<ol>
<li>Has anyone received their date for Orientation? Do parents go with the kids to the Orientation? Do the kids really need to be there at 8am, and if so, is there a hotel nearby?</li>
<li> Do parents stay over when we drop them in August?</li>
<li> When is parents weekend? Do we need to book hotels now? If so, which hotel?</li>
</ol>
<p>orientation letters should be going out in the next week or so. I called last week and asked. Also, they will be on my blue hen site in the next week or two. Orientation is only one day, and there is a program for parents.
We are coming from far away, and plan on staying for a couple of nights for move in…
Parents weekend is Oct 5-7th. You should make reservations for both now. There is a new Sheraton hotel in south wilmington, not downtown wilmington. Looks nice. Marriot on campus is already sold out for both. </p>
<p>Hope that helps…</p>
<p>You should be contacted soon by UD regarding the date your child is scheduled for NSO. Generally the dates run from mid-June thru the 3rd week in July. There is a separate component for parents in the NSO so many, if not most, parents do attend (most people find this helpful to varying degrees, but it is not mandatory). Registration is from 8:00 to 9:00 am. Continental breakfast is provided during this time (in the past Honors Program students have had a separate breakfast/orientation meeting during this time so if in the Honors Program you would need to be there earlier). The formal Program starts at 9:00 with a welcome address by the UD President. Local hotels are identified in the Parents/Visiting sites on the UD website. Some people have found cheaper rates by going thru Priceline or similar sites.</p>
<p>In August once you have unloaded your child I would recommend “getting out of Dodge” as soon as possible. I realize this can be tough for some parents but students need to begin to interact with the other students in their dorm asap. This will help ease the transition to living at the school. This is just my perspective but I believe a lot of other parents would agree with me.</p>
<p>The dates for Parents weekend will also be noted in the Parents website. Because of the numbers attending it probably would be a good idea to make reservations as far in advance as possible once you are sure you plan to attend. Hope this info is helpful. There is an NSO website which can provide you with extensive details about what is included in the day.</p>
<p>Not sure if this helps anyone but on Groupon today the Sheraton which is not a far drive from U.D. - has a special $99 stay for two - [Sheraton</a> Wilmington South Hotel Deal of the Day | Groupon Philadelphia](<a href=“http://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-sheraton-wilmington-south-hotel?utm_medium=email&utm_source=channel_getaways-deals&sid=11169633&user=58a51f7059b9912c973f80cc8b4f19d366bc96a66b7ba090a19d073874da0c1b&utm_campaign=11169633&s=body&d=ga-sheraton-wilmington-south-hotel&p=8&c=deal_button]Sheraton”>http://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-sheraton-wilmington-south-hotel?utm_medium=email&utm_source=channel_getaways-deals&sid=11169633&user=58a51f7059b9912c973f80cc8b4f19d366bc96a66b7ba090a19d073874da0c1b&utm_campaign=11169633&s=body&d=ga-sheraton-wilmington-south-hotel&p=8&c=deal_button)</p>
<p>Fyi that Sheraton is in New Castle.</p>
<p>I just mapquested it and it looks like its only a 20 minute drive from that Sheraton to the campus</p>
<p>There are also several hotels over by the Christiana Mall - about 10 minutes from campus. Hilton Garden Inn, Marriott Courtyard, and others that level.</p>
<p>I agree with the “get out of Dodge” on move in day. We were in Newark for about 4 hours, if that long. Enough time to drop off and assist with the moving in, had a quick lunch in the dining hall, went to the bookstore (Lieberman’s) to pick up the books that were pre-ordered, then left. I can’t think of what anyone would do there for much longer than that. I suppose some folks take a drive to Target or Costco, etc.?</p>
<p>I was wondering how the move in goes… do they have students there to assist in the move in? My friend was saying her daughter’s school in PA has a system where you pull up and unload and there are kids there to assist you. Any idea how it works at UD?</p>
<p>I was planning on helping my daughter unpack/set up. Is this done? Or let’s put it this way, she is planning on me being there and helping! I know she’ll want to clean this room herself before moving in and wipe down all the furniture. Just trying to get an idea of exactly when to “get out of Dodge” lol… I want to try and get it right between not leaving her too soon and not staying too long! :)</p>
<p>we live about 2 hours away and I booked a room for the night before move it but plan to drive home on move in day.</p>
