<p>Any advice (or pitfalls) for parents who are abroad (or very far away from BS)? </p>
<p>Student Visas?<br>
Banking?<br>
Time Zone issues?<br>
School Breaks?<br>
Visiting for parent events?
Transporting stuff to school?<br>
Storage of stuff?<br>
Acquiring climate-appropriate (American) clothing?
Cultural issues?
anything else...</p>
<p>I would like to know too…</p>
<p>I think acquiring clothing isn’t that much of a problem. Clothes in the states are much cheaper than from china (good quality clothes)</p>
<p>I disagree Viv, there are places in Beijing with good quality clothes at a fraction of what they would cost in the States. You just have to know where to shop.</p>
<p>Haha yes. But it’s too much of a hassle to drive there, park the car, etc. etc… and there are SO MANY PEOPLE. I don’t like shopping in Beijing very much XD</p>
<p>Haha here in Shanghai it depends what kind of clothes you’re looking for. If you’re looking for any brandnames like anything from Aeropostale or Abercrombie to Chanel or Gucci, I would definitely say America. But Shanghai makes up for it with tons (and I do mean tons) of fake markets with plenty of other interesting things. :D</p>
<p>Yeah, there’s tons of fake stuff in China (but they usually start tearing/falling apart/losing color after washing them several times…). but i’m talking about real brands… they’re way cheaper in the US :P</p>
<p>do you know what airlines you will be taking for flights? the flight for me is about 15 hours, and i want to choose one that is comfortable… Cathay was good because they had personal TV screens and TONS of movies/shows to watch… but the seats weren’t that comfy =/</p>
<p>Anyway, GMTplus7, I’m also an international student, but I can relay some info I’ve learned from schools and personal experience.</p>
<p>Banking: My Milton interviewer informed my parents and I that if I were to attend there, my parents could place a deposit with the school, and I’d be allowed to withdraw an ‘allowance’ every one or two weeks. The school has no limit or anything, I don’t think, and the amount per week is completely up to my parents and I. I would also be given a debit card or something of the sort, where my parents would also place a deposit, and then I could use it for textbooks, school clothing, and such. But that’s only on campus, and personally, I’d prefer cash. 
Maybe other schools work the same way?</p>
<p>Time Zone Issues: Well I fly back and forth between the east coast of the US and China (12-13 hour difference, depending on daylight savings) quite often–at least 3 times a year. The jet-lag honestly isn’t that bad, especially if you’re staying long term–it’s the worst to go for like a week then have to adjust back. xD Just try to NOT stay up late and go to bed at normal hours where you are at, even if you can’t fall asleep. Some people prefer taking sleeping pills if it gets really bad, but I’ve always survived without. It usually lasts 3-4 days for me, but I don’t think I know of anyone having jet-lag for over a week.</p>
<p>School Breaks-Not really sure what you’re referring to here… But I’m pretty sure over small breaks you can remain on campus and over summer breaks I think most schools have storage areas for your stuff.</p>
<p>Visiting for parent events: I don’t think a parent’s presence is usually mandatory, and parent/teacher conferences can probably be done over the phone or Skype.</p>
<p>Transporting stuff to school: Well personally if I miraculously get off a waiting list and go, I’ll probably bring one huge (almost as tall as me) suitcase and one medium-sized suitcase, 'cause I have my parents to help me. If you can’t fit your stuff into manageable suitcases, I would recommend shipping, such as Fedex and UPS–it can be quite pricey though.</p>
<p>Storage of stuff: Mentioned this above, I think most schools have storage spaces? I’m not sure about this though…</p>
<p>Acquiring American clothing: Most schools are at least somewhat near a town with clothing shops, so in most cases you can take a weekend trip off campus and buy some clothes if needed. xD I used to live in New Jersey, so I would recommend some thick (THICK) winter jackets along with some boots (lots and LOTS of snow) and the usual hats & mittens & scarves. 
As for summer, spring, and fall clothing, I’m not sure about school dress codes as I’m not a student, but my advice would be if you’re a girl, stock up on cami’s to wear underneath blazers, some plain slacks, some skirts, and maybe some summer dresses with sleeves. Sweatpants, shorts, jeans, flip-flops, and t-shirts from Aeropostale (my favorite brand 
would probably do the trick for outside of classtime.</p>
<p>And that’s about all I have to offer from my measly knowledge from the topics you mentioned. Hope this helped. If not, sorry for wasting your time. xD</p>
<p>@vivsters;
Yes, real brands are way cheaper and easy to find in the US, definitely. xD I will probably be taking United because of I get tickets from my dad’s mileage, but I actually wouldn’t recommend United though, if you fly economy, 'cause the seats are pretty narrow, you don’t get a personal screen, and they don’t have that many movie/show options. I’ve heard about American Airlines being pretty good though. I don’t have that much knowledge about flights though. xD</p>
<p>@aaralyn, you are much too modest! Thank you sincerely.</p>