<p>If you’re going to CA, SuperShuttle and other services serve most universities and will get you from the airport to your school. Generally, the universities help students get to Target & other stores to buy the things they need to set up their place.</p>
<p>I suppose kids don’t think about the logistics when they decide to pick schools all the way across but country, but don’t worry. Ask for help if you need it and after you get one trip under your belt it won’t feel so scary. You could certainly see if there is a Facebook page to find out if anyone else is flying out at the same time. You could certainly ask the school if there are any nearby to you freshman that you could “meet” and perhaps coordinate travels with. Once you are on campus you’ll find ways to get around and deal with what you need to deal with. Do ask your college if you can send packages ahead of time to be held for you. My kids are both in towns without big box stores and need several planes to get there so we shipped their stuff to the mailroom and they had a process for incoming freshmen to retrieve their “stuff” during the move-in days so you might not have to locate a store right away if you can ship stuff out. Good luck.</p>
<p>Flying and getting a cab are rather easy. Normally airports have cabs that are there waiting to give someone a ride. I would see about having stuff shipped ahead of time (like bedding).</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I know this post is a little off-topic, but am wondering if any of the Philadelphia guys on this thread know if there is a train from the Philly airport to Princeton.
We too are sending a freshman out there from across the country.</p>
<p>Also, advice appreciated on the driving situation. In case we all go out there by plane, we might try renting a car and drive to Princeton (dive in, sort of!) In that case, I know that many people fly in to Newark to then go to Princeton, but folks are telling us that the driving would be easier from the Philadelphia airport…</p>
<p>Your thoughts appreciated and thank you!</p>
<p>paragpon, you will get more help if you start a new thread</p>
<p>Newark airport is closer to Princeton – about a 25-30 minute drive, vs. 50-60 from Philadelphia airport. But they are both viable airports for getting to Princeton, both right on I-95.</p>
<p>Newark airport is also much easier for getting to Princeton on public transportation. The NJ Transit Trenton line has a stop at Newark Airport and also at Princeton Junction, where you can transfer to the 10-minute “Dinky” train to campus. </p>
<p>From Philadelphia airport, you take the SEPTA Airport Line to 30th Street Station, then switch to the SEPTA Trenton Line. At Trenton, the SEPTA train and the NJ Transit train meet up on the same platform and have coordinated schedules, so unless there is a major delay it’s an easy transfer, and then Princeton Junction is a short ride from Trenton. You can also buy one ticket for the whole ride on both systems. But with three different trains to ride, the trip takes a lot longer, and costs more.</p>
<p>There are probably limousine services that go between Princeton and both airports. For Newark, it isn’t worth it, because the train is so convenient, but from Philly it may be worth the extra cost.</p>
<p>I would also reiterate the “pack and ship” option from “Bed bath and Beyond” … if there is one close to the university this would be a good idea.</p>
<p>You can go to your local store - “register” like a bride - and scan items you want. They will pack the box at that store - and then you pick it up and pay for it. </p>
<p>I would also second the "target"runs … most schools do this first weekend or so. Check it out. The alumni association page might also be a good place to look for help.</p>
<p>Thanks, JHS–this is very good info and will help us with this new logistical challenge!</p>
<p>There are lots of good ways to get stuff to your dorm (ship ahead, order ahead and pick up at store, etc - lots of threads will pop up on CC next month). But remember … you have to deal with it all for summer storage next May.</p>
<p>I did this stuff when I was 15</p>
<p>I am flying across the world on my own, and so is like a few ten thousand international students of the same age.
Your school should have detailed instructions of how to get to the school from the nearest airport/stations etc</p>
<p>You sound like you’re sheltered, so flying alone might be scary/new and public transport since it’s something you never had to take care of by yourself. But, it’s part of growing up. Many younger than you and international students fly to different countries, it is nothing to worry about…if you are smart enough to get into college you will be fine, so calm down.
