<p>Get them “The Naked Roommate, and 101 other ways to survive your first year of college” by Harlan Cohen…I read it at our Univ. Bookstore, and it seems pretty true to me…</p>
<p>oh dont get them charlotte simmons…not just yet…dont scare the poor grads…</p>
<p>Riley and aries - re driving to Va. We discovered the “western” route (through Harrisburg) last year. Cut off quite a bit of time vs. 95, NJ Turnpike etc. I think it’s route 81? Check it out. Very pretty and fewer tolls also, but it’s the time savings that we liked.</p>
<p>He will love Williamsburg. We lived in Richmond for a few years, it is a great area. You will enjoy visiting, although working out the transport will be something of a challenge - we are having the same problem getting from down South to up North.</p>
<p>The James is estuarial at W’burg, and with the Chesapeake, the climate is slightly moderated from Richmond and Lexington - having said that it will be hot and humid as h**l at move-in time - two of the most uncomfortable days I’ve spent in my life were W’burg on 4th and Richmond in August (and I grew up and live now in Alabama). Be sure you bring a fan for his room. The weather will moderate rapidly, though, and from mid-Sept all the way at least to T’giving will be great temperature wise, with only rainy periods. No real cold weather until Dec/Jan, and that will be moderate by New Eng standards. Lots of golf time!</p>
<p>Okay, the 81 route - which might not be great for Williamsburg, but here goes:</p>
<p>Take the Mass Pike to 84. Two options:
->84 to the Thruway to 87 S
->84 to 91 to 95, over the Tappan Zee (which only has southbound tolls) to 87/287S</p>
<p>Anway, you’re on 87/287. Take that to 78 W.</p>
<p>78W to the end (which is in Harrisburg).</p>
<p>81S to Exit 220 (64W)</p>
<p>64W to exit 242 (Williamsburg)
*Note that you take 295 around Richmond - 64 plows straight through it</p>
<p>It’s a solid nine hours to I-64, then an additional two and a half to Williamsburg - but lovely scenery, no Delaware, fewer tolls (there is one on 78 as you get into PA, but you don’t hit it leaving the state), no DC.</p>
<p>According to my daughter, besides checks of course, her best present was a jar of quarters for laundry. (Although I’ve been informed that some colleges let you use a debit-type card for laundry.) </p>
<p>She also received one of the collapsible laundry hampers that she loves.</p>
<p>Peg</p>
<p>Thank you all - great information - I feel like I have hijacked this thread. But, what great information - I really appreciate it - directions and everything!!! Many, many thanks!</p>
<p>I have also heard that quarter collections are great to have for laundry and vending machines. I fear they may also go for poker games but I won’t know about that <g>…definitely something that will be used!</g></p>
<p>Some schools allow you to put money on your ID card and swipe it for laundry. My alma mater did that, and it was actually cheaper than quarters ($1 v. $1.25). If W&M does that, don’t stock up on quarters. </p>
<p>For those doing the quarter thing, just get S and D in the habit of not spending ANY change. Throw it in a box at the end of each day, and, by the end of the summer, they will have amassed a nice quantity of change. The nickles, dimes, and pennies can be rolled and exchanged at the bank for quarter rolls. Best part is, you stop noticing that you are saving money.</p>
<p>CORRECTION: Tappan Zee only has Northbound, not Southbound, tolls. Sorry!</p>
<p>I should also mention that I’ve never really seen backup at the 78 toll going in to Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>I really hope that my son gets giftcards and checks! And he will be too busy working all summer to save $$ for the fall to read any books no matter how good they are. He has to fly to school and lugging too many books and “stuff” will make our luggage too heavy. We plan to buy most things when we get there. I hope that if anyone would like to give him a gift, that they mail it to him there! Or else it will just be left behind and taking up space in my smallish house.
