<p>Spread the heavy items among the various boxes. Makes it easier on all concerned. S1 packed an 80 lb box of books freshman year. Noone wanted to carry it upstairs to his room.</p>
<p>Before move in day, we were directed to a New Student’s website, complete with a specific map. Most streets became one-way and we were to follow the green line for dorms x,y, & z. Upperclassman (the orientation week staff) were waiting. We unloaded the car onto the curb…I waited with the pile of stuff…H was directed to move the car from the unloading zone over to the parking garage…S checked in & received his room key/ID card, etc. The upperclassman came & put stuff in a big laundry cart & carried other stuff. Between all of us, we made it in 2 trips.</p>
<p>The room is crowded with both students & their parents & their unpacked stuff. Be patient. We made the bed first & carried unwanted totes/boxes out of the room. Strategically go from there. The dad’s did electrical/computer/Tv stuff & the moms helped unpack. My S wanted to put most of his own stuff away though so I really didn’t do too much.</p>
<p>Have a departure plan. You don’t want to leave right away if your student thought you’d be there all day. You also don’t want to linger. Stress levels are high that day and unexpected things or changes can make it worse. Are you going to give hugs in the room in front of the other kid/family? Or out in the hall? I know it seems silly to plan out, but it can be a little akward when you’re there. Once you walk away…don’t go back…keep going to the car. :)</p>
<p>Do label everything. I used masking tape. Name, dorm, & room. We put things needed right away in a folder for the desk. Things like important documents printed, etc.</p>
<p>Once S was all moved in, we went to the bookstore to pick up his early bird book order. Everything he needed was already boxed up. He made his appointment to have his laptop set up to the campus system, and we went to the campus transportation office to get his parking permit. There was a paper that needed to be turned in at the registrars…</p>
<p>Allow plenty of time if you need to do extra things. Arrive early. The lines to get into the loading zone were crazy just a few hours later.</p>
<p>We did good-byes at the car. Was a little more private.</p>
<p>The one thing I notice about this thread…
For those of us who have not had the luxury of driving to a school and bringing odd-type items such as spray cleaners, etc. along, search for the other thread not long ago that had to do with moving coast to coast. </p>
<p>A lot of us relate to that thread and have posted useful tips for moving in when you are travelling by air. This fall I moved one of my kids in to university by air, then taxi, walking, (and shipping boxes UPS ground) to the dorm. No car or rental car involved at all as this is a large city with parking costs/issues, etc.</p>
<p>A few more things:</p>
<p>-not all schools permit those bed risers (yes, I was surprised as the idea of putting storage under sounds useful); sometimes there are built-in drawers underneath, though.
- I can’t imagine a dorm room large enough to possibly include a lounge recliner – what school could this be?
- not all dorms have students there to assist with carrying stuff upstairs, (though they will be there to check the new students in, of course) - so don’t count on this. I made sure I had a good breakfast for plenty of energy and wore good shoes.
-if it’s, say, a 5 storey dorm with stairs, they WILL permit people to use the elevator(s) on move in/out periods, even if access is not normally available/only for freight, but it may not be immediately obvious where that elevator is in some buildings so worth checking/searching for this.</p>
<p>Please disregard the advice to arrive early if the school gives you a specific appointment time for move-in. Some schools have a very well planned and orchestrated move-in process. If everyone sticks to the master plan, it can be a net gain for all. If a couple of families try to buck the system by arriving early, it can back everyone else up down the line. Also, you may not be allowed to arrive early if a plan like this is in place.</p>
<p>Perhaps students should include this in their college search process: other students help you move in. What a perk.</p>
<p>I think this was mentioned upthread: Bed Bath Beyond provides checklists & allows students to “register” at a local store (with very cool scan gun) then pick up pre-ordered goods at a store closer to the campus. This is particularly valuable if your student is going to college on the opposite coast or you are flying to the college.</p>
<p>If you are driving your student to school, don’t forget a tool kit, duct tape, and power strips with surge protectors. </p>
<p>Change of clothing for parents’ luncheon is an excellent idea.</p>
<p>CountingDown beat me to it: Less is More.
