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<p>That would be the $64,000 question. Or actually, more like the $220,000 question.</p>
<p>Using my summer earnings, I bought new clothes that I’d never been able to afford before. I packed them all in my baby-blue Samsonite luggage and a footlocker, and off I went to New England in the family station wagon with my parents. We spent the night in a nearby city, and then bright and early on a gorgeous fall move-in day (it was mid-September), we drove to the idyllic women’s college campus that I had never laid eyes on. Luckily, I was impressed. I had requested a roommate from Texas because I had moved away from Houston the summer after my junior year in HS and still missed it. My wish was granted, and I was thrilled. (Years later I told her this, and she couldn’t get over the fact that I actually wanted a roommate from the state she was dying to escape from.) As I hugged my mother goodbye, I asked her to please take good care of my boyfriend and invite him over for dinner–not what she wanted to hear, but I lost interest in him after about six weeks so it didn’t matter. My spartan dorm room overlooked a beautiful lake. We didn’t have matching bedspreads, shower caddies, refrigerators, microwaves, or closet organizers. I don’t remember whether my parents helped me unpack. I do remember how delighted I was to have an instant group of 30 new freshman friends and junior “big sisters.”</p>
<p>I went to a college reunion in May, and an amazing number of women from my freshman dorm were there. Though I only stayed friends with a handful of them through all four years, we always remember each other because we “launched” together. Those first weeks of college were a highlight of my life.</p>
<p>I went camping with friends the week before school started. It was a dreadful camping trip highlighted by lots of rain and a bear getting into our food stash. I also got dreadfully sick with a high fever. I limped out of the woods and drove with my HS boyfriend to meet my parents at school. </p>
<p>It was a typically miserable 95 degree day. I think they order those special for move in days. My dorm room was an overstuffed cinder block triple. I said goodbye to my parents and boyfriend, made my bed and got into it. Turned out I had mono. What a way to start school. No exercise, no alcohol (yes we were legal and that was a primary form of entertainment). I barely had the energy to drag myself to class and get my homework done. By Thanksgiving I was ready to come home for good.</p>
<p>But the mono got better, one of the roomates is a dear friend 30 years later, and there was plenty of time for drinking the next year. As they say, if it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger. The good news is that it will certainly be easier for DD!</p>
<p>My father drove me from CT to NYC for Barnard orientation in 1973. Finding a parking space near Broadway and 116th was tough; I also remember waiting in a long line for my room key, and for the elevator. It felt kind of like survival of the fittest. When our oldest started Wesleyan it was SUCH a contrast to be directed to park right in front of the dorm, to be welcomed by a member of the administration, and have a crowd of student volunteers descend to help unpack the car and carry stuff in.</p>
<p>I don’t remember much about MY launch, other than it was on short notice, half way through my senior year, but I remember my sisters. We went to her room, and everyone was in there smoking pot.</p>
<p>These posts jogged a few more memories…</p>
<p>I also took to college with me my very first ever brand new comforter! Everything in my room at home was from a great great aunt or another, had moth holes, was mismatched, etc. (College professors didn’t make a lot back then, at least not in our small town.) I was absolutely thrilled to have a light blue comforter that was cream on the reverse side, to put on my dorm room bed.</p>
<p>MaineLonghorn, that was great that you were allowed to live on campus! I would’ve had to live at home if I’d gone to the local school. A little too late, my dad found out that the only benefit he received as a professor for having his children attend his school, was not one he wanted to receive. At that school, if a prof. dies, his/her children get to attend for free. Otherwise, you pay full price like everyone else. Sadly, one of my friends experienced this - her dad died and she and all her brothers and sisters attended that school for free. </p>
<p>My town was also only known for two things - the university, and farming. So all my friends’ parents taught at the Univ. too. I did NOT want to have them for my teachers!</p>
