BiggreenCA, I think they can get the IDs before or after the trip. The key is, they need those to be able to pick up packages shipped to their Hinman addresses.
Also Parents, you might consider getting property insurance. It was very inexpensive and actually came in handy. I think the site was collegestudentinsurance.com
Magnum, thanks for the tip! Our insurance agent advised that keeping school-related claims OFF our homeownersā would be a good idea. So, I followed your link and bought $3K in coverage with a $25 deductible for less than $100. Theyāll pay full replacement cost for theft & repair cost for any damage ā totally worth it to me, given that D is taking electronics (iPhone, iPad, etc), lots of dorm room āstuff,ā and all-new winter weather gear to school.
Parents of '19s, get your students up early tomorrow morning, September 9 for the Sustainability sale of used stuff for their dorm rooms, Mini Fridges, lamps, fans, bookcases, all at next to nothing prices. I remember using our van to make multiple pick ups and deliveries for all his new found friends.
Perfect timing, Magnum! I just got a text from my D asking whether I thought she should go to the sale and see what she could find. I quoted your message and she texted back, āIām on my way!ā
S and his room mate bought a dorm fridge for $24 at that sale. It wasnāt an object of beauty, but it worked!
There were printers, TVs, hangersā¦all kinds of stuff. And they got there late.
We got there late too, and still were able to nab a fridge. Apparently they were color-coded to indicate the shape they were in, and although we were too late to find any with blue dots, ours at least was a yellow! Very hot and humid the past week or so, but I understand it was going to rain today and break the heat spell! Came back to triple digit heat in California, but at least we have low humidity!
Yeah, the weather in Northern New England has been damp for most of the last month. Damp and cool or damp and hot. Yuck. Yet at the same time little actual rain, as the wild mushroom lady at the farmerās market told me last week. I told her it felt like mushrooms could grow in my house, but she said there werenāt any in the woods, LOL.
I canāt tell you how much I am looking forward to those crisp fall days!
In Hanover and environs today visiting our S. Couldnāt quite get over the Class of '19 banners! Itās been 7 years since we dropped off our son. Incredible how time passes.
In other news, finally had dinner at Elixir. It was good, but not quite as good as I expected. Perhaps my expectations were inflated. Certainly worth a visit, and unless you want to eat at 5:30 or 9pm on a Saturday, make your reservations farther in advance than the day before!
Thoughts? Will be interesting to read the text of this ācitizenship pledgeā once they post it online: http://thedartmouth.com/2015/09/17/class-of-2019-is-first-class-to-sign-citizenship-pledge/
Thanks, b1ggreenca, for posting this. Our D is so enthralled with every aspect of life at Dartmouth that we have been hearing only crickets since she left! 
Re: the citizenship pledgeā¦ I attended a college with a strong honor code. All freshmen signed it upon arrival and our signatures were displayed in the hall of the main academic building ā as a reminder of our promises to ourselves and each other. Articulating and upholding those values was central to the collegeās culture, and I never regretted the codeās existence or enforcement (unlike Dartmouthās new citizenship pledge, ours was definitely enforceable and consequences for violations could be significant).
I applaud the effort to unite the campus as one community with an intentional focus on values. Iām sure the wording of the document will be subject to ongoing discussion ā as it should be ā but I see no downside in attempting to define what makes Dartmouth uniquely wonderful. It is an incredible privilege to be part of the Big Green community, and as an elementary school teacher used to tell me, āWith privilege comes responsibility.ā
I have a question for those more familiar with Hanover than I am. Is there a sporting goods store in the town? Someplace a student can walk to buy outerwear such as gloves and coats? Of course we sent our son with warm stuff, good enough to last until Thanksgiving (or so we thought), but he is now wondering if heāll need the really warm stuff before he gets home. I know I could order online and send it to him, but would much rather he just walk in somewhere and try stuff on and walk out the door with it if possible. But Iām not seeing anything like that on any list of Hanover retail stores!
Thereās a North Face store at 63 Main St. Itās kinda pricey, but theyāve definitely got warm stuff.
Thereās an LL Bean store in West Leb: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1000001734?page=store-west-lebanon
One of the bus lines (Orange ?) goes there.
Can I share some joy? I had sent my D an email about a high school classmate of hers who is struggling to find friends and get traction at another Ivy, but whoās finally found a buddy. My D responded, āOne?! I feel like half the campus is my friend!!ā Everything other Dartmouth parents have posted about this incredibly welcoming community has proven true. Today, my D texted me, āIāve found my tribe.ā Love it!
Thanks all for the store suggestions. I will pass them along! Iām sure the North Face store is pricey, but it eliminates the cost of shipping and then the hassle of returns and re-ordering should the size/style turn out to be not quite right. Iām all for pragmatism!
PosAttitude, great to hear! Iām the mom of a '14, and I donāt read CC much anymore. I truly believe Dartmouth is a very special place. Iām glad your D found her friends. Hope you find yours on this board. We had fun over the years with our CC friends.
My husband and I made a dash to Hanover last weekend ā in time for the first snow flurries ā to visit our D and bring her with us to Boston for the Head of the Charles. She invited 4 friends to join us for dinner and we had a great evening hearing about the wonders of life as a Dartmouth '19. Their consensus, āWe need tshirts that say āDartmouth is the best place on earth!āā
I know this isnāt the venting thread, but I have to say that I canāt figure out why a person canāt get a reservation on the Dartmouth Coach! A bus has āxā number of seats on it, no more and no less, and there is an online reservation system so they can see how many people have purchased tickets for each specific bus. So why canāt ticket purchasers have a guaranteed seat? And if they are oversold, then they know ahead of time that they have to pull out another bus instead of waiting to see if some people couldnāt get on. And that brings up another question. I understand that they can add a bus when heading toward Boston, but what happens if too many kids need to come back from the airport, can they add extra buses on that end as well? Obviously Iām the parent of a '19 trying to navigate the transportation system for the first time!