<p>It would not be too early to reserve a hotel room if you are planning to arrive the day/night before move-in. It is PERFECTLY FINE to arrive on Sunday too - a bit more rushed perhaps if you are traveling from a longer distance-- but the schedule of events for Sunday repeats itself throughout the day-- so an overnight is not mandatory. Also, it is not too early to book for Parents' Weekend in October. All the hotels will have special rates for both dates...make sure to ask for a CMU group rate-- Parent rates are available too-- the CMU website has a list of recommended hotels-- mostly national chains - all about $119-$149 PLUS parking fees.
The August hotel dates fill b/c there are several colleges in Pittsburgh opening the same weekend. Make sure if you drove a car loaded with stuff- that you pick a hotel with a secure parking lot (call and ask) rather than off-street parking - b/c you will not want to unload your car into the hotel room and then have to re-load all that stuff.</p>
<p>A friendly piece of advice...move-in as everyone surely knows is Sunday August 15..after which parents say goodbye that evening around 7 and have no reason to hang around (go home-- the President will instruct you to go home!).
It is an organized magical chaos on Sunday morning- there is an army of current students (Orientation Counselors-OCs) assisting students getting everything out of the car and into your room - it is really fun -- ! Parents meet other parents -- students meet other students-- and for most people- it's the first time you meet your roommate. The best reason for wanting a hotel the night before is so you can be fresh and ready to go as you'll want to get into your room as early as the dorms open - which is typically 9 am-ish. Dump your stuff and head out for a wide variety of activities with your parents (or not with your parents is fine too). There will be a detailed schedule that comes later in the mail and also online at some point...and plenty of time to just hang, buy another sweatshirt, maybe buy books if you are set on classes already, and hear a bunch of speeches which are basically: "you're the cream of the crop" and "get help as soon as you fall behind"....."or parents - we are so sure your $50k is going to land your S or D a great job in 4 years" type speeches.....and there's lunch (and a couple of choices at that), various tables with info on lots of stuff (all of which students hear again during orientation week-- so you can skip it), set up a bank acct, etc. You don't really need to unpack when you arrive in the dorm- and for some students it can be more fun to do it with your roommate after your parents leave! (Parents--don't be insulted--it's their room , their life-- you don't get to decorate the room -- and you do need to leave !!) There's also plenty of time to hit the Waterfront on Sunday (buses are available) to buy last minute stuff (so students- a good reason why you might not want them to leave that fast) - there's Lowes, Target, Walmart, etc.... so don't worry if you forgot the fridge, the comforter or that special lamp- you can go buy it again on Sunday. Buses also run regularly and frequently all week during orientation to buy what else you might want in your room. Advice to parents: DON't overbuy before hand- it may not all fit into the car! If you are flying into campus-- you can pre-ship all your stuff- there will be instructions coming to you in July - it's another secure and easy way to get everything to campus. They mailroom is open on Sunday and they have handtrucks to sign out to haul stuff to the dorms.</p>
<p>Orientation begins Sunday evening with mandatory floor/dorm meetings with your RA and Orientation Counselor (OC)...so parents-- you will leave Sunday evening and you will live through the experience without staying another night to see your child the next day ...don't stay- go home!</p>
<p>So if you need a hotel room -- it's not too early to reserve for Saturday night. Parents: If you really want to visit and enjoy Pittsburgh-- stay over before Sunday-- and go home Sunday-- say goodbye, stuff some extra cash into your S/D's pocket and go home.</p>
<p>There are a few special programs for which some students arrive earlier for events a few days before Sunday- these are for Internationals, and CMARC hosts the Origins program. There may be a leadership conference too. Dates are not yet posted online. This is a very small number of students-- so do not worry if you didn't get any mail by late June- it's not necessary or required to be in any other program. </p>
<p>I'm sure some current students can weigh in here with their perspective of move-in day ...and offer advice on whether to arrive the night before, where to shop if at all, unpacking, etc...and also offer perspective on when is the best time for their parents to go home....</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. All reservations (plane tix, hotel & rental car) done for both orientation & parents’ weekend! This is our 2nd college student! ;)</p>
<p>I’m one of those kids who never had a problem being shipped off to summer camp for three weeks and wouldn’t call my mother a single time.</p>
<p>My first night of college here, I cried. I was homesick pretty badly. My mom and stepdad were there the next day to take me out to Pamelas before they left, and I’m glad they stayed the extra day, just so I could see them one last time after being thrown into a foreign room with unfamiliar strangers as roommates. </p>
<p>I would advise parents to stay until Monday evening if your kid wishes (as I did), but not any later than that - please for the love of God don’t be that creepy mom who’s still there on Wednesday going, “Timmy! Timmy! Don’t you want to have lunch with your super cool mom and your new friends?”</p>
