, was enough! (BTW, don’t overlook the used “stuff” sale as a source for minifridge and so forth.) But since you are coming from such a distance, I can see how it would be disappointing not to have more exposure to things during move-in.</p>
<p>Perhaps you and some of the other CC parents can arrange to meet for coffee or lunch…</p>
<p>Definitely do a tour if you can, and if you are an art lover don’t miss the murals in the Reserve Book room on the lower level of the library. You might also want to spend a little time walking around Hanover’s downtown and checking out the Hop, the Hanover Inn, the shops and so forth. Our S went off to dinner with kids from his floor and we left for home that first day–I didn’t want to cry in front of him! 
– but you could do dinner in Hanover with or without your student.</p>
<p>One reason Dartmouth doesn’t have a big deal for parents is that most of the parents aren’t there. The majority of students have been on campus from one to several days, having finished a first year trip and just moved into their dorm. Their parents are long gone. The kids who move in on “move in day” are the kids who live close enough to go on a trip, return home and then come back on move in day. But as you’ve been told, First Year weekend in the spring is very fun and shouldn’t be missed if possible!</p>
<p>Thanks, that makes sense. Son’s classmate at Cornell had an extensive program for first years and their parents with departmental open houses. I expected a similar program until I read the flyer. I am sure it will be fine, but simply expected more. We will try and make the spring program. In the meantime, we will explore the region while he is on his trip, and then meet the parents who are there doing the drop off.</p>
<p>I am sure son will be sad but relieved when we go. It’s his turn to fly. Dartmouth is particularly attractive for the independent types. With this quarter system, this has been a long time coming, all of his friends have already flown, literally!</p>
<p>Yes, that interval between the last of the friends leaving and D orientation is an odd time for freshmen.</p>
<p>For parents who will be dropping off their freshmen children, be prepared to see a huge sign hung over the front doors of Collis that says “Welcome Home”. It can be a bit of a shock.</p>
<p>It’s even a bit of a shock for those of us who will be dropping off their senior children. :(</p>
<p>But it’s true; he’s more at home in Hanover than he is at home.</p>
<p>My goodness Very Happy! those 4 years do go by fast.</p>
<p>Same with my son. He just finished up his Sophomore Summer so he is leaving home to come visit us for a couple of weeks before going back home to Hanover. I think he is already getting anxious about leaving there after five more quarters. Reality will set in.</p>