Don’t laugh - my S managed to fit a 235-lb TV in his room. :)</p>
<p>My daughter goes to Cornell, and they have an amazing team of kids that gathered around our car like worker bees, unloaded her totes and trunk, and had it all up in her room by the time I parked the car! Hopefully, your move in will run as smoothly.</p>
<p>One very useful item I found is the trunk (think Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts kind of trunk). They come with wheels and the amount of stuff they hold blows the mind. Maybe one of our best purchases yet. Of course, we also used totes.</p>
<p>Best advice, don’t over do - whatever your child needs, I’m sure there will be a Target close to the campus. Drive up or send winter clothes as the time nears, and pick a date in the spring to pick up the same so there is not so much to pack at move out time.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>If the school offers an optional "team buildling " activity (canoeing, camping, etc.) that runs before the normal move in date, by signing up for that not only will you get to participate in the activity and develop relationships with other students who are not in your dorm, but you get the bonus of moving in a day or two early when the dorms are relatively quiet.</p>
<p>Yes, the trunk - love the trunk. That is a piece of advice I got from CC a couple of years ago. It was great for moving stuff in - unless there is no elevator - then you need strong kids. She stores it under her bed and it holds tons of stuff. I know lots of people think trunks have gone the way of the dinosaur but she got great use from the trunk. It also locks so she stores some valuables in there. It will probably be a coffee table one day. I got it here </p>
<p>[Trunks</a> - Trunks made in the USA. A great trunk for camp or college.](<a href=“http://www.cnmfg.com/]Trunks”>http://www.cnmfg.com/)</p>
<p>I probably wouldn’t buy sheets and towels near campus only because I like to use these items only after they’ve been laundered. Hammer and screwdrivers are necessary for sure. It’s true that there will probably be lots of people to help lift and carry. Also, hooking up the computer will be absolutely necessary, and having a smallish fan that will stay in the room will be a big help during the move-in as well. I do have a question for people who are planning on providing a bike for their student. Is this something you usually buy there near campus or do you pre-buy near home? If near campus, do you like bike shops or places like Target?</p>
<p>At both my kids’ schools, the “luncheon” was an outdoor picnic. There is no place on campus that could seat 1300+ students and parents, etc. Everyone was hot and sweaty. Noone cared.</p>
<p>Wear clothes that allow you to crawl under a desk or lift a mattress without horrifying the roommate or his/her parents. Sorry, I’m of the comfort and practical school of thought.</p>
<p>I was the kind of mom that put my student’s name, room number, dorm and house family name on every box. Giant waste of time. We were met at the curb with large airline trolleys, everything was whisked from the car straight to the room. Easiest, fastest move ever.</p>
<p>Move in varies wildly from school to school. At my own huge state school, there were zero activites for parents. They wanted parents in and out as soon as possible. When we moved Son into his very small LAC on a Friday, there were activities planned for parents all the way until Sunday afternoon. I guess the “what to wear” advice would be to remember to look up what, if any, activities there are to attend (and which ones you want to attend) and pack accordingly. Don’t assume that there will be no parent activites or that there will be many activities, because schools are just all over the place. All I know is that when I packed for myself after helping Son pack for weeks, I forgot to bring things that I always bring on trips.</p>
<p>I echo the “move in early” idea - both my kids were in programs where they moved in a few days early (International Orientation for one and a dorm program orientation for the other). You pay for the extra nights but avoid the big crowds. My d was so early that no one was in the dorm yet so she stayed with me in the hotel but it was SO worth getting her in the room then assessing what was still needed (we flew in from overseas and bought everything when we got there).</p>
<p>Oh, and expect it to be the hottest day of the year, it never fails at D1’s school.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>LOL, when we moved Son in, it was in the middle of a lengthy drought. As we approached the dorm it started to rain. It rained for precisely the length of time that it took us to unload.</p>
<p>Missypie…no flaming here!! We moved D in on the HOTTEST day of the year and I dont think I have sweated as much in my life! D’s dorm did have a dinner for parents (private dorm) and I was so glad that I had a hotel to go back to and change…
Patience is key on move in day, although I think many schools have really streamlined the process. Tools are a big must!! I would also anticipate a trip or two to Target or Bed Bath and Beyond…no matter how well you planned, there will be something that you will need.</p>
<p>For those who are driving some distance, and this is a tip that works for visits to the school during the school year,get a one way rental for a van or big car and drive there with the student. You have use of the vehicle that day. Get a one way return flight for the evening. </p>
<p>For the move in day, that might not be the way to go if other family members are there and/or if you want to stay the night, but this has worked well for us as now 3 of our kids picked schools 7 hours away. That’s a long enough drive that one pretty much has to stay the night there, but with a one way rental and one way ticket, it can be a one day trip. For the return home, you can fly to the college early in the morning, rent the vehicle there, and drive back that day with kid and load, again, making it a one day trip and saving on hotel costs as well as the wear and tear of driving there and back.</p>