<p>Your child is probably going to be spending the nights of orientation doing things like getting wasted for the first time or hooking up with some random CIT girl. Do not be a helicopter parent. </p>
<p>STUDENTS: Get there as early as possible and call dibs on the best bed. No, seriously. I’d recommend 8 AMish.</p>
<p>arriving late can be bad because you’ll miss out on the initial “meet, greet & hang out” thing that most freshmen are doing in the morning hours. But if you’re prone to making friends easily anyways, it won’t be a problem to integrate into orientation fever after arriving late.</p>
<p>I would suggest parents hang around especially if they have a car. Buses to/from the Waterfront are packed and there are long lines waiting to return to campus. Remember there are a lot of colleges in Pittsburgh and they all seem to move in Freshman about the same time.</p>
<p>Never really thought about the moving-in moment before reading this post.</p>
<p>Now it’s sounds so sad…the moment that parents leave, when the last eye-contact is made, can’t even think what would happen. Hopefully not lots of tears and then being referred to the whiner for the next four years.</p>
<p>The last goodbye is really bittersweet for everyone…
Kids who are seemingly secure and independent, well traveled can find themselves homesick or sad – it’s that aha moment-- you really do fly the nest and you are “in-between homes”…parents are especially messed up if it’s their first born or the last one out the door…so make the most of Sunday and the days leading up to the exit. Once High School ends-- try to find some quality time with your sibs and parents this summer-- last positive memories are very important. Orientation is jammed pack- it is awkward to try to reconnect with parents during the week and most unnecessary- and both parties are just delaying the inevitable clean-break-- that’s why I think Sunday night is when they suggest you do so…but of course, if the students want parents to stay-- do so-- but not the other way around! A crying mom or a dad worried about his little girl should NOT stay around for their own personal joys-- if the kids says goodbye-- go home!</p>
<p>@garage – You will most certainly NOT be the only one crying! </p>
<p>@ togo --I agree with Kate-- arriving very late on Sunday means you miss out on lots…latest is really noon… Get an earlier flight if you can or hook up with someone in a hotel the night before if you are coming alone-- I bet other students are sort of in your boat.</p>
<p>I am very fortunate I have a son who will be a freshman at CMU and a daughter at Pitt - so I get to return a week later for move in day for Pitt and will get to check up on my son - I am sure he’ll be fine - it will be me that will need the quick check!</p>
<p>I came from a high school where kids were pretty experimentational, in more ways than one. It was a little shocking to come to CMU and realize that many of my peers-- girls especially-- were pure saints and had maybe had one boyfriend or girlfriend before, and had never so much as touched alcohol.</p>
<p>I think orientation changed that for a lot of people. >_></p>
<p>Oh no… i realized that I dont get then Sunday mid-afternoon, I get there Monday morning! Is this not good at all? I’m arriving so late because of previous travel plans for a family reunion overseas. I tried to convince my parents to allow me to arrive earlier… but they wouldn’t listen to me? </p>
<p>Man… I feel like I will be so out of it when I get there late. :[</p>
<p>I’m not a current student but I did attend the Sunday of freshman orientation last year for my cousin. You pretty much attend info sessions with your parents all day. I guess the only time he had to interact with other students was after we left around 7 because he had some kind of floor meeting with his dorm. I honestly don’t think you’ll be missing out on much. A family reunion overseas sounds more fun.</p>
<p>I’m a current Orientation Counselor (OC) for this year’s orientation. We look forward to meeting the new freshmen, getting them moved-in nicely and sadly, yes, telling the parents to leave so we can HAVE SOME FUN!!!</p>
<p>Homesickness affects people in different ways. I wasn’t affected by it that much because of all the friends I made on my floor during orientation week (Yes, it’s important that you make friends!)and I knew that I would be going home for winter break anyway.</p>
<p>For parent weekend, it says October 8-10. Does the program typically start on Friday night or Saturday morning and when does it end on Sunday? Looking at when to book hotel and flights.</p>
<p>The program stuff is unofficial and most parents/students don’t go to that - it’s basically a weekend where your friends’ parents get to meet your parents, and vice versa, or you get to spend some quality time with mom and dad. </p>
<p>I believe the program starts at 9 AM, which is typical for most CMU events. it’ll probably end on Sunday in the afternoon or midday.</p>
<p>If your’re coming in by yourself (w/o parents) and probably flying in, Arriving later in the week is OK. DS couldn’t get an airline seat until Tuesday latenite arriving early Weds morning.</p>
<p>I agree, the program on PW was not spectacular - but I think they recognize that the parents really want to see their children and not hear speeches.</p>
<p>I enjoyed the Saturday morning program/meet the Dean speeches-- but we did little else. I think next year I might aim to get tickets to see a play on campus-- having not done this yet. There are performances both Fri and Sat night. There are also various Sunday brunches going on with student groups.</p>
<p>Shopping for stuff was high on D’s list freshman year. We didn’t bother this year-- came another weekend entirely.</p>
<p>It’s actually an odd time in the semester-- a week before mini’s end and fall break - so often midterms are coming up and there’s too much work that weekend.</p>