First time college parent seeking tips

Colleges and Universities A-Z Miami University - Ohio
1

Admittedly, I am new to this. I know zero. My DS is my first kid going to college, and he chose Miami! YAY, though Miami is 9 hours from home. I imagine even for those in state, it’s overwhelming to balance what to bring, what to buy local, how involved are parents in getting DS settled in, etc. Here are a few questions, but I welcome any advice you have for new college parents:

  • Freshman move in is August 24. (First day of school is August 28.). For an out of state parent, how long did you stay to help your kid get settled and buy last minute items, etc? Did you help unpack? Did you stay the night or longer in a hotel, or did your DS or DD kick you out after you dropped off the stuff?
  • Any tips on what to bring or leave behind? How did you get the stuff to the room? In other words, are there carts or anything?
  • What types of storage solutions do you recommend, under the bed or ?
  • Are there any organized events for freshman on or after move in?
  • Do you recommend buying the dorm kits thru Miami housing so stuff is already in the room? i.e. Sheets set, foam mattress cover, quilts? Desk lamp etc?
  • Are there any hockey players or hockey parents out there? What do you do with the hockey bag prior to getting the locker at Goggin? Any tips for hockey will be appreciated.
  • We just picked the dining hall options, and fear we over planned with swipes. Does anyone have a feel for this?
  • Oh and it snows in Oxford. That means packing winter stuff. Never mind winter. I can't think of that now. It's 85* outside.
  • What am I forgetting?

Thank you so much. We are very excited to join the Miami family.

2

@Materof2

Our son will be an engineering junior in the fall, so this will be our impressions from 2015.

  • Freshman move in is August 24. (First day of school is August 28.). For an out of state parent, how long did you stay to help your kid get settled and buy last minute items, etc? Did you help unpack? Did you stay the night or longer in a hotel, or did your DS or DD kick you out after you dropped off the stuff?

We flew in the day before and stayed at the Best Western – nice people and pretty reasonably priced. (We live in Phoenix and flew into Indianapolis; no direct flights to Cincinnati or Dayton.) In the morning, we moved in, met with his roommates and their parents, and figured out what else might be needed. There’s a nice Walmart just west of campus.

  • Any tips on what to bring or leave behind? How did you get the stuff to the room? In other words, are there carts or anything?

There are lots of on-line “lists” that you can look at. Most of the guys don’t bring that much, but some of the women seemed to have a full U-haul truck. Like we did for our other two sons, we bought a linen-package from http://www.ocm.com/ and had it shipped to the hotel for pickup.

They had a very organized student/faculty brigade to help with move-ins. They used laundry carts and made it easy.

  • What types of storage solutions do you recommend, under the bed or ?

We didn’t have that much to worry about.

  • Are there any organized events for freshman on or after move in?

There were a lot of activities. Beware of fraternity parties. Our naïve son got into alcohol trouble when he was egged on to drink.

  • Do you recommend buying the dorm kits thru Miami housing so stuff is already in the room? i.e. Sheets set, foam mattress cover, quilts? Desk lamp etc?

See above, I think the Miami housing package is through OCM.

  • Are there any hockey players or hockey parents out there? What do you do with the hockey bag prior to getting the locker at Goggin? Any tips for hockey will be appreciated.

No help here.

  • We just picked the dining hall options, and fear we over planned with swipes. Does anyone have a feel for this?

We did overbuy, but they did carry over.

  • Oh and it snows in Oxford. That means packing winter stuff. Never mind winter. I can't think of that now. It's 85* outside.

You could either pack it now or ship it later.

  • What am I forgetting?

Are you going to summer orientation? This will help you get a better idea of what to expect. Feel free to send me a message with any other questions.

3

@Materof2

I have a D who will be a junior and an incoming freshman. Here’s my take -

*Freshman move in is August 24. (First day of school is August 28.). For an out of state parent, how long did you stay to help your kid get settled and buy last minute items, etc? Did you help unpack? Did you stay the night or longer in a hotel, or did your DS or DD kick you out after you dropped off the stuff?