<p>What a trip down memory lane. I spent my 1st 2 years commuting by bus & subway to NYC with a class schedule from 11am till labs ending at 9PM. I clearly remember the chaos of freshman registration with long lines that once to the front I found myself closed out of classes for lowly freshmen only to return to back of line and begin again. No coddling or orientation that I remember at City University of NY back in 1978. I spent my 2nd 2 years living in the dorms in the school of nursing at 26th st & First Ave overlooking the East River( even then I knew I would never have a NYC view that good for so little) and all the rooms were singles with a community bathroom and common lounge and kitchen per floor. I did bring a fridge, toaster oven, speakers & stereo with 8 track and my own full size bed the last year. My parents helped me move in. It was a very exciting time living in the big city.</p>
<p>My Samsonite luggage was red. My sister was the one who had the baby blue suitcases.</p>
<p>^^ Marian, you were so lucky. I never really liked the blue and would have preferred the red. I left mine in the attic when I got a divorce and moved–a little gift to my ex.</p>
<p>I went to one of the upstate SUNY schools and my parents rented a station wagon for move-in. I had a big trunk filled with my clothes, and all the other stuff and some kind of luggage for when I would come on break. This will really date me…but we had linen change once a week. School supplied sheets and pillowcases and you lined up to turn them in and get fresh ones. Did not know anything about my roommates till we all showed up in the room, it was a forced triple. After room got de=tripled for second semester because of construction delay the remaining roommate and I shopped together for matching bedspreads. I had a portable typewriter, stereo and a radio. Dorm had a common room with a half refrigerator and small stove. I did get my own Farberware percolator, 2-4 cup so that I could make my own coffee and not have to go to the dining hall. I remember registration with lines out the door and you went from dept table to dept table and were given cards for classes and then when you had all your cards you went to have your schedule finalized and I suppose printed.</p>
<p>I had that red Samsonite luggage. I loved it.</p>
<p>I had the blue samsonite luggage too. I bought it especially for college. My old camp suitcase was too beat up. My parents drove up with me and my younger sister the day before so that we could get there when the dorm opened the next day. The move in went ok. I have to say that I still have a friend from that dorm, but most of the people were not for me. I kind of met many challenges socially my first year. Fortunately for the next year I had a much different experience and met many people who became close friends.</p>
<p>My parents drove me 400 miles to a school I hadn’t visited (flying was absurdly expensive in those days). Space in the car was not a problem - all I had was one large army duffel bag with my clothes and stuff, a stereo (8 track of course), and my banjo and viola. No microwave (too large and expensive), no microfridge (too expensive), no computer (didn’t exist yet). I think I had one towel and one set of sheets. When I see the threads of what kids bring these days, it amazes me. Guess I was pretty minimalist.</p>
<p>It took all of three minutes to carry stuff up to my room, and then they left. They never really said much that I remember about the room, for which I was grateful - one poor guy’s mother was horrified and spent about 4 hours scrubbing his room from top to bottom. He was completely humiliated, and never really lived it down.</p>
<p>My parents never stepped foot on campus again until I graduated. They weren’t interested in driving 400 miles for parent’s weekend or any of that kind of thing (and I wasn’t really interested in them coming, either), and I made all my own arrangements to get back and forth, either by bus or via the rideboard. Made all my own living arrangements after freshman year as well with zero parental input.</p>
<p>My roommate and I didn’t want to pay for an in-room phone, so my parents got the obligatory 5 minute collect call every few weeks.</p>
<p>Registering for class consisted of going to a giant room filled with tables with piles of computer punch cards (what are those?) for each class section. You picked up a punch card for each class you wanted and turned in your deck. If there were no punch cards left, it meant the class or section was filled and you were out of luck. Times and days were printed on the cards, you were responsible for making sure there were no conflicts. And for making sure you signed up for required classes. Academic advising didn’t exist as far as I can remember. I don’t remember ever meeting with one.</p>
<p>Orientation was one day, and pretty much the only thing I remember was a small session of one upperclassman and 10 or so freshman. He asked, “what is the best beer?” (we were all legal), and went around the circle getting answers. When we had all given our answers he said “you’re all wrong - the best beer is free beer. Go to the frat parties and you can get hammered for free.” Great advice. </p>
<p>Dining hall food back then was <em>nothing</em> like it is now. I quickly developed two rules of food selection, which still serve me well to this day:</p>
<p>1) If you have to ask what it is, don’t eat it.
