<p>Just wondering what parents'/students' experiences have been saying "bye" after move in day. And if you're getting ready for freshman move-in day, how is everyone feeling. :)</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, students join their Vuceptors for the beginning of their orientation around 4 pm (I hear Vucept activities may be different this year and, based on D's experience, this may be a good thing). Parents are invited to a welcome by the Chancellor and the Dean of Admissions in a tent on Alumni lawn late in the afternoon. I didn't do this activity for '06 S, but did for D last year. Chancellor's remarks brought a few tears to my eyes and food at conclusion of program was delicious - cool punch, refreshing fresh fruit, and other delicious nibbles. It was a nice way to conclude a day which brings many emotions.</p>
<p>I remember that it was hot, hot, hot in that tent on the lawn and though I love Chancellor Gee, I was afraid I'd pass out before he concluded his remarks! It was hard to say goodbye, of course, but I left knowing my daughter was in a wonderful place, and every hope I had for her first year was realized. It's a bittersweet time, but Vanderbilt makes parting as easy as it can be for parents (I somehow think the kids have an easier time of it).</p>
<p>We have to say goodbye twice--for Squirrel Camp and then Move in weekend.
:-/</p>
<p>on saying goodbye
2VU and Frazzled, did you say goodbye on Saturday night or wait until Sunday morning? We have a long drive ahead of us on Sunday and I figure D might like to start her first morning at VU with no crying mother. The newsletter says most parents leave by noon on Sunday but I think that's too late and it would be awkward for all of us. I am thinking this goodbye should be like taking off a bandaid real fast-it hurts but then it's over quickly.</p>
<p>VirginiaMom,
We live just 2 hours away, so my good-bye was on Saturday afternoon. With all of the cost of oufitting a dorm room,etc., I saw no need to pay for an additional hotel night and it was wonderful to sleep in my own bed after such an exhausting day! If you have the experience I had with S, you may never want to see your child again after Saturday afternoon. The year he moved in (F '02), there was limited move-in help (last year we saw many more Move Crew students and many,many more carts!) and he was on the top floor of Lupton. After many trips up and down the stairs (lines to catch the elevator are time consuming) in a hot, stuffy dorm (despite the AC, which was poor at best in both children's Branscomb rooms on move in day), S become fairly irritable with the whole process/family by mid-afternoon. All he wanted was a shower and a little time to be left alone. D was itching to go to Green Hills to shop and his cranky demeanor made it easy to part company and head to the mall! Interestingly enough, last year I shed very few tears when I said good-bye to D as she headed off to the Vucept activity. S went to the Chancellor's speech/reception with me and as I said good-bye to him, I lost it completely knowing this was his final year and we would be making a permanent parting all too soon. Thankfully, he was much sweeter than the freshman year as we said good-bye! Good luck to you and your new Vandy student!</p>
<p>VirginiaMom, we said good-bye just before lunch on Sunday. My d isn't much for breakfast, so we skipped the various parent-student brunches. We helped pick up her books at the bookstore (pre-ordering is great!), then chatted in her room for a while with the understanding that she'd let us know when it was time to leave. This was my second child to go off to college, and it was easier saying good-bye this time around, because I knew that the important connection between us wasn't going to change, even though many of the external factors would.</p>
<p>After about 20 minutes she announced, "You can go now," which is what she told me on the first day of nursery school, too!</p>
<p>Nice to know that you can pre-order books, there seems to be many conveniences at VU. In June we were told the schedules would be sent this week-hasn't come yet. D is a little concerned that she might have been too quick to take a math class after finding out she didn't have to take a foreign language. </p>
<p>I hope she will say something like "you can go now." How nice for you frazzled and 2VU it's good to know that even it goes sour they do sweeten up later. It seems Averagemom and I are in the same boat as first time college parents. Thanks.</p>
<p>Just a couple of observations you might want to know about book preorders. Last year when my son was a freshman, he pre-ordered books online during the summer. We had to pay with a credit card and could not use the Commodore Card cash (or whatever that account is) that we had already put into his account (planning to buy books with.) Had he waited until he got to campus, he could have used the Commodore Cash. Second, when he got to campus, he found some upperclass friends who were willing to lend him some of their old textbooks for the semester, so he ended up returning several of his books anyway. Not that preordering is a problem--it certainly is convenient--but it is not absolutely necessary. You might want to have your son/daughter check on book availability once he/she gets to campus.</p>
<p>We bought a couple of books on Ebay and Half.com.
I'm putting bedding into bags today. The living room is filling up with his stuff. Three more weeks. He's looking forward to it.</p>
<p>I was sad leaving my family, mostly because I knew I wouldnt see them until Thanksgiving (I live 9 hours from campus, so going home on weekends is clearly not an option). But once the VUcept activities started up and I made a bunch of friends, being homesick was the absolute last thing on my mind. I think it helped my parents out too, as they saw how friendly the upperclassman were moving all the freshman in. Im doing mvoe crew this year for that very reason!</p>