<p>Hi all - for those of you who have been through it any last minute drop off tips? Does it help to be early? How is parking near the dorms? How is the lunch or do people mostly go out to eat on their own? Anything you can think of you'd wish you'd known in advance? ( I wish I'd known our house would look like a Ikea warehouse for most of August :)?</p>
<p>Some random thoughts:</p>
<p>Being early would help with the parking. Scales has a little roundabout that you can drive into so that you’re right up against the door (makes moving easier). If you can’t get into the roundabout, Scales is on the corner of Paradise and Elm, and both have parking spots. The ones on Paradise are technically permit only, but you might try your luck and park there temporarily anyway. </p>
<p>It might also make sense to drop your stuff off at the house before going to CCI.</p>
<p>Move in day might be hot and humid, so you might want to open that window and get the fans going on high as soon as you get in. </p>
<p>Lunch is your choice; I’m okay about Smith food, but you might want to go out and celebrate. Regardless, the dining room is the only part of the house with AC. ;)</p>
<p>Last minute drop-off tips:</p>
<p>From the Parental Field Manual FM-101 (rev. 2004):</p>
<p>Okay, on the approach, slow vehicle to 15 mph. Baggage goes first. Support person in the back seat rolls out the suitcases and other containers, the heaviest and largest last so that they’re the closest to the center of the drop zone and thus will require the least schlepping to the ultimate destination.</p>
<p>As the last bundle/parcel/trunk leaves through the rear doorway, student in front seat turns and gives driver of vehicle a quick kiss. Support person closes rear car door as student then opens passenger door. N.B., student will be most likely wearing backpack or similar; it is recommended that female students stash their purse into backpack to leave their hands free, the arms-crossed-clutched-to-the-chest technique not being recommended. </p>
<p>Student should exit the vehicle with a strong lateral jump, angled slightly to the rear to minimize the net forward speed of impact. Proper technique includes knees being bent and outer arm extended. Upon landing student should slap ground with arm, absorbing the shock of landing along the length of the whole body while completing a roll on the ground. At the finish of the roll, student kicks feet out, extending out of the knees-bent position as student leaps to feet. Student waves goodbye to driver and support person, driver witnessing said goodbye in rear-view mirror and tapping brake-lights twice in acknowledgment.</p>
<p>Ha ha, TD, we will follow your instructions closely this Sunday since we have to turn around and drive ~7 h back, to get our younger kid to the first day of middle school by 8 am Monday.</p>
<p>LOL Dad!
Smithiegr - will we be able to get into the room before going to CCI? If we dropped stuff off in the lobby it would cause a major roadblock - at the moment I am doubting our ability to get it all in the car!</p>
<p>Theoretically, yes, since your HONS will be there to meet and greet you.</p>
<p>Hons don’t usually have keys to the rooms though, though they are sometimes unlocked when you arrive. Since you’re bringing your own car, I would just reccommend going to central check in and then moving in, it gets to be kind of a zoo at cci later in the day. But I totally recommend arriving early as possible, smaller crowds, better parking that’s closer to the house, plus if you discover you need or want something that was forgotten you have plenty if time for a quick run to target</p>
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<p>Now folks can appreciate why MA requires medical insurance.</p>
<p>upbeat, when my parents dropped me off five years ago they also turned right around to drive seven hours home - the next day was my sister’s first day of high school!</p>
<p>Borgin, and you survived to tell the tale! I’m sad to cut the cord …she is my first and very close to me. I will quit sniffling now and get back to making her fave dinner.</p>
<p>My mom says that the drop-off best when she starts home right away, and doesn’t spend one more night in the town where she dropped her D off at college. My parents just got back from taking my sister to her Midwestern college to start her sophomore year. :)</p>
<p>I have to say our house will have a lot more room - not sure how she plans to fit what looks like 3 rooms of stuff into her Smith room but at least I gain some room at home! Yeah to all movers that the weather looks good for tomorrow.</p>
<p>Anyone know typically how many outlets the quad rooms have?</p>
<p>It really depends, but I have three outlets in very poorly chosen locations. :)</p>
<p>Bring a lot of power strips and extension cords, or if you don’t bring them you can buy them at the campus bookstore. There aren’t a lot of outlets in most of the rooms or they aren’t in convenient locations, so you’ll want to make the most out of what you’ve got. </p>
<p>I mean, with computers, fridges, printers, clocks, lamps, hair straighteners, TVs, stereos, speakers, cell phones, and God knows what else, the given outlets get used pretty fast.</p>
<p>And there’s always one thing that will only fit in a specific corner, while all the power outlets are on the other side of the room…</p>
<p>My favorite were the rooms that had some outlets connected to the light switch, and you had to use trial and error to figure out which outlet it was. Not all houses have these wonderful rooms. :)</p>
<p>I had forgot about all the chargers! I don’t think we can face Target one more time so we’ll take some form home and hit the bookstore if we need more - BTW does the bookstore sell printer paper?</p>
<p>Probably. Acme Surplus downtown usually has some (and other last-minute school supplies at discounted prices) and CVS might have some, too.</p>
<p>Yep on the printer paper. Surprisingly, the bookstore has pretty good prices on everything except textbooks and clothing.</p>
<p>Good to know - we did notice the clothing wasn’t cheap 
That’s pretty typical for college logo stuff although we had to buy some t’s for her sister and grandmother.</p>