So remember, if the grad is flying away somewhere in the fall, gifts aren’t really all that practical for them unless you ship it to them.</p>
<p>My D wants Wal-Mart gift certificates and an i-tunes account.</p>
<p>What about a grad present for your son or daughter from you? I am hearing a range from a new car to an ipod to $100. We thought the computer was a grad present but apparently computers are not really perceived as unique gifts -j ust another part of the college expense???</p>
<p>Good question, Rileydog. I have heard the same thing re new cars, but nobody I know and S says it’s kids who are going “local” to college.</p>
<p>He has asked for a new drum set (the one he wants is $2500), which is his instrument and passion. He bought his last set with savings, cost about $1000. There would be a trade-in. It’s not that what he’s asking is unreasonable. However, I am not reacting comfortably to the request-negotiation element. I am trying, with <em>maybe</em> some success, to illuminate S that a graduation gift should be spontaneous at the behest of the giver. Not like making a list for Santa Claus.</p>
<p>In our case, the computer is not in gift category because we had told him that, if he got merit $ to school, we would provide him his “ideal” laptop. But I do know other families are making that the gift. </p>
<p>We just gave our niece an iPod for college graduation and she loved it. When her bf walked in, she raced up to him with a whispered “I got an iPod!” (overlooking the cash gifts as well as her mom and dad’s payoff of her car loan - she is 24 and has been working all the way through school). Glad no one else was in earshot.</p>
<p>Cute story about the ipod. Well, I have started to think that the computer really is an expectation today - a tool that one can’t get through school without. I can understand how a student might not think of it as a personal gift (maybe…). I sometimes have trouble with my 1970s perspective. Does anyone remember taking their punch cards to the BIG computer on campus?!</p>
<p>My husband and another son are both drummers so I think that is a great gift although I sympathize with you re: noise and negotiation. (Perhaps you are purchasing Rolands - the quiet drums???). My husband grew up in a family where people always indicated what they wanted for presents. His mother used to ask me point blank what I wanted for my birthday and would ask my boys to request something. Naturally, I was appalled and have tried for over 25 years to emphasize the “gift is from the giver” idea but now I have 3 males who tell me what they want . I think it’s ok if someone has a reasonable, very specific item or passion and I know that I might not always be aware of what is top on a teen’s wish list. I live with a group of techno obsessed and music obsessed males. My husband asks for things like monster cables - honestly, I would never, ever come up with that on my own.</p>
<p>I wish I had thought about the merit money a bit more! That was a good idea!</p>
<p>Rileydog - re the merit $. Getting the word out that this kind of $ is out there has been my new passion. We totally lucked into it. S applied to a school which is <em>known</em> for being generous with merit aid. Ha! Not known to us! Then, when we realized the size and # of gifts they gave, we didn’t think S would get any (his SATs are underwhelming and we didn’t give the school credit for focusing on the whole kid, as they obviously did). </p>
<p>Anyway, that merit$=computer was almost a joke. In another one of those point-blank/list-making/gift specification modes, S started lobbying for an expensive laptop as we were walking around some college campus or other. I jokingly said - hey, get yourself some merit $ and you can have the computer of your dreams! 
Fast forward and it came to be! 
But I agree, it almost seems to fall into the necessity category. Not like when you and I (yes, me too) were turning in stacks of punched cards at some computer services dungeon on campus. There have been some other reminiscences of this type on other threads. We’ll add you to our geezer list. :)</p>
<p>We are getting D a good digital camera. Grandmother is springing for the laptop.</p>
<p>Our gifts to our son this year were a 20" flat screen tv with dvd and
a certificate that entitles him to “a laptop of his choice”. </p>
<p>Last year, we did something very similar for our daughter. Although it’s true that most kids expect the laptop, by giving them a true choice
(in D’s case a Mac G4 powerbook !), they see it as a little more special.</p>
<p>i’m finding this thread amusing… i didn’t get soemthing even remotely close to the cost of a laptop (especially not a mac g4 powerbook… oh how i’d love one…) for graduating college, yet alone high school… i guess i’m just finding it amusing to see how many things other parents buy their kids. if i wanted a computer for college, i had to buy it… like, i don’t know anyone around here who got a computer for graduating high school… or a car for that matter.</p>
<p>I got a set of three suitcases when i graduated high school (from my parents), to help me with the move. when i graduated college, my parents gave me a little bit of money towards the downpayment of my new car… because they wanted to get my payments down a little bit cheaper while i was still in school.</p>
<p>from everyone else, when i graduated high school i got money… and some baseball cards (i collect baseball cards… so my uncle got me some framed rookie cards… much better gift than money… because it’s more personal). i used that money to buy things for college… (blankets, sheets, all the other little things you’d buy for your dorm, etc) i haven’t gotten any gifts from anyone else for graduating college yet, as we haven’t had my graduation “party”… my one cousin that lives with me is graduating high school this year, so our parents are having us a little picnic together in celebration. (little… i think about 140 people are invited… haha… and that’s just from our families… we haven’t invited friends yet)</p>
<p>One of the deciding factors for my S to attend the school that offered a full ride was that he would get my husband’s car that he has had his eye on for 2 years. My sneaky husband was all for that because he got to get himself a new car. Oh well! For other grads, I have been buying the “Sonic Boom” alarm clock with the bed shaker. (deals can be had online) Everybody I have given one to has gotten a kick out of it. They all know that Mom won’t be there to shake them awake anymore.</p>
<p>
ag54, my H has never “needed” a new car/computer/TV(name your boytoy here). Rather he has <em>generously</em> noticed that S really should upgrade <em>his</em> computer/TV… to the better one H currently has. Then H goes out to get the newest improvedest model. He announced years ago that upon college graduation S will get H’s little red sports car.</p>
<p>Now I get it :p</p>
<p>A digital camera is useful, and that way you could ask the grad to send you pictures of friends etc.</p>