<p>No need to go to orientation. having not attended an orientation I have no knowledge of what exactly gets said, but tend to imagine that it is somewhat a regurgitation of what exists in the website, combined with the similar talks that we heard when they moved from elementary to middle school and then middle school to high school and some sort of cocktail party schmooze opportunity. Agree that everything you need to know is generally contained in the website. I like to “see” the campus as it gives me an inner sense of where the boys will be for four years. I’d have a hard time not physically walking the campus at least once. If you are helping with move-in you’ll have that opportunity.</p>
<p>Depends on the college. Boston College has a wonderful parent orientation, for example, and well worth the trip (assuming finances are not an issue). OTOH, orientation at my other kid’s college was quickly forgotten.</p>
<p>I would like to go to parent orientation because I want to hear the atmosphere of the environment presented for this class (not just an accepted students day). I want to meet other parents of freshman, check out the health center myself (I’m a nurse), meet some of the professors we emailed with face to face. I have never been to the school, only my husband went with my son for 2 visits.</p>
<p>So the experience is for me. It is not to connect somehow with my student on his campus. I don’t think my S would feel uncomfortable with us being there because he will be doing the student thing while we are with parents. </p>
<p>Parent orientation is a single day after move in day. The only time students and parents are scheduled to meet up is that second evening for dinner. I am hoping to meet his room mates parents face to face.</p>
<p>I went to college 30 years ago. Started spring quarter at a UC. There was nothing. No student orientation, no parent orientation, no meet up with other new transfer students. I survived but the whole process is very different now so I am looking forward to going.</p>
<p>Two kids. Each attended an instate public (different schools). I didn’t attend either orientation. Did go on move-in day.</p>
<p>I really enjoyed the orientation events for parents 
I learned a lot about the support systems in place for freshmen, and about typical problems students have, and shared some laughs with other parents during the Q+A with school administrators. I enjoyed the president’s speech especially when he asked the freshmen to stand up and give their families a round of applause for all they have done
So, although I really enjoyed it, I don’t think if I were in your shoes I would stick around for 10 days! It is nice, but not necessary.
Email the school to see if any of the info presented to parents is otherwise available.
Perhaps you can come back for a Parents’ Weekend if they have one?</p>
<p>If there is a team/parent orientation, I would go for that if possible because things might be a bit different for your son compared to the student body as a whole. Otherwise, do what works best for you…your son will be fine no matter what you choose to do.</p>
<p>While being embarrassed by how some (few) parents actually misbehave at move-in, orientation etc. does happen, my comment was not about this. Rather my observation is that as an adult I do not appreciate “drop-ins” at my home. </p>
<p>My parents always contacted me when they thought they might be in town at my away college to see if I wanted to get together. Sometimes I did and sometimes I didn’t. I feel that asking your student rather than telling your student when you are considering being on campus is a plus to the now changing relationship.</p>
<p>My comment was also made in the context of your question of “is it necessary” and the majority response of “no.” Candidly, anything the parents really need to know seems to be in the massive amount of materials most colleges send after the student accepts or on the college’s website. I too view the parents orientation as serving a parental pacification and baby sitting function.</p>
<p>My personal experince and that as a parent of a college student was that the “help” that is appreciated is the physical assistence (when available) of getting the student’s stuff to the move-in. After that, the set up of the room, the doing of the administrative filings, etc. seems to go just fine without the parents’ “help.”</p>
<p>Several years ago, we took our daughter to orientation during the summer, and they had a brief presentation for parents. They made a check list for what parents should be doing on move-in day. It went something like this:</p>
<ol>
<li>Drive your child to school with all their stuff</li>
<li>Help unpack their stuff</li>
<li>GO HOME!</li>
</ol>
<p>I loved it!! So true. </p>
<p>I pretty much think the only “orientation” we need as parents is where to send the check. ;)</p>
<p>In your case, Proudpatriot, I don’t think it makes any sense at all to go back to, or stay for an orientation 10 days after you’ve moved your son in. I’ve enjoyed the two orientations that we attended and still regret that we weren’t able to do the one with our daughter. </p>
<p>There are posts every year on this site about kids that tell their parents they are not necessary for move in or orientation, not realizing that it’s pretty much the norm for parents to attend both. In your case however, it makes much more sense to go to whatever sports parent orientation/welcome that’s going on and consider that your orientation. </p>
<p>Family weekend though, is something else that I encourage any freshman family to go to. At my kids small privates they had nothing to do with any sports event, and were just plain fun and it really helped to see that our kids were happy and settled.</p>
<p>
Will he be in his actual dorm room when he goes in early with the team? At some schools, the athletes are housed together elsewhere until the official move-in day. If that’s the case for you, it really might be better for you to send him early with a suitcase, and just come up when he moves into his actual dorm.</p>
<p>My DS is also going to school early. We are just putting him on a plane, and saying our goodbyes there. While it would be nice to get him settled into his room, it just doesn’t make sense in our situation. We are hoping to visit him as a family at a later time, hopefully when we can see him participate in his sport.</p>
<p>Hunt: It’s complicated. He will be going on the 9th for a camp. For the camp they will be housed somewhere on campus but not necessarily their room. The camp is for HS players and college players under 19 years old. It is voluntary, but as I am sure you know most freshmen will want to attend to make a good impression on the coach. </p>
<p>On the 11th they will be able to move into their own rooms. On the 12th official practices begin. We were planning on arriving with the family on the 9th and leaving on the 12th. Parent orientation is on the 19th. We weren’t planning on staying in town for an extra week. It sounds like most parents do not feel it is necessary. We didn’t think it was necessary but I figured I would check here.</p>
<p>Familyof3boys: How will your son transport all his stuff on the plane? I don’t think everything will fit in my son’s suitcase. At any rate we can save the money we spend by leaving a week early to go back for parents weekend (which is also homecoming). I don’t think my son will play much as a freshman but it will be nice to be part of the football experience.</p>
<p>I think your plan makes sense. In terms of helping him out, the key time is when he moves into his actual dorm room.</p>
<p>If there’s an orientation ceremony, maybe they’ll stream it online. I think these are nice, but not worth a week of hotel.</p>
<p>D’s orientation is in the summer. It is a large state U. She wants to go alone. This is kid 3 to go off and I don’t feel like I would learn anything I don’t already know. We both will go with her when she moves in.
