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<li> This is the most important of all - if you are staying in the dorm - ***BRING YOUR OWN PILLOW AND BLANKET! *** Imagine being stranded on an iceberg wrapped only in with a thin red tablecloth taken off the table from some cheap Italian restaurant. THAT’S WHAT SLEEPING IN THE DORMS FEELS LIKE. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.<br></li>
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<p>I have more but am too tired from waking up at 4 and 3 respectively literally freezing. </p>
<p>Also, I know there is a what to bring list but seriously, it’s so bad this deserved its very own warning.</p>
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<li><p>When you want to fill up with gas before you return the rental car, if you go a couple of blocks west there is a Citgo that will be 20 cents or so less per gallon then the Shell on the highway exit. There may also be a rap party at said Citgo with a lots of men in their early 20s hanging out offering to assist you with your purchase (that you have to pre-pay, no swiping at the pumps). These men may be smoking near the pumps and keeping their drinks cool in paper bags. But heck, who doesn’t love a party with drinks, smokes and loud music. </p></li>
<li><p>The Enterprise attendant may not ask you for your Entertainment book coupon, leaving it in place for another trip. Your experience may differ.</p></li>
<li><p>When you park your rented white SUV in the parking garage and pull through the space, someone may hit the back of it with their black bumper and you may have to use the school provided cardboard texture wash rag and your travel size bottle of shampoo to scrub the black marks off.</p></li>
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<li><p>If driving on the highway from Birmingham, expect to detour through a town as the highway to Tuscaloosa is closed at one point for construction. It is not closed in the other direction. The detour is at least a couple of miles but didn’t take too long. </p></li>
<li><p>Even if the rental car facility doesn’t do a walk-around on your vehicle, inspect it anyway. Otherwise when you return with damage that did not happen under your watch, they may try to charge you for it. </p></li>
<li><p>This is like preaching to the choir, but come with a proposed schedule. There were plenty of wide-eyed, semi-freaked out looking moms and students who had apparently skipped over that part of the BB instructions. Some were at my hotel the evening of the first day working on schedules at the computers in the lobby rather than enjoying the BB rec center festivities.</p></li>
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<p>I thought the sheets and blankets were adequate, although we did turn the temp up a bit in our room. The blanket I had was a lightweight white blanket. Maybe they didn’t have time to launder all the blankets prior to the next session…and had to use tablecloths instead. :)</p>
<p>I got real sheets, a real pillow, real towels and a lightweight white blanket at RCS. No tablecloths, although I could have put one to good use. I second leaving space in the suitcase for the accumulated t-shirts and paper. I was also glad I grabbed my GPS from the car and brought it along, because either the detour on the way from Birmingham was not marked or I totally missed the detour signs, and we had a scenic tour of the area beside the highway.</p>
<p>Beth’s mom, the detour was not marked. Better to have been delayed by that detour than to have been stuck in the fatal accident mess on I-65 near Birmingham on Wednesday. </p>
<p>I know I wasn’t the only parent who got the tablecloth for a blanket. Truly, that the only “bad” thing of an otherwise stellar occasion - but it was pretty miserable being so cold. I would stay again in the dorm in a heartbeat only with my own blanket. :)</p>
<p>^ Clarification - there was a marked detour that you had to get off the highway, but there was not - like we would have in IL - a clearly marked detour route path showing the way to get around the highway closure. </p>
<p>Maybe other states don’t do that? Not sure, I can think of some that do (IL, KY). That was the first time I’ve seen one like that without signs to mark the alternate way. Maybe I missed those signs?</p>
<p>There were signs on the back roads directing around the detour - but they were very hard to find…and you had to drive on faith in one direction until you found the next detour sign. The signs were there…but few and far between.</p>
<p>The detour is not well marked and requires some knowledge of the streets in and around Bessemer, Alabama. I’m surprised that ALDOT doesn’t direct drivers to I-459 and then I-65 to get back to I-20/59 which although 5 or so minutes longer, avoids having to travel on surface streets. </p>
<p>Class2012Mom, think of it as being paid to attend a party. In case anything goes wrong, there are almost always 1 or 2 police officers nearby.</p>
<p>I had no problem with the detour. Just followed the signs for route 20. It was just an immediate left off the highway at the detour, then a right turn about a mile down the road. Followed that road for several miles right to route 20 again.</p>
<h1>9. If staying in the dorm: be sure to make your bed up immediately upon arrival (and tell your student to do the same). I was given 2 fitted sheets - imagine if I had waited until 11 pm to make the bed and find that out!? ;)</h1>
<p>Bring a sweater or jacket to the parent orientation. It was freezing! Otherwise, everything was amazing. We didn’t stay in the dorms so I can’t comment on the table cloth:) I wonder if orientation is as good at other schools?</p>
In case anything goes wrong, there are almost always 1 or 2 police officers nearby.</p>