<p>If parents can only make one trip freshman year, I would definitely skip move in and go to family weekend. If you can only make one trip in four years, I would go to Sophomore Family Weekend. The RA and a bunch of other kids were there to help unload stuff and carry it up to the rooms on freshman move-in day. Of course, a parent wants to try to arrange the new nest, but kids have varying levels of tolerance for such “interference.” :)</p>
<p>I really cannot imagine a parent sitting down with a student and their advisor at the beginning of freshman year. In the gentlest way, let me remind you that this is college, not HS. 
If your D is amenable to your input, you can discuss it all with her before and after.</p>
<p>I did eventually sit down and meet with my S’s mentor professor, but it was more a general social chat, with some discussion of S’s future. (The prof said he wanted to meet us during soph family weekend, but S failed to make arrangements. :rolleyes: )</p>
<p>All this was easier for us because we live no more than 3 hrs drive away from campus, so we always picked him up/dropped him off.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the information shared here! It has been very helpful and insightful. </p>
<p>My son is a '17 and we live in California. Are there any helpful travel tips for flights to make travel for our son and for my hubby and I more affordable? Can anyone suggest a credit card that either offers a great cash back return or free miles? There are so many out there and we don’t travel, so I don’t know where to start.</p>
<p>Also, I know most airlines fly into Boston, but are there ones that student seem to use the most with respect to affordable fares, flight options and luggage freedom? </p>
<p>I am hoping to book a flight for my son on an 8/31 red eye with arrival on 9/1 for his DOC check in. He will return to Dartmouth on 9/5 and make due with whatever he has packed in his luggage until hubby and I will fly in a day or so later. We will help him set up and this or that, but we want him to completely engage in the activities and process that begins when a freshman gets to campus. It is equally as important for my hubby and I to explore Hanover and embrace our son’s new “home”. It won’t be easy, but this is what we were striving for… a bright, confident, capable young man that will go places while never forgetting where he’s from. :)</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for any suggestions made!
Shanna</p>
<p>JetBlue was our kids favorite for the LA to Boston leg.</p>
<p>We love Southwest, as they allow changes without any penalty (although you do pay any fare difference). It really depends what airlines have the most flights from your home airport. We have also found that sometimes fares are cheaper to Manchester, and with the shuttle services, it is very convenient. I also use the Southwest Visa. Their point system for free flights is great, as they have no blackout dates or limits on free seats.
Also, Southwest does allow 2 free bags.</p>
<p>The United redeye was often the cheapest SF to Boston for us. Beware the Saturday night flight, however, since there is no early Dartmouth Coach on Sunday morning. Southwest into Manchester is more feasible now that there is a real shuttle service, but you still run the chance of missing your ride if the connection at Midway is delayed, while the Dartmouth Coach from Boston just runs and runs and runs … Not sure what the Manchester shuttle’s policy is with delayed flights, etc. Maybe someone can answer that. </p>
<p>I’m not a big fan of mileage credit cards, since there seem to be so many restrictions using them. As in, good luck getting a flight back to school at the beginning of January. Some people like Capital One. Ours was AAA (CSAA); now it’s called something else, but the cash back is decent, and I’d rather find my own cheap flights (and sometimes decide to pay more for a more convenient time) than try to deal with the “free” miles. </p>
<p>Get used to the websites: kayak, travelocity, priceline, etc. They’re often no cheaper than what the airlines are offering, but you can see multiple airlines at once – and we’ve gotten a couple of amazing deals on priceline. What dumbo11 said about Southwest’s 2 free bags should not be ignored. If son is traveling heavy, the bag fees can eat up a ticket price difference real fast.</p>
<p>never found southwest fares competitive from SoCal, but perhaps I looked in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>Plus, the bus connection was not there for my kid. Much easier to put him on the nonstop into Logan arriving ~ 5:30 pm, so he could catch the last bus to Hanover.</p>
<p>United Explorer Card through Chase enables one free checked bag.</p>
<p>Hey BIG GREEN parents, I just received a brochure in the mail from a company named “E&R, The Campus Laundry”. I realize college for a young student is a time to take responsibility including doing your own laundry and maybe for my DD it would be good time for her to do her own. She was raised with a housekeeper that did her laundry and was not appreciative IMO. I was always the bad guy in asking her to pick her sweaty strewn clothes up from her bedroom floor. Maybe this can be a learning moment. What are your thoughts? Is laundry easy to do on campus ie. enough machines to go around, having to wait for a strange dorm mate to clear their clothes from the dryer before you can use it?
Or would it be better to fork out the $525 yr to have it delivered at her doorstep weekly and be assured she’s not stinking her roommates out their dorm?</p>
<p>Hahahaha. Way easier (and cheaper) to do her own. D (who had almost never done her own before and still keeps her dirty laundry in piles on the floor) would actually have been embarrassed to use the service.</p>
<p>yes, laundry is very easy to do on campus.</p>
<p>It’s a great learning moment. Son had to teach many of his floormates the reason for separating whites from colors especially for new clothes. All dorms laundry facilities were easy to access. He did not know anyone using the service.</p>
<p>My D used E&R her freshman year. It was a high school grad present from several of my friends. Lots of kids on her floor used it. She has done her own laundry since then, with no issues except she let’s it pile up, so then it’s a real chore.</p>
<p>I was 23 before I learned why you do not mix reds and whites. It took many packets of dye to turn my favorite white bathrobe from pink to a muted gray. Go for the life lesson. :)</p>
<p>Now Im feeling a bit embarrassed to admit my "15 has used laundry service past two years and is sooooo happy he did. I told him, “We all did our own laundry in college and you should too! If you want laundry service, you pay for it!” Well, he worked hard the summer before, and he decided it was worth spending that $ on laundry service. Has pointed out to me a few times how the machines in his dorm were broken, many of his dormmates complained about spending so much time waiting for an empty machine, etc. Even though I wasnt willing to pay for this cushy extra, Im glad he decided it was worth it to him. I am happy knowing that he is wearing clean clothes and can spend the little bit of extra time on other things.</p>
<p>Hahahahaha. We finally have a thread with differing points of view about something other than the Greek system. Hallelujah! Let’s hear it for laundry!</p>
<p>Love it, Aboutthesame!!! And KnowNothing, I just received the E&R mailing yesterday. I’m thinking of splurging for her senior year. It will make me feel better knowing stacks of laundry aren’t piling up in her room.</p>
<p>@Dumbo- as much as I appreciate all the helpful advice from fellow GREENERS, I may have to err on the side of caution and splurge the 5 bills as well. I am afraid DD will let laundry pile up and the overwhelming stench will impact friendships. I am talking HAZMAT here!
LOL</p>
<p>fwiw:</p>
<p>a few years ago, a female Dartmouth student posted that she stopped using the service when she received someone else’s stained undies back in her return package. While she had a colorful description of the error, the short response was, Ewwww. :)</p>
<p>A little helpful information would be appreciated. I signed up for D-Pay back in early July. My question is how and when will I be notified as to making the first payment installment. Since I am not traveling to Dartmouth to help check DD in, I’m a bit concerned she may not be able to enroll since payment/s have not been sent.</p>
<p>DD17, you will receive an email notifying you whenever there is a new balance on the account. You can then log in and make your payment. Trust me, after 3 years of doing this, they will notify you! Enjoy the ride. My son told me he gets sad when he thinks about this being his last year there.</p>
<p>As I recall, the student has to authorize you as a user on the account, but, yes, never fear, they will bill you. It’s a very efficient system (although you don’t get a lot of detail on the bills), and I never had a single problem with the epayments.</p>