I went to one (D1) where the college president explained that they would NOT be busting kids for alcohol on campus, as it just made the kids go underground with drinking and increased the risk that a student truly in danger (for example, from alcohol poisoning) would not get the needed help because other students would not want to get in trouble by reporting. So you never know what you will hear at parent orientation – it may surprise you!
I went. DS and I had very separate schedules and both learned a lot. He met someone to room with and I got to meet him and his parents as well. Well worth the time and small $ investment.
We went to all our kids’ orientations. Logistics-wise we pretty much needed to go to the first two, but we went to #3 because we didn’t want her to feel like we cared less about “bonding” with her school than we did for her older sibs. It was pretty boring, but I’m still glad we went. Got me excited about what she was in for…
I went to the parent orientation at Temple. The first day was useful; the second day I mostly just hung out and talked to other parents. I work at a school, so I didn’t have to take any days off work to go. Also, my wife took our son to the campus visit in the fall. I hadn’t been there before; in fact, I’d never been to Philadelphia.
m0minmd - “But aren’t you going to the move-in BBQ?”
Oh, Lord. As an introvert, having to go to a move-in BBQ with thousands of people I don’t know, and probably don’t care to know or ever see again, would be akin to some inner circle of Dante’s Inferno.
We attended GW’s “Inside GW Day” for admitted students in April. It was absolutely awesome! They split the kids from the parents and placed them by the GW school they were admitted to (my daughter was admitted to the Elliott School of International Affairs). We started with a great breakfast. She spent the day touring the campus, the Elliott School and her dorm. The students met up with their parents for lunch. My daughter split from the group to attend her University Honors Program luncheon (we met up with her for the luncheon).
The parents had a separate schedule which included a financial aid and CARE Network presentation (among others). We got to meet the Director of Admissions who choose our sweet girl!
As my hubby and I spent the day touring Foggy Bottom campus, taking the VEX (the GW transit between GW Foggy Bottom and GW Mount Vernon), talking to other parents and receiving SnapChats/Photos/FaceBook posts from our sweet girl we knew this is the perfect choice for her =D>
All students are asked to attend a CI (Colonial Inauguration) summer session which allows the students to stay overnight a few days, get their GWorld Card and register for classes. Our daughter did not attend CI because she’s working as a camp counselor. She was still able to register for her classes with the assistance of her Honors advisor. She’ll get her GWorld card the day before she moves into her dorm.
^ sounds like a great program. However, this was for an Admitted Students Day, which we also attended at my son’s Uni. As a result, we found it unnecessary to go to Parents Orientation which does not start until after his move in date. Instead, I am flying out 3 days early with him to do some last minute shipping for his room, see the sights of his new City, etc.
@londondad Thanks 
@tutumom2001 Couple that question with the sad puppy eyes… It was a question and situation I truly wasn’t expecting. I’m okay with the idea of going to a BBQ and all. I can make some small talk or hang flush against a wall as good as anyone. I just thought that the school would cut the cord already and let the kids assimilate and the parents separate. I just don’t want to be ‘the only parent who didn’t go …’ I am hopeful he was confusing the parents weekend in late September with this somehow.
I think sometimes these events are organized to make it easier for the parents to say good by. The Tufts thing was in the afternoon of the day you dropped off your kid. At the end of it the college president told the students to give the parents a big hug and the parents to go home.
m0minmd - “But aren’t you going to the move-in BBQ?”
That sounds to me like he wants to go to the BBQ but not alone (because he doesn’t know anyone yet )
@bopper It’s either that or he doesn’t want to be the only one without parents there. Which sort of doesn’t make sense because he knows a couple of girls who are going there. One of them is on the x-country team and will be there already. I am sure her parents aren’t going to be at the BBQ (they’ll have moved her in the week or so before). Plus he’s been in contact with his roommate already.
I just asked him for more details and he said he didn’t have any. The move-in weekend calendar hasn’t been posted to the portal yet. He remembered hearing it from orientation. I’ll know more, I guess, when we get closer to the end of August. I’m formulating a plan A and plan B on how to be in two places at one time.
The flip side of this is, he doesn’t want to be the only one WITH his parents there. If you know what I mean.
Until then, this is like trying to get an answer using the Magic 8 ball…
At this point, to them, college is a Great Unknown. You know that Freshman orientation is about making friends but they only know this theoretically. They tend to hold on to the known (parents, friends, boy/girlfriends) until they get comfortable at the school.
Over the weekend, I eased in that we would not be staying for a BBQ. That with the quick pace of Orientation Weekend and with classes starting and meeting his roommate and making friends and figuring out what’s what… he wouldn’t need/want us to interrupt his activities and have to play host to us. To all of that, he said, that makes sense and he’d be seeing us anyway at Parents Weekend at the end of September.
So that settles that. Thanks all.
^ We are doing the same thing - flying home on the evening of intl students move in day and then we will fly back in mid-October for 3 days for parents weekend. Plus we will see him again at Thanksgiving. That should work out well.
We did the orientation and D’s college did a very good job of having a defined program for the parents to make them feel good about the school (speaker panels or meet and greets with faculty and administrative staff) while separating parents from the kids and setting a fixed time to say good-bye and firmly directing the parents to head home.
Corinthian, sounds very much like orientation at my son’s university. It was sad saying good-bye, but he’ll be a senior in September so it all worked out fine.
While certainly not mandatory, I would take advantage of the orientation opportunity if it is convenient and affordable for you to be there.
Maximize your time at orientation by reading the schedule & figuring out what you want to do, where & at what times.
If you’re friendly, orientation can be a fun time to meet other parents and get a few names, emails, cell #s. I actually remain in contact with several parents I met at the USC orientation, which was held during the summer five years ago! Since neither my son nor I knew anyone at that school, and I lived 2,300 miles away, it was comforting to get acquainted with some of the families. I had a great night at the hotel bar with a group of parents while the kids were busy with their orientation stuff.
During the daytime info sessions, I learned details about things like FERPA, honor code, campus health & privacy issues, discipline, Greek stuff, etc. - all of which were new to me with my first child entering college. In general, I find it more entertaining to hear information from administrators in person, rather than to have to always read stuff on a college website. Good opportunities for parents to ask questions without the kids around.
This Aug, husband & I will both go to Cornell parent & student orientation with second son. We are going to be paying $65K/yr & I want to get the most bang for my buck! Plus, we live a 2-day drive away, so I want to learn as much as I can and enjoy meeting as many kids & parents as possible while we’re there. Since we can’t just pop over to campus any time, just walking around & remembering what it’s like to be young again will be a treat (if it doesn’t rain!). And, son wants us there for that 1.5 day period. He’s on the shy side.
When my daughter went away to school, my husband and I and three of her four brothers (1 older, 2 younger) went to orientation, along with our 2 dogs and 1 cat. I didn’t got away for college, so it was my first time ever in a dorm. I also knew that it was unlikely that we would be visiting very often since she was a 6 hour+ drive away. I found it worthwhile and am glad that we all went. Ironically, the son who didn’t go because he was working at a sleepaway camp is now a student at that same college. He did not want my husband and I to come to his orientation, but his sister went up with him as it gave her an opportunity to visit with her friends who were still up there and he didn’t mind her company.
When youngest boy goes off to school, we will probably do orientation as well unless he stays local.
If you don’t want to go, then don’t.
Most of this parent-handholding stuff didn’t exist when we were students (back in the Jurassic), and we survived.