<p>Probably wise to book a hotel in case you do get tuckered out by the move. </p>
<p>Cord cutting is kind of whenever you want it to be. Some parents like to go to every panel or event, others just go to a couple and then take off after that. For my parents, cord cutting was when they said goodbye to me at the airport before I boarded the plane and flew 2500 miles away to my new college life. So it’s really up to you, but 5 PM is just an “at the latest” time. Unless you really really like sitting through college orientation events, you can probably leave earlier. </p>
<p>I think some colleges have “send off” events at the end of the day where they officially tell the parents to GTHO (politely, of course). I don’t think Smith does that, but as I said, I didn’t really go to the official orientation events, so not an expert.</p>
<p>D had her first house event at around 5pm. We hugged out on the green and then she walked one direction toward her House and I walked another toward my car. Dunno about her but it was pretty difficult for me. Wasn’t flying out until the next morning, so I lost myself in a Mary Renault novel…either THE LAST OF THE WINE or THE PERSIAN BOY…and couple of glasses of good wine and a steak a Wiggins Tavern. It was melancholy that I knew would pass and would be all for the good…and I’ve got to say that my hopes & expectations were exceeded on those grounds…but it was a melancholic moment nonetheless.</p>
<p>Compared to the other schools my kids have been to, I was surprised at how sparse the parent oriented programming was when I left my D @ Smith (as a transfer student).</p>
<p>We went to a program on financial aid (which was put in a room much too small for the number of parents attending), and we left shortly thereafter.</p>
<p>I was a sobbing mess when I left her sister at Colgate in 2004, so I guess I am getting to be a pro at this.</p>
<p>honestly i think leaving sooner is better for parents. I know its harder for some families than others (I wasn’t overly sentimental about starting out in college, while I know some friends who were a lot more lost by their parents leaving), but in the end it really is best for everyone. In pretty much every house (unless you get really unlucky) there are other housemates already there who are there for pretty much the sole purpose of making sure the first years are happy and comfortable. Not to mention, everyone else is in the same boat. You’d be surprised how quickly friendships start to form, and smothering your kid is just going to make them have a harder time letting go of you, and miss out on getting to know others (which is really the only way you get over homesickness). So I wouldn’t say you know, toss them out the car and leave, but don’t overstay your welcome. And definitely, definitely leave by around 5. I was a HONS my sophomore year and can’t tell you how annoying it was to have to try and politely tell parents to leave. We plan things for the first years, and want to start getting to know them, and its a little harder with parents around. My parents helped me set up my room, left at 4, then came back the next day for an hour to help with final things and say bye. I really think that was ideal.</p>
<p>Another thing that I saw mentioned before was planning with the roommate. See if you can space your arrivals so that you aren’t both trying to set up at the same time…gets even more hectic than it already is. Its nice to get there on the same day so you don’t start off alone, but one morning one afternoon arrival is perfect. </p>
<p>And, from my experience as a HONS, and to help out the ones for next year, if you can plan it, see if you can arrive at a cooler point in the day. They help you move in, and having everyone arrive in the middle of the afternoon is exhausting haha.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely agree about trying to plan for the cooler parts of the day. If you arrive as early as possible in the morning, you get easier parking too.</p>