I myself flew to and stayed in hotels in Germany alone when I was 16…it was so nice without parents nagging. And easy. When I was younger they made it seem so stressful, but that’s just them. Maybe your parents might be the same and make you misinterpret how scary or complicated the world is (part of being sheltered).</p>
<p>Public transport like airplanes are not meant to be something so complicated or for adults only, it’s something user friendly, so don’t be afraid on your own and follow the signs and directions. Same goes for taxis. Moving in should also be pretty simple, colleges basically design it to be organized.
You will be fine.</p>
<p>I like how everyone is assuming OP is going to Temple although he/she has not said anything to confirm it.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Lately, airlines have become weight-conscious and don’t want overhead bins overfilled.At the last minute, as you roll the carryon and are about to set foot on the actual plane, they sometimes flag the rollaway carry-on bag to stow under the belly of the plane during flight. </p>
<p>They hand you a small ticket, so you can redeem the carryon as you deplane, all before you go to get any officially checked bags. Generally people just grab without showing their ticket. For this reason, put some kind of wild stripe or marker on your carry-on, since many bags look alike and people do grab-n-run…not to steal but because they’re in a rush and might get the wrong bag and not realize that.</p>
<p>Point is: if anything is essential to you DURING your flight, put that in the personal bag, not the carryon/rollaway. Examples: money, medicine, sweater, book, laptop. You can only count on the personal bag (not the carryon) to be within your reach while you are in flight.</p>
<p>Tip: Weigh your bags at home. S-2 flew cross-country to college, and sometimes he’d get caught with a suitcase just 3-5 lbs. overweight, a mistake that costs around $80! He couldn’t rearrange his possessions to satisfy the company, either. He just had too much.</p>
<p>Really read up on all the baggage rules of your chosen airline, including total size of bags. They weigh and measure, and are very serious about their rules.</p>
<p>I second the weigh the bags at home suggestion, which is now filed under S’s lessons learned the hard way. Fortunately, he was able to repack enough to avoid the charge, but felt sort of silly having to do that in the middle of the airport.</p>
<p>Blckmgc: Post 27 says: **The OP is flying from LAX to Philly to be a Temple student. **</p>
<p>I wonder if she was assuming this, or if it was info actually from the OP?</p>
<p>Other threads by the OP identify Temple as the school.</p>
<p>When you get to Philly airport, walk to the transportation booth near the baggage claim area. Tell the guys at the desk to call a shuttle van (Liberty Lady) for you to go to Temple. These guys work for the shuttle companies. Then wait until the van come and walk to the street to get on the van. It’s simple. The cost is from $10 to $20.</p>
<p>Curleq, Just have to tell you a story that was told at the info session at DD’s favorite, and now current school. The student panel included 5 students - four who looked like they stepped right off the front of an admissions brochure or a Abercrombie catalog, and one who…didn’t. </p>
<p>The one who was different didn’t look super impressive…until he opened his mouth. He told us his story - he was from a midwest state where he was the only one in the entire graduating class of 18 going to college. Many were already pregnant and/or married. Their idea of excitement was to drive an hour to the closest Walmart. He had never met anyone who was not white, Christian, small town agriculturally based, or educated outside the state. Neither he nor his relatives had been out of the state or on a plane. He had no suitcases - used cardboard boxes to move in. He got a full scholarship to BU (30K kids with a 5 lane road and a subway running down the middle of the campus), and bravely got on his first plane alone and flew to Boston, using public transportation alone to find his way to the college. He dragged his stuff off the T, walked the two blocks to the registration table, and said “Hi, I’m here to start college” They said “You aren’t on our list - you aren’t registered.” ??? He pulled out his paperwork to show them, and discovered…he was at Boston COLLEGE, which is 20 minutes by T from Boston University and an entirely different school. He schlepped his stuff BACK on the T, got off on the right stop, checked in to BU, and was assigned… a black, Jewish, homosexual roommate who he immediately made best friends with. He completely fell for the school and now was a junior working for admissions who was so powerful that I swear he singlehandedly convinced half of us to apply there. We were laughing - crying - his stories about how the community reached out to him - professors made him their kid’s “uncle” - Deans inviting him for Thanksgiving… I swear that kid made half the audience apply at BU. You can do it - you will do absolutely FINE. Our DD knew NOONE when she moved in, and she simply volunteered and was friendly and fit in quite quickly.</p>