<ol>
<li><p>Some dress up if their parents made them. Most don’t. But the t-shirts tend not to be all ripped at least, and people take showers. You are going to be meeting a bunch of people for the first time. You may want to have girl-approved hair.</p></li>
<li><p>It looks like nothing is happening on Sunday other than letting you move into the dorm, but I bet the dorm administration (RM, RHs, RAs) does something Sunday afternoon/evening that may include parents.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Parking – I never had a car for move-in, so this one I don’t know. I think you can trust the university to have thought about it, though, and having two move-in days will make things a lot easier. I wouldn’t count on being able to park close enough to the dorm that you would enjoy walking back and forth carrying heavy things. There will probably be some load-off zone with carts and lots of helpful, special-t-shirted students (O-aides) to get your stuff out and moving towards the room so you can take your car elsewhere and let the next family unload.</p>
<p>Parking- for South Campus, there will most definitely be some sort of “line of cars”, where you line up, wait your turn for the front, and once you get to the front RAs and helpful orientation aides will come and help you and your son unload the car and take everything up to his room. From there, you will probably want to go back across the Midway and park in the hospital parking lot- they charge hourly rates, but it is much more secure (and has much more space) than parking on the street around South Campus, as I’m sure most people will be attempting to park on the street. From there it’s just a 5-min walk back to the dorm, and your car will actually be more centrally located to campus when it comes time to leave.</p>
<p>PARENTS: I have something very important to tell you about Convocation and the processional afterwards.</p>
<p>MAKE SURE you’re within hugging distance of your student BEFORE Convocation is over and the procession begins, or that you’ve already said your goodbyes, because the mob that moves down University Av. to the Quad and the ceremonial “walking through the Gates into your undergraduate career” does not leave any opportunity to hook up en route.</p>
<p>I know this from personal experience, and the near miss situation that developed when we dropped the Smile Pup off 2 years ago. He had taken off with friends to do the computer check-in thing, or something, and we had agreed that we would meet at Convocation, which of course we never did. So, picture us, the tearful parents, standing at the Gate, peering intently into each fresh and shining face as it went by, never finding the one we were looking for. Then picture me, the frantic mother, charging off down University Av. on a path roughly parallel to the route the freshmen were taking to a gathering place behind Bartlett, and screaming through a fence to the Pup, whom I had finally spotted, to “come over here and give your mother a hug!” Oh, the poor guy! But a mother knows no shame at such moments. </p>
<p>So, if you want to save your child a good deal of embarassment, and yourself a lot of running, you’ll meet up before Convocation.</p>
<p>The threat of financial retribution hung heavily over S’s head unless he made it on time and sat with us at Comvocation.</p>
<p>LMAO @ J’adoube</p>
<p>Ohhhhhh, smile dog. All I can say is that it is just as difficult if your son/daughter is right there and you have to hug and part. I’ll never forget that moment.</p>
<p>I am so glad to hear about this. After convocation, S1 was off to the races to meet up with new friends. I managed to point out to him this was the time we get to say goodbye, so…he came back and walked with us. DH was terribly upset with him and it almost ruined our parting.</p>
<p>Once he said his goodbyes, though – he was GONE! I have a pic of a lovely O-Week volunteer holding a box of tissues at the gate. She was pretty busy.</p>
<p>Hmmmm, I’m wondering if Ted O’Neill will speak at the convocation? This would be the last class he admitted. It would be interesting to hear what he has to say.</p>
<p>^According to the O-Book just released online, no. We first-years feel a bit cheated, since he was the one who scribbled on our acceptance letters.</p>
<p>…Of course, maybe he’ll show up at the last minute as a surprise…</p>
<p>We want Ted!
We want Ted!
We want Ted</p>
<p>I would want Ted… 
It’s too bad I would be the class of 2014 and Ted would be long gone…</p>
<p>He does still teach at the University, but I would guess that he will take a back seat and let the new team transition into their roles. </p>
<p>At the family festivities after Convocation last year, he hung out the entire time and talked to parents. I was very impressed.</p>
<p>Count S as someone who wanted to keep the Uncommon App in its original state. He’s a big Ted fan. Wonder if the ‘Ted is my homeboy’ shirts are still around?</p>
<p>My son, who was friendly with his wife, says they are gone and settled in Massachusetts. Which isn’t to say that he couldn’t come back for convocation, but I don’t think he is planning to be around as a general matter.</p>
<p>I think Nondorf is a good guy, by the way.</p>