<p>It seems a bit early 
but we are trying to coordinate travel plans with siblingsā schedules, and I would love to get some information regarding Tischās move-in day & related activities, especially any orientation week sessions that parents are expected to attend from those who have ābeen there, done thatā. I did pull up some threads that talked about the chaos of not being able to park etc. and I think we know what we are in for :). </p>
<p>From what I can tell move-in day (Sun.?) is typically from around 7 am until 7 pm. Do we help our kids and all gather for some type of āwelcomeā that day, or do we just drop them off once they are moved in and leave? Subsequently, are there any sessions specifically designed for parents during welcome week that we should plan to attend, or are we free to go?</p>
<p>There is nothing for parents that I recall at NYU move-in. The Welcome Week is all for the students. The move-in day on Sunday takes all day (long lines) and you will need to think in terms of leaving by 5 PM because the kids have a required orientation event to attend at that time. The rest of the week is purely a student week. </p>
<p>I realize your child got in ED but for those admitted RD and who get an invitation to Saturday in the Square in April, THAT day DOES involve events and presentations that parents attend. The Welcome week (orientation in late August) does not.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, that is really helpful! Although I don't think my child would mind either way, I really did not want to schedule flights and plan on leaving, if I was supposed to attend something :). Having had the experience of being at NYU over the summer, I think D knows her way around and very comfortable without mom hovering over her shoulder. I realize that Saturday in the Square is only for RD applicants and limited to a select number of incoming freshmen. I still remember your posts regarding your D attending in a wheelchair still recovering from her accident. Time sure flies by fast!</p>
<p>Drop them off. Pay the bills. And hold our tongue!!</p>
<p>No, no, no. That's not true in my experience. We're from out of town and had an excellent experience. We were in my son's room with all his stuff within about 15 minutes. Honest.</p>
<p>First, we flew in and stayed in a nearby hotel. That means we brought with us only what we could bring on the plane and carry among the three of us through an airport. You are given a check-in window of time. Ours was fairly early around 7:30-9:00 a.m., which probably helped. We took a cab to the dorm, with our son's bags; got out and practically walked right onto the elevator, without waiting in line. There were oodles of NYU kids around helping load bags into what looked like laundry hampers and they were very helpful.</p>
<p>When we left the dorm about an hour later to go find sheets and the like, the lines were still quite short. Even when we returned, I was able to walk onto the elevator fairly quickly. By late-morning, the lines waiting for the elevator were quite long. We'd obviously arrived at the right time. Also the number of minivans and SUVs waiting to pull up to the dorm and drop off everything needed to furnish an apartment stretched around the bloc.</p>
<p>Also, around noon there was an orientation session for the parents of first-year students in our dorm which we found quite useful. The resident counselors and the like talked about dorm life at NYU and the services available to the kids. That was the only orientation that I recall being scheduled, although we hung around for another two days and watched the NYU president (Sexton) welcome the freshman class. He was an impressive and inspiring speaker.</p>
<p>So, it doesn't have to be torture. It certainly was not in our case. If you can minimize what you have to bring on day one, avoid using a car or SUV that you have to park, you may be surprised at how easy it is to get into the room. And then you can go out for more stuff. I was struck by how helpful and well-organized the whole thing seemed to be and found the dorm orientation useful.</p>
<p>blaneyboy - thanks so much for taking the time to respond as well. I have a feeling that some people may think I am a little 'over the top' posting these type of questions ;) in January, but I actually heard over the weekend that there are schools where some people actually already have reserved hotel rooms for their kids' graduation (!) 4 years from now. I did not even know you could do that; granted we are talking an Ivy here that is "in the middle of no where" with limited hotel accommodations (nothing like NYC), but it did inspire me to plan a bit ahead with all this, instead of scrambing around last minute as we typically do around here :).</p>
<p>My bit of advice, albeit we did this many years ago now :), is to arrive the night before and stay in a hotel. Then, get up early and get down to the dorm earlier than they tell you to! Back then, the move-in started officially at 9 and they divided the day by alphabet. If they still do that, ignore it and arrive early. We were told to arrive at 9, that that was the earliest you could get in, etc. etc. Well, my D and her b/f went down by taxi at 7:30, and the rest of us followed around 8. By the time we got there, she had checked in, received her key, had been up to the room and was ready to move in. Cars can stop (depending on the dorm) right out front to unload, which means literally that you unload the car onto the sidewalk then go find a parking spot. Not that difficult, and the police there directing traffic can tell you several lots nearby.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, most people had someone stay with their pile of belongings on the sidewalk while the rest of their 'entourage' carried stuff upstairs. There were six of us so we got everything upstairs in two trips which was good because by this time, shortly after 9, the elevator line-ups were long (15-20 minute wait). After unpacking clothes, setting up bathroom stuff, making bed, setting up computer and tv, we went to K-Mart to pick up things we'd forgotten (sticky junk for hanging posters, duct tape, longer cable for tv and a few other small things). There was a welcome event for parents and that was that. If I remember correctly, the kids had an ice cream social event that evening with the kids on their floor. </p>
<p>One thing we did that in hindsight I wouldn't recommend is that we stayed in the city for a couple of days after that and my D joined us for a portion of that time. We should have left the next morning. The move in is chaotic, but it's a controlled kind of chaos. :)</p>
<p>Our experience was pretty similar to AlwaysAMom's. We stayed in a hotel the night before. We got to the dorm very early....about 8 or so. (which I also recommend despite instructions from the school to the contrary) Different than the above account, there was already a long line around the block. My daughter and I got on it. Eventually her roomie and her mom got on it (they knew each other for years) and the two husbands kept driving around the block in their overloaded SUVs until a space opened up to pull the car up to the curb in front (police helped with this as you are only allowed to unload for like ten minutes). Then, everyone unloads their piles of stuff on the sidewalk and someone (me!!) waits with the pile. As soon as D had her turn at the front of the line, which took some time, and got the keys, and husband had unloaded the entire carload on the sidewalk, they took it all upstairs using the big laundry cart bins the school has for this purpose. It was a bit of a zoo as it was a large dorm and a lot of lines even with having gotten there so early (though it was worse for those who arrived later than we did). We spent the day setting stuff up. I don't recall going to anything for parents. The kids had a required thing at 5 and were off and we left for home. The events during the week are meant for students. We didn't help D get around or anything like that. She didn't know her way but that was what orientation was about and she actually knew a lot of kids at NYU and of course, met many new ones as well and had a great time all week. </p>
<p>For next year's freshmen, there will be a big event for ALL NYU freshmen at Madison Square Garden (this is new). </p>
<p>After freshmen year, the move in is not nearly as chaotic. Kids do not all arrive on the same day when not freshmen, and there are no lines. Then, this year, with D in an off campus apartment, my husband marveled how this was definitely even easier still. In fact, her doorman was helping unload and bringing things up on his cart! :D</p>
<p>(actually, I am now recalling that after setting everything up freshmen year in the room, my husband did a run for a couple hardware type items as I went with D to get her a bank account as I had to do it jointly as she was sixteen and we had found a bank ahead of time that was open on Sundays near NYU and no banks in our state have branches in NYC! and I recall this ended up to be a real mess because unlike at home where she had had a joint account with me for years since she has earned money since way younger, the NYC bank would not allow her to have a checking account at her age even with my name on it.....so things did not go smoothly and then after that, we left for home)</p>