<p>Since Riverside kids don’t move in until August 8th, which I believe is the day Alabama Action starts, I’m concerned there won’t be time to do grocery shopping between move in and son going to Alabama Action.</p>
<p>Will the kids be able to go to eat in Lakeside Dining or whatever is open during the Alabama Action week, since they may not have time to do grocery shopping?</p>
<p>Any advice, suggestions, on how to handle this?</p>
<p>montegut, i think you worry too much!</p>
<p>it will all work out fine. i promise!</p>
<p>Montegut: My son said if Alabama Action works the same way as last year (and he believes OA works the same way, as well), you will check in at the Riverside Clubhouse during the afternoon. Your son receives a folder with all the details of times, etc. for the week of Alabama Action. He believes that the first meeting he attended was in the late afternoon, followed by a pizza social. So your son should be available later in the evening to go shopping, if needed. </p>
<p>He also informs me that Lakeside Dining was open that week, but every night, the Alabama Action students went out for dinner all week. My son added that once dinner was over, he was back at his suite by 8 p.m.</p>
<p>The kids are feed during Alabama Action or OA.</p>
<p>The dining hall will be open. Last year I believe Lakeside was open for both the Sorority girls and AA/AO.</p>
<p>D’s AA group went out a few times for dinner, everything was well planned. And as for AA they may have eaten at their schools or boxed lunches provided?</p>
<p>My only suggestion is to have your student check the hours at Lakeside, I recall they closed a bit earlier than I thought they would…</p>
<p>But the kids are happy walking on the strip for a little bite to eat. Remember the majority of students on campus will be incoming freshman.</p>
<p>AA/OA, Greek recruitment, WOW…your kids are going to have the time of their lifes.
Welcome to Alabama! Roll Tide!</p>
<p>I know, I know, I worry.</p>
<p>But seriously, since not all students will be on campus during Alabama Action, I don’t want to assume the the dining services will be running at the full time schedule. And hey, the kid’s got to eat, right?</p>
<p>Will there be RAs in the dorms at this time as well?</p>
<p>i don’t have the worrying gene.</p>
<p>: )</p>
<p>i worry once a year or so. maybe less.</p>
<p>The RAs will be there, your student will have to go to a Hall meeting Sunday night where they review the dos & don’t of dorm living.</p>
<p>There are tables set up at the entry points during the day…
If for some reason you need a RA in the Honors dorms they have a desk in the clubhouse.</p>
<p>Ha, Mike, that’s why you have a male screen name! Plus, you have a girl. Dads worry about the girls and moms worry about the boys.</p>
<p>But seriously, back on track. Thanks for the info, guys.</p>
<p>Montegut - we’ll also be checking into Riverside WEst at 10:00 on the 8th. Our sons will have company working out the AA, dining, … logistics. Mine will show me again how self sufficient he is since Dad and I are on a plane that evening. Unload, unpack, (prep list for first care package), goodbye.</p>
<p>Oh, socal, so glad to hear that. I am contemplating just heading home that evening, too. He’ll be having so much fun, he won’t want to go shopping. I guess there’s vending machines in the dorm if he gets thirsty or hungry if we don’t make it to the grocery. He’ll have his action card for the meal plan and bama cash for eating out. As long as he has enough clean clothes for the week, I guess he’ll be set. </p>
<p>Now, if I can only convince Daddy of this.</p>
<p>Yup, time to cut the cord. Our son moves into Ridgecrest West at 8am on Aug 8 and we’ve got to depart for Birmingham to catch our flight home around noon. Necessity is the mother of invention. Our kids will do fine. They’re smart and have one another.</p>
<p>Your son can always walk or take the bus to Publix when he has time and Arby’s is open 24 hours should he want hot food at 2am.</p>
<p>Worrying is natural and is to be expected during what is a significant milestone in you and your child’s lives. Your college students will do very well, I know it. If any problems arise, they have your cell phone number and there are many people on campus that they can ask for help.</p>
<p>I want to second what Sea_Tide has said. Your child will have your number. Encourage him or her to call, because he or she could be a little lonely, especially at night when one is tired.</p>
