<p>Hello:
Did you attend the Convocation and orientation events at your kids schools?
Did you think that it was important to you or to them?
At our sons school, he is able to move into his dorm on August 17, but the official move in day is August 22 followed by all of the orientation events.
We are going to be at the school to help him move into his dorm on the 17th and he does not think that it is neccessary for us to travel back for the orientation activites.
Any thoughts? (He leaves on Friday and I want to have this resovled)
Thanks so much.</p>
<p>The usual drill is that the parents bring the kid and get him settled, then say their farewells. The orientation events are for the students, not the parents.</p>
<p>The school should be providing him with a schedule, though, and that might shed some light on whether there's anything else the parents are expected to be involved in.</p>
<p>Some schools have "events' but it is mostly things like, let your kids be, we can handle it and so can they, etc. Nothing was manditory, however, how could it be? Its not like they take roll or anything to see if parents show up.</p>
<p>PS_ my D couldn't wait for us to leave, and frankly, I was ready to go. Hanging around with a child that is raring and ready to get started was the impetus we needed to take off.</p>
<p>D attended a Pre-Orientation program at her school 2 years ago -- so was due on campus 4 days before the official freshman move-in day and start of the 1 1/2 days of the parent part of the Orientation. Since she goes to school in NC and we're in CT, we had her fly down for the Pre-Orientation with just what she needed for the few days. (We had shipped all her bedding ahead via UPS.) Then H & I drove down with the rest of her stuff and attended the above mentioned 1 1/2 days. We were glad we went (H had never seen the school) and she was glad we were there. (Not that D ws in the least bit apprehensive about school, leaving home, etc. etc.) Convocation was pretty typical, but again, we all were glad we went. We met a bunch of her friends from the Pre-Orientation program, the parents of same, and really had a nice time. </p>
<p>That said, experience obviously varies from family to family. We didn't see all that many kids without some family members with them, and the ones that were "alone" seem to have been quickly "adopted" by their roommate's family for the duration.</p>
<p>Thanks so much. I do have the schedule. The whole university Convocation is first followed by individual school's Dean's Convocation followed by a Parent's Briefing. All of the other activites are for the students. He is already going to be settled, so maybe we won't miss much by not going.</p>
<p>CMU has the parent welcomes on move in day and after that there's a week of orientation with the convocation I believe towards the end of the orientation. The parents were expected to leave at the end of move-in day. Parents weren't invited to convocation.</p>
<p>The parent welcome at the School of Computer Science was about half material from Admitted Students weekend and half new stuff. I was glad my husband could be there so he could have the same good impression of the school I'd had in the spring. However there was nothing critical - some good advice about non-helicoptery questions to ask your kids about how things are going at school.</p>
<p>If you If you are going and helping him move in you will have the chance to see his school and take a tour etc at that time.</p>
<p>Last year my Ds roommate and several other students moved in early for a special program. Far as I know, none of their parents came back a week later for the parent events. I just don't get these schools that have more than a few hours of parent stuff, 1 1/2 days would have made us all nuts, to be honest.</p>
<p>Ds school had a football game, and some meeting under the afternoon sun. instead, our D took us around the campus. We didn't meet other parents, but that was okay. Our job was to kick start her new life, and move on with ours.</p>
<p>You are helping him move in, if it were me, I wouldn't go back.</p>
<p>We ended up going a little late for d's convocation, I think it may have been the day after move in. From there we were driving back home. There was the Freshmen class of 1250 or so and many, many parents there & we were lucky to find a small shady spot to stand in just as the ceremony began. I vaguely remember bits and pieces of the welcome speech, and from there the dean began giving a small cross section of the talent of the class coming in...A girl who volunteered in Africa, another who made and sold bracelets for charity, big time stuff...and then my daughter's name! Huh? They went on to mention one of her accomplishments from high school and how she was typical of the wonderful class coming in. Well, I guess it was a very good thing in our case to go to the convocation, it was truly amazing.</p>
<p>We would have liked to attend, but it just was not possible. But apparently D posted something in her school's Facebook group wondering if it would be unusual to not have parents there, and she was deluged with offers like this - "You can have my parents!"</p>
<p>I'm glad I was there. It was move in day. Parents and students were separated all day but, came together for the convocation. Then the new first years followed bagpipers from the chapel to the university gate. The pipers stopped and the students entered the gate without their parents...sort of a tearjerker moment. Like in the Pied Piper of Hamlin. The first years were greeted with all manner of merriment as they paraded en masse to a big field. There they posed together for their class picture.</p>
<p>There were separate events all day for students and parents.</p>
<p>I suppose it depends on the school. There were separate convocations for students and parents at D1's university. President Scott Cowan spoke eloquently about efforts to restart Tulane after Katrina. Wonderful stuff. That said, I wouldn't have made a SECOND twenty-two hundred mile round trip simply to hear it. JMO. YMMV.</p>
<p>Ha! Cottonwood -- it looks like you're describing the University of Chicago convocation, which is certainly pitched at both parents and students and is really worth attending. But I've been through two of 'em, and I haven't been separated from my student for more than 15 minutes at a time all day until the final division at the gates. What were those separate events of which you speak?</p>
<p>When we went to college all those years ago, were their events like this> I know at my school, not so much.</p>
<p>Parents dropped kids off and left. What is the need to entertain the parents?</p>
<p>Important? No. Fun? Yes. It's fun to meander around the college after your kid's room is all set up and he or she has basically told you to move on, because they are ready to move on.</p>
<p>JHS, clearly our experiences were similar! I remember following along behind as he (and she) got room keys, ID cards, computer stuff etc. However, having been together all day did not make the parting at the gates and less special. Your next piper procession comes in June if I remember correctly. Very special in its own right.</p>
<p>The UChicago convocation was masterful. A nice touch was having student volunteers pass out tissues to tearing up parents as their child walked through the gate without them to the cheers of welcoming students. (Okay, I took one.)</p>
<p>Oh, man! One more thing to add to the packing list, idad!</p>
<p>JHS, rmom, other Maroon parents</p>
<pre><code>Once his stuff was in his dorm, he headed off to some first year meeting or brunch. There was a separate brunch for parents. After that there was something across from Reynold's where organizations and clubs gave out info and freebies, there was food and music. After the convocation there was a light dinner outdoor get together for parents.
That gate moment, how can you not cry?
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