<p>My mindset will be that DS is going off to extended summer camp. He will be back for breaks and a long month in December. So move-in day will not be the ‘end of the world’. </p>
<p>When he gets married…that is another, more permanent transition!</p>
<p>^^ It’s going to be a much bigger change for your DS than it will be for you, and he may not have the “summer camp” mindset. :)</p>
<p>In the instances that I am familiar with, it was not stressful because of leaving home and family but rather because of all of the many things that an entering freshman must do in an unfamiliar place.</p>
<p>If you’re going to cry, you’re going to cry, so just allow yourself to cry. My d will be a senior this year, and loves college, loves her life there. But on move in day, she was a wreck. I would probably have cried under normal circumstances, but she was so emotional that I was too busy dealing with her mini meltdown to bother about crying myself. I never for a moment doubted that she would be fine at college just because she was emotional that one day; sometimes you just gotta cry.</p>
<p>I’m moving into college this Fall and I have no idea how I’m going to react… good thing I’m only about a 2 hour drive from home.</p>
<p>Honestly though, I feel so much more prepared than I did after junior year. You’ll grow a lot during senior year and should feel ready to move onto the next stage in your life once graduation comes. That’s not so say that you won’t feel emotional once you move into college, but the summer before I doubt you’ll be stressing as much as you are now.</p>
<p>Extended camp is interesting.
My daughter has attended an academic summer camp that’s held, but not run, by the college she’ll be a freshman at this fall. It’s about 30 min from home.
This will be her last session and it’s for the middle 2 weeks in July.
School starts right after Labor Day. So she’ll have a pretty quick turn-around from camp to college.
I think I’ll be ok!</p>
<p>My daughter and I both sobbed through Toy Story2.</p>
<p>I am not looking forward to move in day, I will not be able to keep from crying. I know she will be excited to be there, and will be fine, and will probably shed a few tears too, but she will be ok. </p>
<p>But I’m already crying just reading this thread. I’m going to miss her terribly. If I were your mom, you would definitely want me to stay home.</p>
<p>I found on the actual move in day there was too much going on to worry much about leaving your parents and starting a new life. In my experience it wasn’t until a few weeks later when you have a bit of spare time that it really sank in. If you’re worried you could decide in advance that you’ll visit home for a weekend after some set amount of time (2/3/4/8 weeks). That way you can look forward to it but not feel guilty that you’re running away from college. By the time it comes around you’ll probably be too involved in your life on campus to be thinking about it. There’s bound to be a few bumps at the beginning but a few months in they’ll all be totally forgotten.</p>
<p>^Good idea. I told D that she can come home for a long weekend or whenever 30 days in. Or I can come down there (if she can’t get away) and she can have dinner with me and stay at my hotel – sort of like going home but home is coming to her. Some kind of escape valve so you don’t feel like you can’t go home til Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>When my daughter decided her #1 choice was 30 min from home, I told her if you get accepted and go there, you have to act like your 300 miles away from home. You don’t get to come home till Thanksgiving.
She said, why would I come home? I’ll be hanging with my cool new friends!</p>
<p>Well, I did move away from my parents during my sophomore years. I stayed with them for a year because my university is just a 2 hour commute and I felt that I could do it and I didn’t want to separate with them yet. But, I got sick on the first semester and the long commute took its toll. So we decided that I move out during my second year. It was the best decision I made. Not because there were no more sisters to fight, but I had more time to enjoy my college life and met wonderful teachers and friends along the way that made the whole four years perfect.</p>
<p>Move in day is tougher on the parents. The excitement of new friends, orientation activities, etc. sweep the student into campus life. Mom and/or Dad just have the trip home in a car that’s empty both of stuff and someone who’s been living with them for 18 years.</p>
<p>Parents can be a great help on move in day, and not just with hauling stuff up steps. They have the vehicle (and credit card) to facilitate a quick trip to Walmart for forgotten items or things that were too bulky to transport. Maybe even a last “free” meal, too, if things are slow in the dorm. But, as much as you want to make that time together last, when you get that, “Are you still here?” look, it’s time to go. :)</p>
<p>@ LasMa, Post 42 - “It’s going to be a much bigger change for your DS than it will be for you, and he may not have the “summer camp” mindset.”</p>
<p>Probably not - you don’t know me or my son from Adam, do you. He spent six weeks in a summer program last year and he said it was the best six weeks of his life. This kid is ready to go!</p>
<p>
I got one of those also … he’s still here physically but he’s not here; he’s already out the door in his head.</p>
<p>^That’s my D. She’s ready to go. It will be a looong senior year next year. </p>
<p>Re: OP’s question. Every person handles it differently. My s was mostly quiet during the days before and during move in. DH and I were the ones who were very emotional. I really didn’t cry until almost a week after when I walked into his empty bedroom at home. For the parents, it’s about saying goodbye and for the child, its not just saying goodbye to mom and dad, but hello to a whole new experience. It will be emotional. Roll with it…it is very normal!</p>
<p>When move-in day comes, maybe you’ll choose to go with the less emotional parent, or the parent who makes you less emotional. At this point (T-63 days and counting to move in day), it looks like H will take D to college.</p>
<p>Lots of stuff happening on move-in day. It’s not so hard, emotionally. But I did see a lot of parents tearing up that day.</p>
<p>I don’t see why it should be so difficult. And I don’t see why you’re worrying about this as a high school junior. When the day comes, you’ll deal with it. If you want your parents to stay home, that’s fine. Lots of kids move in without their parents, you’re not “robbing” them of any kind of experience. Just say goodbye at home. Or have them come with you. It’s a few hours of sweating and grunting carrying stuff in, maybe some orientation sessions, and a hug goodbye. Nothing to get worked up about.</p>
<p>There were no emotions in our 2 cases. None. Both kids are very outgoing and both love being at home and love meeting new people at new places.
On the other note, I cannot imagine you doing move by yourself. We have helped A LOT to both of our kids (S. and D.) on move in day to the point that I got huge back pain problem. You will have real problem if you do not let your parent help. And you will make them feel really bad. I do not know single case, nobody that were by themselves on move in day, all came as a family. Move in day is definitely “family” event, one that parents will not ever forget. Do not deprive them of that! Do not make it harder than it has to be. It is very physically challenging experience, remove emotions, it is hard enough. You need to learn to be in control of yourself anyway, so here is first practice test.</p>
<p>I live 2 1/2 hours away from home… on move in day, I moved in by myself. Unpacked everything in the car and carried it to my dorm. Yes, including the microwave and suitcases and all that heavy stuff (didn’t know a single person at the new college.) For my first term, I went home about every two weeks and talked to my parents almost on a daily basis, so it’s not bad. I’m done with my first year and I’m back to living under my parent’s roof until school starts again this August. Trust me, you will miss them at first, but will get over it real quick once you start making friends.</p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to drop a tear or two! We all get homesick at one point or another.</p>