How does moving in day go?

Parent Cafe
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<p>D is working at orientation but she still had to get an OK from director of student life to move in ( although her room mate is already there- and isn’t like he is going to be “katie bar the door” and say " nope no moving in till next week")</p>

<p>I would just wait till orientation unless there is some pressing reason why he needs to get into the dorm before hand.
Enjoy your time the night you arrive- look around- go out to eat-
( of course unless you are staying in one of those towns where the college is twice as big as the population and the “rich college kids” are bitterly resented - then just stay in your room and eat dried salmon jerky and crackers TIC )</p>

22

<p>Have schedule from Amherst. Students arrive the 28th and checkin and get keys at 9am, then have a little time, and have parent and student activities that day and the next, when parents are asked to leave after lunch. Taking the 26th for travel, 27th for shopping, then I fly back in the afternoon of the 29th, so I can be at all the parent events.</p>

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<p>i have a student at denison------- even if the building does have an elevator, don’t count on it being available because long lines can form. The best thing you can take with you is a HAND CART/truck. There will be weary parents there who probably would buy the thing from you if you would sell it. And don’t count on being able to park terribly close to the dorm itself, which will make the hand cart even more useful.</p>

<p>Upperclassmen move in a day or so later, so it’s just freshmen on the day you’ll be there – probably a good thing.There’s sort of a party atmosphere on moving day, which helps a lot. My recollection of last year is that we didn’t find the dorm room to be in particularly clean condition when we got there, so you might be well served to take paper towels and some kind of cleaner.</p>

<p>One good thing: Members of the frats and sororities are there specifically to lend a hand. They very willingly jumped in to help carry things up. It was a nice gesture. Go have lunch at one of the dining halls — they accommodate tired parents very graciously on that day.</p>

<p>Finally — if you think you’re packing too much stuff, you probably are. Those freshman dorm rooms are not very big…</p>

24

<p>My best piece of advice, especially to those moving into larger or urban schools–have your kid sign up for any available pre-orientation trips. Mine did, and when we brought him for that, we were able to move his stuff in that day, with the minority of students who were on the trips. We came back four days later for the official move-in day events (convocation, etc), and the lines to the elevators (NYC school) were truly frightening. Were so glad we didn’t have to face that!</p>

<p>We do miss older D’s LAC at moving time. There, we just parked next to wherever she was living, and stayed in that spot as long as necessary. Sure beats endless driving around NY, looking for parking!</p>

<p>Iguess this is more general advice, probably not a problem at Denison.</p>

25

<p>We arrived, helped our son unpack (following the lead of what other parents were doing), attended some of the official functions, wandered the aisles at WalMart with half of the freshman class and their parents. </p>

<p>We should have left then, but due to our travel arrangements lurked for another day trying not to inadvertently stalk. I will always remember seeing this confident happy kid stolling across campus with a group of friends and realizing, Hey, that’s our boy! It was both gratifying and disorienting. </p>

<p>On our way out of Williamstown we stopped in Lennox for some Shakespeare. Lear! Now that was the last thing that two disjointed and melancholy parents needed. :slight_smile: Stay with the comedies.</p>

26

<p>We also had a cross country flight. We, D and mom, flew in the day before, visited some relatives of mine that live an hour away and D had never met. D was doing a pre-orientation camping trip which started at 3pm the next day. We arrived at Smith that morning, got her keys, moved her stuff into her room and made the bed so when she came back from hiking 2 days later she could just fall into it. I took off to visit my childhood best friend for a couple days and returned the night she got back from her camping trip. Since there was a day between pre-orientation and orientation we spent it buying all the stuff we choose not to ship, lamps, fan, extra pillows etc. I left about 1pm to fly home on the official orientation day, having never made it to any of the parent’s events. </p>

<p>This year, her sophomore, she will fly back to school herself and we won’t see her until winter break. Oh well, she comes home from Asia on friday and I do get her home for 4 weeks before she heads back to school.</p>

27

<p>Funny to be posting now, as tomorrow we help D move from her current student place to a new apartment, as she has landed a teaching job, having just completed her MAT. But I remember moving her into Grinnell in 1998 like it was yesterday.</p>

