<p>I will be moving my son into his double room for his freshman year this Saturday. If we arrive first do we wait until his roommate arrives before choosing the bed, desk etc? I am just not sure, husband and son think first one gets first choice.</p>
<p>It would be very nice to wait and ask. It will help to get the relationship off on a good foot. Unless RM has told your S that he will be very late.</p>
<p>...if you wait for roomate you might just be wasting time that could be spent settling your child in. They might be anxious to be settled, and to have you off so they can be on their own and explore the campus. If some great compelling reason for switching beds/desks comes up, the roomies can settle it themselves and move their possessions.</p>
<p>It's perfectly fine and expected that the first one in gets their pick of the bed. I've been in a lot of roomming situations, and have never had anyone wait for the other person to arrive before picking things. Seems overly passive to me.</p>
<p>It also is time consuming to unpack, etc., so it's best to get started ASAP.</p>
<p>In addition, for all you know, the roommate may come in days late, which sometimes happens even if they planned to arrive on time.</p>
<p>in most doubles, there are exactly two of everything and it really doesn't matter. Forced triples are the problem usually.</p>
<p>Son #1's freshman roommate showed his true colors early on. When we arrived he had already set up on the least desirable side of the room. He then proceeded to help us haul of my son's stuff in. He is a great kid in nearly every way I can think of.</p>
<p>My son's school has A-M (that's us) move in at 8; N-Z (that's roomie) move in at 9:30. So I don't think waiting is an option. We'll just set up and let son rearrange later if there are issues. Part of the learning process.</p>
<p>I doesn't matter. Once you leave, they can bunk, unbunk, move furniture, loft, unloft...whatever they want to do. Frankly, I'd unload everything, put the stuff away, and let the two roommates work it out if they want to rearrange the room. Surely the room will be somewhat unrecognizable before long anyway.</p>
<p>At my D's school, there is an official policy that freshmen are not to select beds until all of the roommates are there. Her roommate actually arrived one day early and slept on one of the beds, but it was clear that the roommate had not claimed it permanently and was waiting to discuss bed selection until my D got there. I think that is a nice policy. </p>
<p>She had heard friends attending other schools scheming (some even lying to the roommate about what time they were arriving) to get to their rooms first to claim the more desirable beds, and she was glad not to have to deal with that sort of attitude.</p>
<p>Daughter's roommate moved in yesterday. (international student) D moves in tomorrow. Roomie emailed her immediate, telling her about the room, that she took the "up" bed, hoping it was OK. 10 minutes later, another email that she took the "down" bed as she wasn't much of a climber. I think they will work out terrific!</p>
<p>Just returned yesterday from dropping son off at college. He had exchanged cell numbers with his roomie who was also arriving from oos but arrived at the dorm for check-in before us. He asked my son if he had any preferences which bed,etc. he wanted which got the guys off to a great start. After my son arrived they moved all the furniture around anyway but that inital call showed a great deal of respect and impressed me that the boy was considerate.</p>
<p>My daughter's school requires students to be there at a specific time and be unpacked and out of the room when the roommate arrives. Thankfully, it's a double where everything is the same.</p>
<p>My d's school only requests that triples not choose their space until all roommates arrive. I'll leave it up to D about what she wants to do. And as far as she's concerned, if roommate arrives first & unpacks, it's OK - she really doesn't care, since it's a double.</p>
<p>At my school, we are preassigned to certain beds/areas of the room because they pre-program the phone jacks with our personal extensions. Of course, few students actually have landline phones anymore, so theoretically one could ignore the designations.</p>
<p>Our son moved in a week early because of a pre-orientation trip. I called roomie's Mom from the room, as she had questions about shelves, etc. and told her my son picked a bed, dresser and closet, but things could easily be switched around later. I think it makes sense to go ahead and move in because it will be less chaotic than trying to move in both at once.</p>
<p>I don't really understand how one bed can be more desirable... who cares? You sleep there, that's all.</p>
<p>^^^The lovely view of the adjacent cinderblock wall?</p>
<p>well, as far as one bed being more (or less) desirable -- the top or bottom bunk could be an issue. D has always shared a room with her sib, and always had the top bunk (well, since she could safely climb at 3 or 4), which she prefers because it gives a little privacy up there.</p>
<p>funny story -- I went on a trip last month and stayed at a youth hostel to save money and for the adventure of it. I'm old and a bit arthritic. When I got to my shared room, the only bed left was an upper bunk with no ladder -- had to climb up on a chair. I survived. It WAS fun. My roommates applauded me (in their own languages, which I didn't understand).</p>
<p>We stayed in Appalachian Mountain Club hikers' huts in the White Mountains this summer. The sleeping rooms are common rooms with bunk beds. I made sure to get a bottom bed, as I did not want to climb into a higher bunk. Some of the rooms had triple bunks and one of the rooms with a very high ceiling in one of the huts had FOUR beds bunked (with a ladder). It made me nervous just to look up at the young person in that top bunk of four!</p>
<p>Harvard actually asks that you wait for all the roomies to decide those issues.</p>