<p>Do the airport shuttles work from Birmingham during the BamaBound dates? If so, any advice is helpful.</p>
<p>AA and OA cost 195 dollars IIRC. It’s a great opportunity to meet others. The bonus is that you get to move in early.</p>
<p>AA and OA are one hour honors credit too.</p>
<p>I stayed in the dorm for BB and met the nicest lady. We have since become friends. Staying in the dorm for BB was super convenient.</p>
<p>I stayed in the dorm for Bama bound and would do it again. But it is not a hotel room; it is a dorm room. You only get linens, pillow and a thin blanket. Bring all your toiletries, a nightlight, and anything you might need (cups, napkins, plates) if you plan on snacking in the room. There are no lamps, TV, light-blocking curtains or trash cans in the room. This said, for me it was great not having to drive even the short distrance to and from a hotel and the experience of being on campus like my child would be was priceless. PS I went home and immediately ordered her the Memory Foam XL twin mattress pad!</p>
<p>GCBMIB is right about the things to bring to BB and the mattress pad too. The only thing I would add is a measuring tape is also nice to have so you can get some ideas while you are there too. Although many of the furniture and room dimensions are online, it really helped to determine the right size rug we could put in her room at move in to allow for closet doors to open. (an 8’ x 8’ works great at RCS by the way.)</p>
<p>Could someone give me an idea of timing for BB. For a 2 day, is check in around 5ish on the first day? What time it end on the second day? Trying to get hotel lined up and plan our drive there and back. Thanks</p>
<p>If you are asking about the BB session itself I believe it started around 7:30 a.m on the first day and ended sometime after lunch the second day depending on what your major is because registration was the last thing or one of the last things we did. The earlier post about check in was for staying in the dorms. Dorm check in was somewhere around 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm on the first day and check out was before breakfast (maybe 7:30 or 8:00 a.m.) on the second day before we left for the days events.</p>
<p>Spring…</p>
<p>To clarify…</p>
<p>If you want to arrive the night BEFORE BB, then you have to **book/pay **for an EXTRA night…so you’d be staying TWO NIGHTS.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to pay for the extra night, then BB starts in the morning around 8am…goes all day (kids have pool party at night)…then spend the night…then finish up the next morning…ending around noonish.</p>
<p>Thanks Ladies, that is exactly what I was looking for. It is off to the hotel site to reserve rooms before they are all gone.</p>
<p>Oops. I guess I should have been more clear on dorm check in too. When I said check in was around 5:00 or 6:00 pm on the first day, I really meant the day before. Check out of the dorms is very early in the morning on the last day of BB. I’m home with the flu and I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly. Cabin fever is setting in on top of the other symptoms. I apologize if I confused anyone.</p>
<p>When I said check in was around 5:00 or 6:00 pm on the first day, I really meant the day before.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Right…that’s for those who are paying for an additional night (paying for TWO nights). This is a good idea for those who are flying in from OOS. </p>
<p>* I’m home with the flu *</p>
<p>Hope you’re feeling better soon!!</p>
<p>Yes, you are right. After driving from OOS it was nice to be able to settle in for the night and enjoy exploring campus. </p>
<p>Thanks. I am feeling slightly better this morning.</p>
<p>We attended the first Bama Bound session in June, actually leaving the day after DD graduated!</p>
<p>I did not stay in the dorm for BB. I stayed in a hotel. I really felt it was important to give DD her “space” and allow her to experience the campus and activities that had been planned (pool party ect) without running into her mother. </p>
<p>We arrived the afternoon before and went over and checked in. Relaxed that evening and spent time just walking the campus and then met DD’s roommate and her family for ice cream. </p>
<p>I mentioned before that we arranged that the girls would attend the same Bama Bound session so that they could get a chance to “get to know each other” before move in and recruitment. It really worked out well and I would recommend it :).</p>
<p>The next day was spent in lots of info sessions. Lunch in the Ferg (where DD met Trent Richardson, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram and got to try on Julios Nat’l championship ring…they ended up having clsees next to each other and became friends).</p>
<p>The parents were offered dining passes to eat in Lakeside…again I declined. I just really felt it was important for her to make friends and figure some of this out on her own. Went to Dreamland with the roommate’s parents. It gave us time to sit and chat and coordinate bedding and room items for fall. Had a great time.</p>
<p>We moved her into the dorm late afternoon day 1 where she and 2 of the 3 roommates started immediately making plans. Her future roommate also showed up and she actually ended up sleeping on the couch in DD’s common area since she really didn’t have a connection with the girls who were in the room she had been assigned to.</p>
<p>The next morning we checked out…like 8 am. There was a great parents breakfast where I met so many wonderful parents. While DD was doing her schedule there was a very lengthy parent info meeting that covered anything and everything you would want to know about being the parent of a student attending The University of Alabama. They do a good job. </p>
<p>We were done about 12 day 2, where D and I met up at Starbucks in the Ferg and then spend most of the day visiting shops both downtown and on the strip as well as Belk at University Mall, several places at Mid Town and walking campus and sorority row (again). I ordered her Bid Day Basket from The Trunk and we ate at Mugshots. We spent the night at the hotel and spent a long time talking about her experiences.</p>
<p>The next day we met the roommate and her parents and we WALKED DD’s schedule. I would really suggest this ESPECIALLY if you have a child that is going through recruitment or heavily involved in another time consuming event before school starts. I knew she would not have time to do this with recruitment, Bid Day and then the girls leave for retreat returning very close to the beginning of classes. Best idea ever. It was VERY hot and humid but we did it twice and I really felt DD was comfortable with where she had to go and how she was going to get there.</p>
<p>Since DD didn’t want to leave we ended up staying, doing more shopping, walking up and down sorority row one more time, not leaving until later that afternoon. With the Bama song playlist bellowing we headed home, my DD lamenting that move in couldn’t come soon enough.</p>
<p>Each of us have had a variety of experiences…you all are heading into such an exciting time…enjoy it!!!</p>
<p>Thanks for all that info, ahpimommy. Love the idea of walking the schedule and even trying to attend the same BB session as future roomies. D is disappointed that she won’t be able to attend an Honors Session of BB. The June ones fall at a bad time with graduation and a couple other grad activities. And we are doing a family vacation that falls when the July date is. Hopefully D will still have a great experience.</p>
<p>We didn’t do honors…just the regular…DD was fine. you will be ok…I promise!!!</p>
<p>Thanks! It’s weird how I keep stressing over every little thing. Hopefully next year I will just look back and laugh.</p>
<p>It is a mothers (and a fathers) nature to stress…have been there so many times…especially with 4 kiddos :). Thankfully Bama DD is the last one (just have to get Loyola boy to graduate in May). There’s a lot of details and even when we think we have all of our bases covered a curve ball comes a long every now and then. There are so many great people on here and we are more than happy to answer questions, let you pick our brains, chat, give y’all a shoulder to lean/cry on, listen to your rant…you name it there’s someone here who has probably walked in your shoes at some point. Hang in there…and yep next year the roles are reversed (although it seems with kids that they always NEED something ) so get ready to laugh…</p>