<p>Thanks, KaMaMon. I wonder if students actually use the service. Sounds like a hassle to have to go outside and to another dorm.</p>
<p>Son lives in Memorial and goes to Sutherland to do his laundry. It’s a short walk. He hasn’t complained about it. I’m just happy to hear that he does his laundry and changes his sheets. At least something rubbed off.</p>
<p>The laundry service is expensive. </p>
<p>Yes, will be happy to know it’s getting done. Sometimes, with the comforts of living at home now, it’s hard to envision that transition to responsibility taking place! I guess they all manage….</p>
<p>The laundry service is expensive, but we agreed to use it for our daughter who is an athlete and has little extra time. However, once you look into the logistics, you have to drop it at the main Commons desk at specific times, and it is returned at specific times…not on your schedule obviously. Rapidly it became apparent it was much easier for her to do her laundry in her dorm on her own time schedule. She has never had problems getting multiple loads done at once, and studies in the laundry room while waiting on the washer to finish. </p>
<p>For those that have to go to another dorm to do their laundry, it might be a toss up on convenience versus the service. </p>
<p>It’s a much shorter walk to the other house to do the laundry then the walk to commons. I also thought that the specific times would be a problem. S has found that the 3 hour break he has on Wednesday mornings is the best time to do laundry. He can do all his loads at the same time. There’s wifi in the laundry room and he takes some homework. The key is to find a time when the facilities aren’t busy. Which means no Saturday or Sunday afternoon.</p>
<p>You all are so helpful – can’t tell you how much we appreciate your time and knowledge.</p>
<p>Jumping ahead to Parents’ Weekend: We have the hotel reservations but are trying to figure out logistics of bringing younger sibling. (I know it’s early, but it’s fun to think about all this and plan ahead.) Do events start during the day on Friday, or are they not until the evening? Also, are there opportunities to take our students out to dinner off-campus on both Friday and Saturday, or just one evening? @momthreeboys – saw you went to Rolfs last year – how was that?</p>
<p>You can do as much or as little of Parent’s Weekend as you want. We ended up doing nothing associated witht e main Parent’s Weekend since the marching band has their own Parent’s Weekend at the same time. Next year I’m only purchasing the band package. We attend practice on Friday night, learned our drill for halftime on Saturday, attended a band barbeque before the game and attended the football game Saturday night where we sat with other band parents.</p>
<p>Son went to dinner with us on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. We did not get to spend a lot of time with him sense he was busy, but it was nice to catch up with him and see how things were going. I’m looking forward to Parent’s Weekend again this year.</p>
<p>@Sorrento-Rolf’s was amazing but Nashville is full of great restaurants. You can also look into restaurants in the Gulch. I loved Sambuca’s, Bar Louie and Cantina Lorado.</p>
<p>We didn’t bring our other kids with us for parents weekend but I certainly saw many other siblings there. I can’t remember if they had organized events on Friday. I know we picked up our name tags in the afternoon and then went out for dinner. We didn’t attend any on Friday. Our son had dinner with us each night and slept over at the hotel one night. </p>
<p>Thanks for the Parents’ weekend and restaurant tips…exciting to look forward to.</p>
<p>spoke with Vandy fin aid office since I didn’t yet receive the IDOC email, they said it was emailed yesterday, but I still haven’t received it, has anyone else?</p>
<p>I did get the IDOC email on 2/28. They also sent one to my son. The deadline to submit the documents is May 1 so you have time to sort it out.</p>
<p>My S didn’t receive an IDOC email. What did it say? </p>
<p>It was instructions on what documents need to be submitted and how to submit them. If you filled out the CSS profile to apply for financial aid you will eventually get this follow up email with instructions to send in copies of your tax returns and such.</p>
<p>So maybe since I already sent my IDOC and they should have received it, that’s why I didn’t get one.</p>
<p>thanks Momthreeboys…</p>
<p>@JRMAMA, I never got an email either, but I’ve already sent my IDOC as well.</p>
<p>Regarding parents’ weekend, the only organized even we ever did was the tour of hte athletic facilities, which was really interesting. Our Vandy D is not an athlete, but our S, who is still in high school, is thinking about trying to play a sport in college, so it was especially interesting for him. (Yes, we brought along a sibling, and it was nice.) Oh, and we also went to the Vandy football game, and that was fun. We don’t go to parents’ weekend anymore because our junior D is in a sorority, and they have their own parents’ weekend in the spring. It’s easier to go then–less crowded. Plus, we get to meet the parents of some of her friends in the sorority, which is nice.</p>
<p>This is my first child going to college and I have learned so much about Vanderbilt all ready. Thank you to all the seasoned vets for sharing your wisdom. My friends tells me that I need to buy my airline tickets for my son to come home for Thanksgiving. I notice that the dorms close on Saturday morning. Do most kids leave on Friday afternoon or do they still until the day the dorms close, Saturday? The ticket I buy is going to be non refundable and I am unsure when to fly my son home. Any advice from repeat parents?</p>
<p>Whatever is more convenient for you and your son. The dorm “closing” doesn’t mean your son will be kicked out or anything, so leaving Saturday is common and not an issue at all.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt runs airport shuttles from the Commons usually between 12PM and 5PM on that Friday, so that’s something to consider-- the alternative is a $25 cab ride.</p>
<p>I didn’t fly my first year student home until Sat. this past Thanksgiving and wished I would have had him come home on Friday. His dorm really cleared out Friday and there was no need to wait until Saturday. I also had him go back on Sat. which wasn’t necessary either. Most students didn’t get back until Sunday. Now I book him leaving school on a Friday and going back on Sunday. He’s on his way back now from spring break and I miss him already!</p>
<p>I would agree with Pancaked above–which ever is more convenient with you or your child’s schedule. My daughter has left both Friday nights and Saturday mornings, depends upon the cheaper flight; dorms do clear out but your child would not be the ONLY one left on Saturday. An alternative to the cab (many of which take Commodore cash in case your child forgets to hit the ATM) is the InShuttle van/bus which runs between campus and the airport for about $25 round trip, can be reserved online and has been pretty reliable over the past 2 1/2 years. Momthreeboys, my daughter is on way back now too–and I miss her already but am at ease knowing how much she enjoys Vandy.</p>