Countdown to O Week

Dun-the new students are lucky to have you.

Thanks @DunBoyer for the campus update! We appreciate all that you do and look forward to being there.

A couple of questions:

  1. I understand move in at 9:00 am, but when do people starting lining up?
  2. If you’re ubering or taxiing, is residence check in on a different queue?

We started the pilgrimage from Philly area today. We’ll spend the next two days in Northern Indiana until early Saturday morning and then drive on into HP.

Weather forecast looks great. My son is psyched to start the adventure.

We were going to drive up from Kansas City area on Friday, but we’re so excited we decided to leave Thursday night to get there a little earlier on Friday so we can check out campus and scope out places in Hyde Park like CVS, grocery, el stops, etc on Friday afternoon (plus see how far I-House really is from Cathey, lol.)

Spent today making sure all the laundry is done and wondering how everything will fit in the car! I’ve been glad to have some time these last few days to hang out with DD doing mom/daughter stuff like pedicures, BBQ for her “last” dinner in KC, movies, etc.

Sooo happy the weather in Chicago looks cool for the foreseeable future. (My DD’s twin brother has been at Ohio State for the last 5 weeks, much of which has been very hot – they brought in those HUGE round industrial fans to move air through the non-A/C dorm, but even so, I heard about kids with asthma whose parents were putting them up in hotels on the hottest nights.)

I’m really excited for all the freshmen and their parents! It has been a looong summer. My kids graduated May 12 and most of my DD’s friends are long gone, so we are READY to go.

Arriving at 8:45 am might be worth your while. Arriving at 8:00 am probably isn’t.

The lines will be long most of the morning, but if you’re here around or before 9:00 the wait shouldn’t keep you from arriving on time for other stuff and arriving early on for lunch (before the lunch lines get massive and stay that way).

The move-in guides (links are to the right of “Maps & Directions”) are here: https://housing.uchicago.edu/prospective-students/move-in-information/

They have instructions on a specific unloading point for each dorm. Any special instructions for taxis will be there as well.

It’s D-1 for us. It was buzzing in our household too. We did laundry today, S packed everything, and we had a favorite meal. We’re flying in to Chicago Thursday (technically today!) afternoon and then have dinner at Hyde Park. We’ll spend Friday doing some last minute miscellaneous things like getting some toiletries for his dorm room, school supplies, etc. and scope out either Hyde Park or other parts of the city. We’re so looking forward to it!

I’m legit crying. It’s the last night I’ll get to hear him shouting in his room at his friends on his xbox. Is this all the time I get him for?

@uocparent I totally get it! I sent off one twin daughter almost a month ago and that was hard. I am so excited for this U of C group, but time always seems to crawl until it races too fast.

We’re flying to Chicago today. DS finally got into gear and shipped a few boxes of belongings, so I guess he won’t be a member of the sleeping rough club.

Happy trails everyone! Be sure to report in throughout the weekend!

@uofcparent - no worries. The 10 weeks fly by very quickly. Also, the dorms close for Spring Break (excepting some of I-House in the past . . . but seriously wondering about this year on that one!). Anyway, you’ll get to see your son an extra week then too.

Son and I are driving (15 hours - yuck) - leaving this AM and husband will fly out tomorrow. I can’t believe how packed the car is (and we sent quite a bit), I have a feeling I’ll have some coming back home with me!

Thank you all for the great info - excited and nervous…just hope the transition isn’t too difficult for him.

Best wishes to all of you! What a wonderful adventure to start!

Good luck and safe travels to all of the First Years and their families!

My husband and I just returned from moving in our DD so that she could begin her O-Aide duties. The campus is looking good, and the staff and students with whom we spoke are all excited to welcome everyone. I lost count of how many people wished us a Happy Move In Day as we carried our daughter’s things to her room.

I will offer a word of warning to those moving in to BJ and South. The parking situation was the worst we’ve seen in three years. During spring move out, we ended up parking at the Law School, but that is no longer an option due to construction. The south side of E 60th St (the side right in front of BJ) has No Parking signs posted with dates that include the weekend. I have seen how crazy the street gets on moving days, so I understand the need to keep the road less congested for city buses, shuttles, and emergency vehicles. I would encourage families to come earlier rather than later, because you might have a little easier time finding parking after drop off/unloading. Plus you will have more time with your student setting up their room before they are sucked up into Orientation activities.

^ @NorthLeftCoast or @DunBoyer do you think this will be the same for regular move-in on the 28th? Or maybe even worse? (ie difficult to find nearby parking).

@JBStillFlying Perhaps @DunBoyer can double-check the signs, but I think the no parking extends to the 29th. I can’t predict what the 28th will look like, but I think you should plan on parking still to be at a premium. For you sake, I certainly hope I am wrong!

Our experience on Tuesday, which was just a regular day with no scheduled move ins, was an exercise in patience. My husband drove around for over 30 minutes in an ever expanding circle, trying to find a free spot. The staff at the front desk were going to move one of their cars to try to help us out. DD went outside and happened to see a car pulling out from their space on 61st; she stood in the spot until her dad could get back to it.

My experience has been that upperclass student move-in is less chaotic and congested. Upperclass students are maybe 55% or 60% of the dorm population, and have three days to move in - while first-years make up the other 40-45%, and nearly all of them move in during the same 5-6 hour span Saturday.

Parking in Hyde Park in short supply, but that’s true regardless of construction. Most of the time, in most ways, that’s a good thing, because the average parking spot is empty 90% of the time and takes space away from other things - commercial/residential development, parks, green corridors, etc. But it will be a little annoying during move-in.

^ Thanks. I think we’ll get there as early as possible!

I just came across this thread in the UChicago Reddit. It may be a bit late for all of you freshman and parents but it may be still worth reading.

CC does not allow linking to reddit. So just go the UChicago Reddit and look for the Incoming Students Questions Megathread.

The 4th year OP says that the Breckinridge House at I-House is the best house in the entire College. And Shorey is a close second. So for all of you parents whose kids get assigned to I-House, that may be a blessing in disguise.

the majority of the houses on campus have boosters that will tell you that house is the best house on campus. it speaks more to the strength of the house system in aggregate than any specific house

but that’s actually great news. no matter what house you’re in, chances are you’ll love it