2) If it is fluorescent orange in color, don’t eat it.</p>
<p>My dear parents drove me to college along with my new Smith Corona electric typewriter, my red (!) Samsonite suitcase packed with my clothing and a sheet set, and my one-speed bicycle. I also brought along some indispensable books, or else I mailed them ahead, because I remember having a shelf full in my room. I did not own a stereo but lots of kids brought theirs. My college had a Parents’ Orientation, but my parents did not see the point of it, so they gave me a hug and left immediately. I was fine with this but my new roommate and her parents felt VERY sorry for me and took me out to dinner with them “to make me feel better”.</p>
<p>Yesterday I drove my son, his small suitcase of clothing and toiletries, a Bed Bath and Beyond “dorm room in a bag” and SIX of his favorite computers to our state flagship (he is a prospective CS major who spent his senior year working halftime in a computer store and taking full advantage of the employee discount). I made the bed for him, for what I suspect will be the last time this year. I did not see the point of attending parent orientation any more than my parents had (on the other hand, I have taught at the school he will be attending for the past two decades).</p>
<p>When I was in college, there were no phones in the rooms–only one down the hall used for emergencies and special occasions. I wrote a letter to my parents once a week and a letter to my grandma once a month. Interestingly, there are no phones in my son’s dorm either–the university cancelled the landlines, saving a great deal of money, since all the students use cellphones now.</p>
<p>Gosh I hated those punch cards for registration. Waiting in line in the gym just to get to the front and be told that the class was filled. I remember freshman year just getting in the shortest lines and taking whatever was available. Ended up with “The Nuclear Threat” and “Deviant Psychology.” (I was an econ/poli sci major).</p>
<p>Samsonite luggage–check
Smith-Corona typewriter–check (I still have it…excellent for filling out forms or addressing an envelope a couple of times a year)
Parents drove me 600 miles to a school I had never seen, helped me open a checking account at the bank on the corner, and said goodbye. </p>
<p>Punch cards–may they burn in hell for all eternity.</p>
<p>Punchcards, a typewriter with a large supply of correction tape.</p>
<p>No luggage :(</p>
<p>The cafeteria salad bar would charge by the size of the bowl, not by weight. So everyone would select the smallest bowl and precariously balance a foot high pile of salad in it. (I lived off campus and was not on a meal plan)</p>
<p>American Tourister hard-sided suitcase in blue, check
small footlocker, check
Smith-Corona manual typewriter that had been my mother’s, check</p>
<p>Flew from the midwest to the east coast, where my grandmother met me and we spent the night at my uncle’s. Stopped the next day at Filene’s Basement to buy bedding. Grandmother drove me out to college, came with me for check in, then saw the dorm room, met my roommate, and we said goodbye (years later I found out she was prepared to take us out to dinner, but since she never said so, I didn’t know). Orientation consisted of a map (and I do think there was an optional tour of the gym).</p>
<p>Purchases I made that year included milk crates to use as a bedside table, a desk lamp, a percolating pot for Ramen, a heating pad, and an iron.</p>
<p>Had that large blue suitcase with wheels (not sure what brand) and an ELECTRIC typewriter (which everyone wanted to borrow. . .) and a mini fridge. My older sister was a soph at the same college. It was less than 1.5 hours from home. We just put our stuff in the station wagon. I took the bedding from my room at home.
They helped us carry our stuff up to our rooms. . .I don’t remember any goodbyes with my parents. I remember meeting my roommate and her parents. It was low-key.</p>
<p>I had a small car, so I stuffed all my belonging into it and drove the 700 miles to school. There was no room left over for a passenger so I drove alone the whole way. </p>
<p>My parents’ “drop off” consisted of getting up early to fix me a good breakfast before I hit the road. But I wasn’t totally on my own. My big brother was already a junior at the same college, so he showed me around, helped me move in, and told me which freshman orientation things were important and which I could blow off.</p>