With our older two we attended orientation when they were at a smaller school, when older D switched to a large school she went alone.</p>
<p>Proudpatriot, I plan to order him sheets, comforter, pillow, and towels online and have them shipped directly to his school. Also, I’ll send most of the necessary toiletries, since there are no stores within walking distance (and he won’t have a car.)
I expect that Amazon will be used as they offer free shipping. In fact, I am going to have him make regular stocking-up orders through Amazon for things like razors, shampoo, and even snacks. They pretty much sell everything, and the free shipping should make it easy.
Of course, this is my plan, we’ll see how it works when the time comes.</p>
<p>^^I am sure you will figure it out.</p>
<p>Did not go to parent orientation for kids and we were there at the time!!</p>
<p>Son1- he had orientation for the 2 or 3 days prior to school starting. We were there as it was a great town to visit. We did not feel the need to hear about financial aid( we had none ) or homesickness (Children went to sleep-away camp), etc… we did go to the wonderful parent orientation brunch the school had- it was like being at a cocktail party of a Bar Mitzvah. Enjoyed meeting our table mates form all over the US as well. </p>
<p>Son2- Had orientation over the summer for two days. The kids stayed in the dorm. They had their activities, day and night. We parents had some seminars. We opted out.</p>
<p>Son 1 graduated, son 2 will be a college senior. Looking back we made the right choice.</p>
<p>I would say that an attentive parent is unlikely to learn anything at orientation that he or she doesn’t already know. There may be, however, some traditions or ceremonies that you will enjoy if you have an opportunity to attend.</p>
<p>That’s really well put, Hunt. </p>
<p>Wellesley had a ceremony in which you entered as a family, but the girls were seated in the middle and we (parents) were seated on the sides - it was a very symbolic “we (Wellesley) are now one community - and you parents are certainly here for support - but we have their backs now and we are their community for the next 4 years.” Rumor has it that a poster on CC with the name pizzagirl quietly sobbed during this ceremony, but of course that’s just a nasty rumor.</p>
<p>Northwestern had the March through the Arch in which the students assembled, did what the name suggests and assembled on the picture-perfect meadow for a sort of opening ceremony. They also had a reception for the parents on the beachfront that was truly well done - water lapping at the edge, seeing the Chicago skyline at a distance - I’d of course seen it all before, but it made a huge impression on parents who were from elsewhere. Neither of these things were “necessary,” but they were rites of passage and I’m really glad I got to do them.</p>
<p>^^ I very much agree with Hunt and Pizzagirl. It’s about the rite of passage. Some schools celebrate that better then others. Roanoke had a moving Convocation where there were a couple of speeches and then each new student signed the book with a special pen that was then presented to them to keep. Afterwards there was a brunch on the green. There were also workshops, that at the time seemed pertinent, but now, 6 years later, I can’t tell you what they were about except for one. In this one workshop the speaker talked about how the college intentionally tries to connect the students to the school and to each other through several mandatory events. The first one is building a house through Habitat through humanity! [R-House</a> - Roanoke College - Salem, Virginia](<a href=“http://roanoke.edu/Student_Life/Community_Service/Local_Community_Service/R-House.htm]R-House”>http://roanoke.edu/Student_Life/Community_Service/Local_Community_Service/R-House.htm) The speaker said that studies have shown that students that are most likely to drop out, due so not so much from academic problems but because they are socially unhappy. Read the posts here in October and you’ll see that’s true!</p>
<p>At my younger son’s college late last summer, there wasn’t really much for the parents besides moving them in and a nice talk on the lawn, with a barbecue lunch, but there was a very poignant moment at the end where we were told to say goodbye. I kept my sunglasses on for tear-free pictures. Most families attended.</p>
<p>Yes, one can absolutely skip it, but for those of us that choose to go, don’t think it’s because we can’t bear to see our babies off and we’re clueless. The orientation’s and Convocations that I attended were both enjoyable and meaningful. YMMV.</p>