<p>I'm sure this has been discussed in the past, so apologies if it's redundant. I'm trying to figure out our travel plans in August when we drop our daughter off at school. It's a 5 hour plane ride away. Do kids usually just come with clothes and computer stuff and buy the rest at a Target nearby? And how long do the parents and other sibs stick around? I've heard you just get there, do what you need to do and get out quickly. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.</p>
<p>Here's a recent thread on this subject:</p>
<p>We're doing this for the first time too, and will be flying also. We will likely do some preshopping at BBB and have the stuff ready to pick up when we get there. We'll allocate a day to move in and another for shopping for other stuff if necessary, then a quick retreat. If things go quicker than expected, we just plan leave her in new environment and go off and do some stuff around town and on campus on our own. It all depends on the kid, mine is anxious to be off on her own.</p>
<p>We are only 3 1/2 hours away from D's school so we will be driving her. However, in your situation, I would say:</p>
<p>(1) bring the necessities--some clothes, the computer, etc.--that she must have the first week
(2) mail the stuff she doesn't need right away (make sure you contact the college for a correct address for your daughter.) This might include blankets, winter clothes, her coat and anything else that can be mailed.
(3) buy sheets, towels, a fan (if no AC), bedspread, pillow, lamp, laundry detergent, etc. at a nearby store when you arrive.
(4) leave the sibs at home, if at all possible. They can visit later. Goodbye time is for you and your daughter. Plan on spending just enough time to move her in, buy the supplies you can't mail and perhaps a little time for a meal and a walk on campus, depending on her orientation schedule. No prolonged goodbye, and please don't plan on spending the first few days near her school. It's time for her to fly by herself!</p>
<p>With student + 1 parent flying, you get quite a hefty luggage allowance too....4 suitcases is a lot. Most kids bring too much to school, and there is no room in most dorm settings.</p>
<p>Bulky items should be purchased in the college town.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, I'll switch to the other thread.</p>
<p>HSN:</p>
<p>How long to stick around depends on the school. My son's school had a nice welcoming ceremony (it had a name I can't remember), and we left after that was over.</p>
<p>In addition to the above, take a look at the schedule for incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>At my daughter's prospective college, the freshman have orientation- and registration-related things to do from almost the moment they arrive. The schedule is so jam-packed that I don't think parent-and-kid shopping would be practical. The only kind of shopping we'll be planning is shopping that would be done by the parent alone (where the student doesn't care about the choices), such as "Mom, can you pick up two more extension cords for me."</p>
<p>Our daughter has her own desk computer. We could pack it in the car for the first trip (12 hour drive) but she will be flying at the end of the spring term. How necessary is a computer? Will everyone else have a laptop? (I would rather not purchase another computer at this point.) Are there places on campuses to store stuff like that?</p>
<p>Consensus on the boards is for laptops. We (two uncles) gave my nephew a laptop for a graduation present. His intention was to buy it once he got there. There were so many computers available for use on campus it was months before he actually got around to it. My son insists he needs his desktop for games, but would like a laptop as a graduation gift. :rolleyes: Since he never asks for anything and 90% of his desktop was bought with his own money we are going along with the plan. I know for a fact though that there are kajillions of computers for public consumption where he's going. A number even have Linux installed.</p>
<p>Yeah. Lap top - especially for a far away kid.</p>
<p>Storage varies by school. Some kids store their stuff in a local kid's garage, some split a storage facility (those garage-door thingees), some schools offer storage...</p>
<p>At most campuses, a student who does not have a computer is at a major disadvantage.</p>
<p>A lot of the academic work is done on computers nowadays. The student who has to go to a library or a computer lab and wait for a chance to use a computer wastes enormous amounts of time.</p>
<p>Laptops are generally better than desktops because the student is not chained to his or her dorm room when doing academic work that requires a computer. This can be crucial in shared rooms or noisy dorms.</p>
<p>My son is in the real minority on this one. He has a great desktop and will not switch to a laptop. Our daughter OTOH, cannot wait to ditch her desktop for a laptop. That's going to be her college graduation present. Both kids would go to the computer labs when it got noisy in the dorm rooms. My son's pretty computer geeky and doesn't think much of taking it down and bringing it home for breaks.</p>
<p>Also:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=335251%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=335251</a></p>
<p>SpringfieldMom, you're my personal hero, since my DD is coming to your neck of the woods, and I do follow your posts and learn.</p>
<p>My kid has her laptop in place, our RT airfare from West-East coast is (gasp) only $200, and we have the BBB stuff in place. </p>
<p>That being said, I know there's tons of stuff I haven't thought of yet since she is my guinea pig and by the time my DS gets around to it, it'll be a science. :D</p>
<p>Wow...I've never been anyone's personal hero before (well, that that they've said it to my face, anyway). I'm honored! :rolleyes: Hope she enjoys Bryn Mawr...BTW the nearest Target to Bryn Mawr is in Plymouth Meeting, but the second closest is less than a mile from me! :)</p>
<p>Both of mine fly to school. We mailed a few boxes ahead, and bought some things there. Remember the dorm rooms are small, and then there is the question of getting it all back home, or stored. It's amazing what you don't need to cram into the room. </p>
<p>I wish I could remember which parent said this, but it is one of my all-time favorite quotes on CC</p>
<p>"If it doesn't fit in your car, it won't fit in the dorm room." </p>
<p>ie, leave the big furniture and large appliances at home. Just say no to the U-haul.</p>
<p>If you have a UPS Store in your hometown and there's a UPS Store in your College town, you're in luck. Your home UPS will ship and your college UPS will hold the Pks for up to two weeks prior to the day you tell them you'll be there to pick up.</p>
<p>If you order online from office depot, they will ship to the school directly free of charge. We ordered computer ink, paper, file folders (box to hold important files), all the desk essentials, etc. If the order is more than $75 (which it will be with printer ink and a few other essentials) its free. Save you a lot of hassle and packing.</p>
<p>Both our boys had to fly to school and our daughter will as well. We did not do the BBB pre-shop and hold and were glad we didn't. When we went to the local BBB (in St. Louis) it was a zoo. Long lines of people waiting to pick up and not all items pre-ordered were there or available. We bought the bulky stuff (comforter, pillows etc.) locally and shipped to school prior to arrival. Then all we had to do at the local stores was fill-in. All clothes were brought using the luggage allowance the 3 of us had..6 bags holds a lot of stuff, just watch the weight with the new airline rules. Excess charges can get expensive. As for computers, S1 pre-ordered and had it delivered to school, waiting for him when he got there and S2 pre-ordered and had it delivered home. He took it with him. I think we'll go the latter route with D. Less anxiety over whether it would be there when we got there. And yes, all 3 went the laptop route for college. S1 is now graduating and found out that he will get a laptop for his job. He now thinks he will buy a desktop for his apartment since he uses it for editing film footage and you can get more for your money in a laptop. Amazing how that becomes a priority when you're living on your own paycheck!
Good luck to all the newbies on the shopping for college route! Enjoy it. Even with boys it can be a lot of fun. Sure better that dealing with essays and applications!!!</p>
<p>BBB worked perfectly for us. We were at a store just outside Boston and you can imagine the number of colleges. Everythng we preordered was there. I was able to delete a few things and returned other items the next day. You will pay a lot of shipping charges if you piecemeal it. Also, it saves on the running around. My D was on a pre-orientation trip with her college and I was by myself. It was very easy to handle. We only shipped a few boxes with clothes and personal items she wanted from home, which I picked up at the school po. Rent a FULL SIZE Vehicle when you fly in. Make sure the trunk is big!</p>