<p>Mini mentioned it already - make the bed - but it is worth saying twice. My grandmother always taught that the first thing you do whenever you move is make the bed, so you can fall into it when you crash (although those weren’t her words exactly :wink: !)</p>

<p>At Grinnell, we flew in a day ahead and although the info we had said keys wouldn’t be available until the next day, someone suggested we try and get a key. We got one easily at the key office and got D moved in ahead of schedule. That meant we could pull the rental car almost up to the door of the dorm to unload. </p>

<p>The next day while most of the freshman unloaded, we went to the PO to get the cartons we’d shipped and got them to the dorm, we did some unpacking and made bookstore and Walmart runs. By mid afternoon there was an opening event for everyone, and then parallel events for kids and parents. The final morning we did a parent/kid brunch at Hillel and then said goodbye. Very exhausting, hot and overwhelming, partly because we flew the redeye and then did the move-in a day before we’d expected, on very little sleep. But it did make the official move in day easier and more relaxed. Ds roommate wasn’t a freshman (and actually never showed at all) so it was just the two of us getting her side of the room organized.</p>

<p>Flew home alone on Sunday afternoon, looking out of the airplane window much more than usual… </p>

<p>H will do the honors with S this time around. H will meet S’s plane on Thursday as he’ll already be back east at a conference. They’ll do a BB&B run to pick up what will be on hold, and then do some errands on campus (getting IDs, etc.). Friday morning is the move-in time for S. (Other kids will move in Friday afternoon and Sat. morning.) For H and S, Friday afternoon will be more errands (rug? frige?), Walmart runs, etc., with the roommate and his parents. The boys have already made plans to “chill” Friday night, I imagine after eating dinner with (or without?) the 'rents. Saturday are various events and optional orientation activities, with the first official session for kids at 6PM. Hopefully H and S will put together the cubbies and get some stuff unpacked. Sunday are parent sessions while the kids do other stuff. H leaves Sunday afternoon. Then H flies home to the empty nest - well, I’ll still be here!</p>

<p>But, as tomorrow’s move-in suggests, the nest isn’t completely empty, as D will live about a half hour away. And may very well bring her laundry home when she comes to visit! (She’ll do it, but prefers laundry Chez Nous than at a quarter-eating laundramat!)</p>

28

<p>meggie:
I sent you a private message.</p>

29

<p>As in the fairy tale of H & G. We took kid to airport. Gave him a box of bread crumbs. Said , “so long kid, enjoy the crumbs.”</p>

30

<p>I had to laugh about the making the bed
If we made the bed ( such as it is- fluffing up the duvet and smoothing the pillows) it would probably be the last time it would be made all year ;)</p>

31

<p>Like George Jetson, get ready to keep that wallet open.</p>

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<p>Two years ago, son flew to Boston with two duffel bags (the really big kind)–one for his clothes, one for his SCUBA gear (don’t leave home without it!). We’d sent his bedding ahead. A friend met his plane, then drove him to MIT the next day, tossed him and his bags out the door, and that was that.</p>

<p>In 19 days (he’s counting the days–misses his girlfriend), he goes back for his junior year. Two duffels. One for clothes and one for his SCUBA gear. His towels, blankets, etc., are all in storage at school.</p>

33

<p>thanks for the KISS reminder dmd77. You just inspired me to quit looking at buying more stuff and at calling it a day on the college dorm linens and supplies binge. We can always order what we overlooked online.</p>

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<p>Faline–you’re welcome. I will point out that we added a few things (more towels and a small rug for next to his bed) at parents’ weekend, and three more blankets (he sleeps with the window open a crack), a heavy sweater, fleece pants, and a winter coat (his father’s old camel hair topcoat) at Christmas. Still, it’s not like UPS and USPS stop working just because they’re at college.</p>

35

<p>Hi, Emerald, By making the bed I mean getting a sheet on it and throwing the comforter on top. And you’re right - it probably won’t be that neat again for a while. </p>

<p>Today’s moving day went well despite the above 90 temps. One down, one to go!</p>