<p>My son called me every night during Alabama Action. He wanted to tell me what he did that day, about the people he met, where he went for dinner. He worked in a school’s media center during AA and loved it. He joked one night that if he were asked to shelve books, he would have – he had been doing that in my media center for many years. Another night, he called because he could not locate something. He knew it was packed, but could not find it. I knew where it was. </p>
<p>At the end of Alabama Action, he had met awesome kids, including Sea<em>Tide (they had a couple of classes together) and Mesquite girl</em>24. He also met his girlfriend, who will serve as a student leader this year for AA. </p>
<p>Kids become resourceful very quickly. If their suite mates have cars, they will be tagging along to Target or Wal-Mart or the mall. They learn about Yogurt Mountain the first week, I can assure you. They often become regulars at midnight at IHOP. They also learn that everything does not go perfectly, because this is an imperfect world. But, as parents, we need to remind them that we love them, we are proud of them and we know that they will be successful.</p>
<p>For some reason I am so zen about D leaving for UA; I am usually a world class worrier 
She is excited & ready. We’ll drive down either Saturday evening (& stay with friends in Birmingham) or very early on Sunday morning, help her move in and leave by mid afternoon since AA will be starting. 2 of her roommates will be arriving around the same time, so she’ll have company and from everything I’ve heard AA gets them busy right away.</p>
<p>I think part of the reason why I’m so calm is that I know we’ll see her Family weekend. If there’s anything she’s forgotten or still needs, it’ll only be a little while till we can drive it down. Plus the child knows Target (& Publix) like the back of her hand. She can shop!</p>
<p>Thanks for the words on encouragement, momreads. Son was very sweet and made similar calls during Bama Bound. Just wanted to let us know he was okay, I think.</p>
<p>I have had those, Where is such and such calls when he’s gone on enrichment programs and retreats, and I’m sure I will have similar ones while he’s at Bama.</p>
<p>I can relate some funny stories, but I won’t embarrass him or me on this public forum, but let’s just say, there have been some amusing Where is such and such, phone calls from hundreds of miles away.</p>
<p>I too have gotten the “where is …?” questions. AA Does keep them very busy. I recall my son calling home after 9PM because there was something going on every night. </p>
<p>Midway through Spring semester I got a call from my son in the middle of the day. There seemed to be excitement in his voice. I quickly asked if everything was OK. He went on to tell me that he was walking across campus to his next class and saw a mom and her son on a campus tour. He said it brought back fond memories of he and I only one year earlier. He said “I just called to say I love you Mom. Thanks for your persistence and making me visit UA. I love it here!”. WOW, he made my day!</p>
<p>Malani, monte, socal and the rest - DS will be moving into Ridgecrest West Sat. at 4 (but staying at the hotel), then after the Sunday morning getting settled I assume hubby will leave around noon - so all our kids will quickly earn to fend for themselves and I am 100% confident they will ALL handle it much better than we will :)</p>
<p>mom3 ^ that is such a sweet story!</p>
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<p>Having dropped off a daughter 2 years ago, I am 100% confident that you are right, AL34.</p>
<p>Sounds like we’ll have a great group of kids moving in that weekend, and I know they’ll be a great support system for each other.</p>
<p>When my son arrived on campus on Sunday for Alabama Action in 2008, he arrived using the Airport Shuttle - Birmingham Door to Door. Housing confirmed that the Package Delivery Service in Paty Hall would be open until 2PM on Sunday. As soon as my son got his keys to his room and dropped his his carry-on and large roller duffle, he high tailed it over to Paty Hall to retrieve the items shipped ahead of time and the items he purchased on line (bedding/all the extras/shoes/printer/TV-Monitor/fan). One of my shipments had a collapsible hand cart I purchased at Sam’s Club for $25 and bungee straps. My son knew which package had the hand cart and bungees, opening it at Paty Hall. He was able to move his boxes without having to carry them plus it cut down on the number of trips back to Paty Hall.</p>
<p>*If you do decide to ship all the misc. items ahead of time, have your student know what and why you are packing. They may not even realize all the little things you can pack that will make their transition to dorm living a piece of cake. Otherwise, you may get lots of calls that start with…“hey Mom/Dad…did you send me any…?” : )</p>