I live driving distance away, however I have many friends that just bought everything in suitcases, and bought some of the bigger appliances after coming to Andover. There is a CVS and a Staples close buy, so people sometimes bought those big plastic drawer shelves, comfortable office chairs, fans(a MUST!), etc. sometime during the year, and then held then in a storage unit in the Andover area over the summer. Most people will accumulate many things as the year goes on, so you could probably do with just a couple of big suitcases.
Parents will generally leave at the end of the first day of orientation, however there are several events going on throughout the day, so you will not only help students move in, but also have a couple of other things to attend to.