<p>There are a lot of students available to assist with moving in but with all the students moving in there may be a little wait to get help. I agree with momof2giants. You certainly can help your D clean and set up her room, get any last minute items she forgot locally if necessary, maybe grab a bite to eat, but then I would recommend leaving (after the tearful goodbyes). Students do seem to adjust better if they can begin to interact with their dormmates asap. This will allow them to establish friends who can serve as a support system for each other to help them cope and adjust to their new lifestyle. Believe it or not many students look back on this first move-in time (with the establishment of new friends) as one of their fondest memories of college. It is like a rite of passage, even though it can be very stressful and hectic. I still have fond memories of helping my D move in for the first time way back in 2006 (not so much for subsequent move-ins). Best of luck to your D with her first move in.</p>
<p>One more thing. I think that a good gauge of when it is time to leave is when the thought (“is it time to leave”) first pops into your mind once the student has completed the move in process.</p>
<p>lol! thank you! sounds like my time plan should fit into the acceptable amount of time to be there. I def agree they have to settle in and start meeting people asap! Not sure how it will go, if she will be clinging or giving me the death stare to get out! lol! </p>
<p>Originally she was going to go to school in florida, so I planned on staying for a few days just to make sure she was settled… (not “with her” but visiting relatives) and I’d stop in before flying home to be sure she didn’t need a trip to the walgreens or target, etc… before heading home. When i told her we were going home the day she moved in, she almost died! You’d have thought we were leaving her alone on the side of a highway or something. I was like… “uh, we’re 2 hours away, we’ll be seeing you soon.” lol…</p>
<p>There are a lot of welcome team members helping on move-in day. There are tables set up and refreshments available in various places. It is crowded and hectic, but it all gets done. Freshmen have a lot of activities – a booklet packed with activities will come out over the summer. Parents really need to leave when the students are getting ready for the first activity, at the very latest.</p>
<p>Regarding move in, you might want to factor in time to help set up their room. The beds can be configured to different heights to allow storage underneath or even a desk under arrangement. But it will take a hammer (even better a hard rubber mallet) (better yet, bring the whole tool box). And your child will probably want a trip to Target or similar store of your choice for plastic storage draws, extensions, bulletin board, glue-on wall hooks etc. etc. My Del D was the last of 3 kids I moved into a dorm and I thought I knew everything that would be needed and did a pre-shop, but of course there were still things needed.</p>
<p>There are a number of programs set up by campus groups which will require/allow your child to come in and move in a day or two early. My D attended one offered by Hillel.I heartily recommend it, so that you can move in more easily, shop easily and you can all relax together or have your child begin to get acclimated while everyone else is running around in the crowded melee.</p>
<p>Moving in a day or 2 early sounds appealing - does anyone know of any other programs that would allow for this?</p>
<p>there are 2 leadership programs that they started last year where students can move in early. quest is a 3 day program where you do service activities, leadership training, etc. And you live on campus. Summit is one where you go backpacking on the appalachian trail for a few days. I believe you can move in beforehand. Or if you really wanna move in early, you can always pay $75 per night.
also, there are “arrival survival” teams of upperclassmen to assist with move in. (I’ll be there bright and early move-in day to help out!)</p>
<p>Based on my experiences, the UDel move in is very well organized. It also helps that there are multiple bookstores, and that the academic campus is compact. Finding the student’s classrooms is a breeze … especially compared to some of the spread-out flagships where it might be a mile or more from Chemistry class to History class. One trouble spot is discount stores. Walmart/Target/etc are located away from campus. Getting DD some “forgotten” items for her room delayed our departure several hours.</p>
<p>Wish they’d have those programs when I started! There is a Target at the mall now so that’s much better than driving to Wilmington for a Target.</p>
<p>also, its pretty easy to get to christiana mall and target from campus. I believe the dart bus is about $1.25 round trip. It’s pretty easy to navigate.
plus- UD buses all of the freshmen to target one of the first nights</p>