Experienced CC Trojans, a little help would be appreciated. Our family is taking S17 to school and working in a final family vacation along the way. We are trying to better understand the logistics of move-in day: when to arrive, where do you park (if there is somewhere available) etc?
The current plan is to arrive around noon or 1 and unload then. Once I heard about the letter writing activity that ends at 3, I was a little concerned that perhaps we should arrive earlier to help S get set up in his dorm. Given that he is a boy, that will likely take a comparatively short amount of time, but I want to be able to do a Costco/Target run if needed to round out what he needs. Much easier to do for him with a car at his disposal.
It looks like parents are respectfully asked to depart after convocation is over at around 10:30 or so. Looks like the “settling in” needs to happen on Wed in order to depart happily on Thursday. I am not sure if there will be parking on campus for Wed and Thursday or if we should Uber from the hotel.
The men in the family are completely unconcerned about all this but I am trying to plan the pre-dropoff trip as well as the post-dropoff trip and want to set S up for success while not getting in his way.
So, any light you can shed on the move in logistics would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you!
I can only speak to Birkrandt, but we were allowed to enter campus and pull up next to the dorm. There were older students there to assist. We unloaded everything on the sidewalk then moved the car to the parking garage across the street. Then we moved everything to the room. I want to say we got there about 10am? Go to the parents facebook page for your class and you might get better intel. Welcome to USC and Fight On!
Every student/family is different and how much of an event this is…this is my third at USC and I am not sure what letter writing activity you are talking about, so haven’t done that… If you are leaving a good luck letter in his drawer somewhere you can do that before you go. There will be upperclassman volunteers and they have bins you can check out to get your stuff from the car to the dorm. You will get instructions on where to enter/park as it gets closer. You get bin from the building (they have to give id to get one). For my first, we had everything with us (didn’t have to do a Target run) and I don’t think we were there more than a couple hours. He wanted to move on and get rolling with new pals. Like you said, I think girls do more decorating in general, guys just put down their laptop and stick stuff in drawers/closet and call it a day. If you have to do some runs to Target, truthfully, you have all day- you may do it together, or he may find an activity the floor is doing (usually later in the day) and you can go while he is doing other things. Don’t stress it, make it fun and be flexible. Also, there is a CVS under Gateway that has a ton housewares dorm room type things - it is made for their college audience. Also, the bookstore has a ton of room stuff too. Until Target opens in UV (not sure when it is up and going), getting to a Target in LA isn’t that much fun. Many do, but with traffic and crowds it can take awhile, but maybe that is just part of the experience…Don’t forget if they need something they can also order it on Amazon and have it sent. (Get Prime now if you don’t have it!)
I don’t know if you are gonna have a ton of stuff in your car already since it is a vacation, but one moving tip we do is to have everything on hangers that will be hung up, and take a large garbage bag and put a hole in the bottom (to make a garment bag), put it over a glob of clothes, then you can cinch/tie it at the bottom. That way when you get there you are ready to hang everything up! Also, use those thinner hangers available versus the round plastic types, that little difference makes a big difference in a small closet.
Frankly, noon may be a good time, you will miss the first shift madness. Good luck and be prepared to sweat a little. Dress as comfortable as you can, this is not the day to impress with fancy shoes!
Thanks for the input @vistajay and @CADREAMIN. The letter writing happens at the Tutor Campus Center. The parent group provides stationary for parents to write letters that are then delivered in the second week of classes. I teared up just reading the facebook post on it so I cannot imagine how I will be on the day we bring him! He is our first so trying to strike the balance of being supportive and loving while respecting his new independence. I am old enough that he doesn’t think I am as acutely aware of this season of life as I am. I remember my emotions from 36 years ago as though they were yesterday.
Got the skinny hangers but I am thinking that most of the Tshirts and pants will be folded. Only got him 20 hangers! He is not a detail person so I am trying to help him think of things he uses regularly and might like to have with him (since he can’t borrow mine!). We will keep the “good stuff” at home and bring our working stuff for the grand unpacking. Coming too soon. He hasn’t even graduated yet.
Thanks again!