What to bring to campus

SpringfieldMom
Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:36:51 +0000

Moving day for fall session last year was actually an OK experience. My D lived in East Halls first semester, and we got there early (9:00 a.m.) and were directed to park right next to the entrance of her dorm on the grass. We were already instructed to unload everything from the car first–we dumped it all on the sidewalk outside the dorm and one of us (me) guarded it while D, hubby and a student volunteer wheeled it all up the elevator using carts supplied by the University. That whole process took about an hour. I suggest getting there as early as possible, to get the best parking spot for unloading and because the carts seem to be few and far between.

After unloading, I was instructed to move the van to the East parking deck…parking spaces in the parking decks on weekends are generally free (except for football weekends) so take advantage of this if you can. Having the van parked out of the hot sun on an August day and easily accessible was a lifesaver.

Then the fun part started. D’s roomie was already there, and with six people trying to unpack two girls and all of their mountains of stuff took several hours. The long Ethernet cable is a must; one desk was easily within reach of a regular 9 foot cable but the other desk required the longer, 25 footer…between the two of them, we had one of each so it worked out well. Just remember you have to register your computer with Student Computing, a process that can be done before you arrive, but it was also not a big deal that hubby got it that and everything else that the computer required that day.

Also a couple of suggestions for girls; you will never have enough places to plug in your electric appliances and gadgets. Make sure you bring at least 2 power strips. A couple of extension cords wouldn’t be a bad idea either. A window fan is a must; no air conditioning and those dorms get beastly hot in late August/early September (the fan can be brought home on Parent’s weekend–D didn’t need hers at all in the Spring). Also, leave the winter clothes at home if your parents can bring them up on Parents Weekend or mail them up to you later in the semester. Send the summer clothes home when you no longer need them, too. You can bring them back after Spring Break. Not having extra clothes laying around taking up space is a GOOD thing. Those dorm rooms are very tiny; especially some of the ones in East Halls that basically have no dresser drawers. If you have a lot of them, and I know most girls do, there is simply not enough space for your clothes.

While not required, I’d also suggest that your child’s printer include a fax/scanner. We bought a low end printer that included the fax/scanner and I can’t tell you how many times that D and her friends needed to use those capabilities; not only to scan and fax but also to make a simple photocopy. D appreciated the fact she didn’t have to leave the dorm to make a copy.

Let me know if you have any more questions.