<p>I noticed on the USC housing something about the availability of laundry delivery. Does anyone know anything about this service? How much does it cost? Do a lot of students use it? My son thought it might be too expensive.
However, when you figure in the cost of detergent and the machines, maybe it is worth it?</p>
<p>I don't think many students use the service. I've never heard anyone talk about it, and I've only seen a laundry service van in the neighborhoods off campus on a handful of occasions.</p>
<p>Doing your own laundry is really not expensive. Washers are $1 and dryers are $.50. The machines are quite large and efficient, so it's easy to get everything done.</p>
<p>My daughter said on the price is $170 per semester. That sounds too cheap to be true.</p>
<p>I just found this (I think this is fairly new?)
Here are some of the services with Valet Today who partners with USC.
[url=<a href="http://housing.usc.edu/vtc.htm%5DUSC">http://housing.usc.edu/vtc.htm]USC</a> Auxiliary Services Housing<a href="Laundry%20Service,%20Water%20Delivery,%20Summer%20Storage">/url</a></p>
<p>Do you have to go to Ralphs to buy detergent or is there a vending machine in the laundry room? Is it easy to get washers and dryers or a long wait (my son will be at Fluor). The laundry service price is a little over $10. a week. Sounds reasonable if they don't shrink your clothes.</p>
<p>My first thought was that I really hoped my son would learn to do laundry while away at college. Why continue pampering him. But that's really not a bad deal, now that I recall how the boys I went to college with would have growing piles of stinky laundry packed into their closets! I like this part of the website: "Fact: When left to do it themselves, most students wash their sheets and towels ONLY ONCE A SEMESTER! "</p>
<p>Yes, I'm sure that "fact" is scientifically proven. Seriously, once a semester? I think the linens would reach a point where you pretty much have to wash them.</p>
<p>I don't know if there is detergent available in the laundry rooms. There wasn't any in the USC apartment buildings I have lived in. However, there is the Superior market just across the street in the University Village. So it's really not a far walk to get a large bottle of detergent for the semester.</p>
<p>My oldest graduated from USC a year ago, and after his freshman year in the dorms we had to throw out his sheets. My daughter will be a freshman in the fall and for $149. a semester laundry service does not sound so bad. She already does her own laundry at home, so I know she knows how to do laundry. My older son and his girlfriend had friends that used this service and thought it was great, so we are going to give it a try!!!</p>
<p>I've never had a real problem doing laundry on campus. As long as you don't go during peak periods (Sunday), it is easy enough to get a machine. There isn't detergent in the laundry rooms, but superior is close and easy to walk to. I have no doubt, however, that sheets are seldom washed. Heck, students have a difficult enough time with the vacuum- during move out yesterday, most of them were vacuuming their room for the first time since move in! A few had vacuumed once during the year- right before parents weekend! :)</p>
<p>When I visited my elderly parents, I did the laundry. Had to buy the detergent, have exact change, sit in a hot laundry room on a hot day and wait for a vacant dryer, etc. I am happy to do this for my parents. But, this brings back memories of having to be a student, wait for empty machines, time things perfectly so that no one takes my clothes, etc. Maybe it is just better to pay for the laundry service. We probably have all forgotten the hassles involved with laundry in a dorm/apartment setting.</p>
<p>Why do I imagine my S stuffing all his dirty laundry into a pillow case and bringing it home to wash when he runs out of clothes? Is this typical for local students to do? Frankly, if he tells me a few stories about college life and will run the loads and fold the clothes himself, I don't think I'll mind. :)</p>
<p>On son's hall there were only one washer and one drier but I just saw this yesterday. I think the service would be great. Actually maybe two roomies could go in as one. I can't imagine having $10 worth of laundry a week. I actually would expect my son to be too lazy to change the sheets let alone wash and change them. I threw away his pillow it was so gross. I think that sweat smell in Birnkrantz was also due to the fact that there was no air conditioning. Parts smelled like a locker room.</p>
<p>I would be afraid my D would not get her laundry to the service on the appointed day as well as pick up the clean laundry at the appointed day. It will still take the effort for the kids to strip their beds and remake them even if a service cleans them. They have "holes" in their schedules and can wash/dry during the week, during the day when others may not be using the machines.</p>