We are in-state, but we unloaded and unpacked a bit. We grabbed lunch (try Patterson’s if you can get a table), then went to Walmart and bought some last minute items. We left D and roomie to get settled. If you plan to stay in a hotel, make your reservation now. The Marriott in Hamilton is a good option too.

  • Any tips on what to bring or leave behind? How did you get the stuff to the room? In other words, are there carts or anything?

If you move in on the designated move in day, there is usually lots of help. My D decided to move in a day early, so we didn’t have any moving help, but it was an easy move in without other students around. You can move in early for a small fee.

  • What types of storage solutions do you recommend, under the bed or ? I would wait to find out your son's housing assignment. The renovated dorms have newer furniture and mini lofted beds with a lot of under bed storage. We purchase plastic drawers from The Container Store. D was able to fit a stack of 3 under her bed, plus the school provided dresser, and another type of drawer. There was room behind the drawers for luggage or other infrequently used items. We also purchased a folding, desk hutch from the container store that worked well with the newer dorm desks. These sell out early.

If your son is in a dorm without new furniture, the beds will have less clearance. Look for tall bed risers. The older dorm desks have hutches, I think.

  • Are there any organized events for freshman on or after move in?

There are many organized activities for freshman.

  • Do you recommend buying the dorm kits thru Miami housing so stuff is already in the room? i.e. Sheets set, foam mattress cover, quilts? Desk lamp etc?

We did not purchase the dorm kits. I have girls - the dorm kits were not what they wanted. There is a Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Hamilton which isn’t too far. There is also a UPS store in Oxford. You could ship and pick up items there. There is also a nice Target in Hamilton.

  • Are there any hockey players or hockey parents out there? What do you do with the hockey bag prior to getting the locker at Goggin? Any tips for hockey will be appreciated.

Can’t help with hockey. Be sure to join the Miami Parent Facebook page. Use the search feature to look for answers to your hockey questions. I’m pretty sure there were several discussions.

  • We just picked the dining hall options, and fear we over planned with swipes. Does anyone have a feel for this?

We are not a fan of the swipes! My older D was grandfathered in to the declining dollars. As of right now, younger D is going with the middle plan - 7 swipes/week with more declining dollars. I know they are renovating some spaces to add more buffet options, so we could re-evaluate. You can change your dining plan up until school starts (I think into the first semester.) Declining dollars carry forward. Swipes do not.

  • Oh and it snows in Oxford. That means packing winter stuff. Never mind winter. I can't think of that now. It's 85* outside.

You will need winter clothes. There is a nice outlet mall not far from campus. We bought older D a very nice parka there during Family Weekend her freshman year. No idea if guys wear rain boots or a rain coat, but they are definitely needed. Bean Boots are popular. Order now, they will be backordered by the time you need them.

Welcome to Miami!

4

Good recommendation for Pattersons. We like Skyline Chili, although it’s probably pretty old hat for locals. Mac & Joe’s has very good burgers/pub food with nice college atmosphere.

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@Beaudreau , thank you. You made me laugh with the girls bringing a UHaul. Thanks for the info, and especially glad there are laundry carts and people that help. I was wondering how we would fit a handtruck in the car.

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@Violinviolamom , thanks so much! On your recommendation, I called the Container Store. They said that July is their college sale month. You have to sign up online, and can get a 20% coupon emailed good for all purchases. If your student is with you, they even do same day text coupons, you just have to ask.

Great advice on the swipes. We chose the highest plan because we didn’t know any better, and will switch to the 7 swipe plan after orientation.

I just googled Bean Boots. Bean Boots at LL Bean have both a “shoe” style and a “boot” style. Did your D have both? How about the boys? Just wondering which we should order.

Thanks again!

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@Materof2 My D loves her 8" Bean boots w/Thinsulate. They run large, so be sure to read the reviews. Pretty sure the guys wear these too.

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Regarding winter, they vary considerably in OH. Didn’t get much snow this year, but some years it is quite heavy. So do get boots and a good coat.

Also, be aware that hanging things on the dorm walls is a little different. Most dorms don’t allow nails or adhesive hangers. But they have a gap/ridge where you can insert a “S” hook. Can get them at the Oxford hardware store. I couldn’t find them at home.