<p>My D was in Birnkrant this year as well and I do think the lack of AC during this hot year--both in the Fall and a few days in the Spring, contributed to pillow "grossness". My D says she did 2-3 loads of laundry every other week. She said she stripped and changed the bed but her pillows were much lumpier than usual. I do think the lack of AC is a big deal. I felt bad because she is in marching band and I know it was very hot out on the field and then to come home to a sweltering room was miserable. I could hardly stand it myself when I was in it last Fall.</p>
<p>During the worst part of last fall's heat wave, my son slept on the floor of another student in an air-conditioned apartment. Yesterday I wanted to jump in the fountain in front of the dorm. I would have done it when I was in college but my son said he would be too embarrassed yesterday.</p>
<p>Did your D like Birnkrant? We had a six hour ride home and I was surprised at the kids who were in Greek societies drunk every Thues night stories.</p>
<p>One reason my son wanted Fluor is because it is air conditioned. Perhaps those of you who disliked the lack of airconditioning in Birnkrant and/or other dorms could try to switch to the Radisson or Fluor.</p>
<p>I agree with you--I asked my D if kids jump in that pool/fountain and she just looked at me funny! ;-) During parent weekend on Thurs night, I saw the girls dressed up all "hootchy" and I was told they were going to frat row. I also heard stories of kids during their first semester, wanting to "try-out" new personalities that drink and party--but by second semester realized that that is just not who they are. </p>
<p>My D liked Birnkrant because it was in the middle of all the action with McCarthy quad and all. She enjoyed meeting all the people on her floor as well. She is going to live in A&H next year because of the AC and she liked Parkside food better. Also since it was an application process to get in, she and her friends went for the "sure" thing rather than take their chances in the lottery because their other choice was Webb Tower. The rumor is that Webb Tower fills up within hours of the lottery opening.</p>
<p>TeachernMom:
Is the application for A/H that sophs/juniors do the same as the one the freshmen submit? Do they submit applications before the incoming freshmen do? By "sure" thing, do you mean they are guaranteed a room with the application if they want a room at A/H?
My D is an incoming freshman and will live at A/H which she likes a lot. She is already looking ahead to soph year (+ I would feel more secure if I knew she could live on campus after freshmen year,.. not sure how many years students can be guaranteed a room on campus)</p>
<p>Also, it so happens she has a Junior in her suite,.. we were surprised. Can Juniors then also easily live at A/H?
Thanks for any info.</p>
<p>Doing laundry in the dorms, although not fun, isn't as bad as it sounds. I lived in Birnkrant this past year and didn't usualy have much trouble with it. I didn't know anyone using laundry service, but have seen the van outside of New/North on occassion. I think most of my floormates did laundry about once every other week with about 2 loads each time ($3 for 2 loads). We just left it in the washer come back in 40 minutes, switch it over to the dryer, and then come back in 50 minutes. The only hassle is having to wait for others to get their laundry out of the washer/dryer or sometimes waiting for one.</p>
<p>About the fountain thing, on hot days you can spot some students in fountain outside of Leavey Library. No one really takes notice after you've seen it happen once. </p>
<p>About the air-conditioning in the dorms, sure it sucked for the 1 week of "heat wave" each semester, but the rest of the year it is very bearable. One or two fans in the room is generally sufficient. The atmosphere and location of Birnkrant and New/North outweighed the lack of AC, in my opinion. It would have been nice to have AC, but I wouldn't trade in my year at Birnkrant to live elsewhere.</p>
<p>I think the application is the same for all grades. Sophs/juniors submit before freshmen but I am certain that slots are saved for frosh. My D was just confident that as a music major that her application would be accepted as opposed to being in a lottery. She told me that returning students to A/H have priority to get back in. Although A/H is the newest and perhaps the nicest dorm, it is a bit out of the way. Some students have referred to the Parkside dorms as the Darkside. From what I understand about USC housing, that jr/sr can also be part of the lottery to get housing it is just that the this year's frosh class was so large that it "ate up" a lot of the spaces that jr/sr were alloted such that it is a very lucky jr/sr who gets into campus housing. I assume that is why they accepted fewer students for next Fall, because they do guarantee housing for all frosh/soph that want to live on campus. They are working on projects to get all kids on campus but not for a while.</p>
<p>As a parent, I am very happy to hear that the atmosphere and location of Birnkrant outweighs the AC!</p>