Move In

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Iowa
1

<p>Just back from move in day (Monday) and thought I'd post a quick message with some suggestions/observations (very busy right now, so will post more if I think of other details). </p>

<p>Bottom line is everything went very smoothly, and as with everything else, the UI team was very organized. Monday move in was relatively light -- they are expecting the peak to be Thursday - Saturday. We arrived right at 8AM. D retrieved the key while I waited with the car and enjoyed spectacular weather and ironically peace/quiet, since I was prepared for chaos. </p>

<p>Most poeple used a cart but we were able to park so close to the room that we just carried everything in. Total process took about 30 minutes, including getting a key. </p>

<p>The things we most needed that we were short on -- batteries, power strip/extension cord combos (get the three prong kind), and light bulbs for the new lamps. Getting the room set up was much slower than I expected, partly because her roommate moved in at the same time. That was great that they could set up together, but everything just went slower due to lots of conversations, etc. </p>

<p>For those moving in later, I'd suggest being prepared to unload the car and re-park it pretty quickly when it gets crowded. Bring lots of quarters to feed parking meters. </p>

<p>Great place in town to get last minute stuff is CVS in the Old Capitol Mall. Aand of course we spent a lot of time at Target/Best Buy/Sears/BBB at Coral Ridge Mall. </p>

<p>So far, wireless seems pretty fast, but may slow down when loaded. The process for students to get connected the first time can be very time consuming if their PC is not very up-to-date with latest patches, AV software, etc. </p>

<p>Those clip on trays and loft side bags are great per suggestions from another post! Got them at BBB. </p>

<p>We brought moving pucks which were very useful for moving a bed. </p>

<p>Will post other info if I think of anything else. Good luck all!</p>

2

<p>Congrats on a successful move-in! We leave bright and early tomorrow. My son can’t wait but I’m sad to become an official empty nester. My older son left today although he doesn’t start classes for another week and a half so it’s going to be pretty quiet when I get home.</p>

3

<p>Hey Izzie – good luck and congrats on getting #2 through the pipeline! Enjoy the special day, and please let us know how it goes!</p>

4

<p>We delivered our son on Wed to Daum. Interested to learn that while only 3 kids had shown up on Tuesday, by 3pm on Wed over half of them had! Figures that we’d pick the biggest arrival day.</p>

<p>In spite of that, things went fine. Some delays getting a cart and sure, the dewpoint was hovering at about 75, but that was it. Otherwise it was a piece of cake.</p>

<p>I have to say that we didn’t allow enough time to move in. My son’s two day seminar thing started Wed at 5pm and we weren’t on campus until 2. Made for a rushed couple of hours! I rigged the stereo - 2 channel audio really baffles these kids - but never got the computer online. This is something he can do better than I anyway.</p>

<p>We were immediately set upon by guys from the floor - super nice, as is just about everyone we meet. And while I knew the dorm was co-ed I was amazed that girls are on the same floor! And not WAY DOWN the hall, buffered by some sort of lounge/DMZ but RIGHT THERE! Suddenly the names on the doors change from boys’ to girls’!</p>

<p>We really enjoyed our time in IC. Had a decent dinner (cheap!) and enjoyed the pedestrian streets and shops. Blew another couple hundred bucks on Hawkeye garb - glad to buoy the local economy! IC is a really great college town. It’s impossible for me to imagine having a bad experience here.</p>

<p>Haven’t talked to the lad since but his younger sister is fuming. Not because he’s gone, no way, but because his Facebook page is exploding with gushy posts about the fun he’s having!</p>

5

<p>Beastman, Thanks for the update, and great to hear that all went well. Your experience closely mirrors ours – everyone very friendly, move in took longer than expected, (coming up short on fully wiring the data center), kiddo having a great time, Iowa City is great, family back home envious! Not surprised that Wednesday was a tad more crowded than what we experienced on Monday.</p>

6

<p>Our son is successfully moved into Burge! Move-in went very smoothly. Two cartloads of stuff and he was in. His roommate still isn’t there, so he picked his bed and closet space and put everything away. We can’t believe how big the room is, almost twice the size of my older son’s freshman dorm room. We spent the night last night at Iowa House then had breakfast at the Hamburg Inn with friends, bought him a futon at Wal-Mart this morning, put it together, took his car to the storage lot (finding it was the most difficult part of the whole move-in), turned in his immunization form, took his picture in front of the football stadium, bought about half of his books and some t-shirts, kissed him goodbye and left. Sounds simple but it took us until 3:00 to get all that done. We probably did more for him than we should, but we didn’t want to leave him and he didn’t seem to be in any hurry for us to leave either. </p>

<p>We met a lot of the boys on his floor (about half of them were there) and they seemed very friendly. So, so far so good. The books we bought today were sooo expensive, new editions of everything so no used books and he still needs to get calculus and rhetoric. Plus he needs to get a calculator when he finds out which kind he should get.</p>

<p>I called him when we got home and he had just gotten out of his mandatory meeting about living in the dorm and was headed to dinner so didn’t get any news out of him.</p>

7

<p>On the topic of textbooks, I fear the worst. We didn’t buy the lad’s books but did breeze through University Book. It did appear that everything on the shelves was very shiny and new, not the rag-tag stuff I remember at Wisconsin. I grabbed one computer programming book at random; I guessed it to be a middle-division course. $165. Great.</p>

<p>Note to self for next semester, after this book-buy is past: look into online book purchase and rental. Has anyone looked at these? Mentioned in a WSJ article about the “other” costs of higher education.</p>

8

<p>My other kid is a chemistry major, so I’m used to buying expensive books, but this was crazy. Books for two classes were $500 and that didn’t include the optional chemistry study guide which he is waiting to see if he needs. I know calculus is going to be expensive too. He actually has three more classes he needs to buy for but is waiting until he goes to class. I usually buy my kids’ books while we are there because it’s more than their credit cards or debit cards can handle and writing a check is a foreign concept to them (although they do know how). Having to buy new really increases the cost.</p>

9

<p>Beastman, Congrats on the successful move in! I share your perspective on the size of the rooms…I think my D’s room is even a little larger. Seemed like at least 50% bigger than the UIUC rooms I remember, plus sink, AC, cable, wired/wireless lan, carpeting, etc.</p>

<p>Beast/Izzie - On the book topic, kiddo’s books were mostly ordered from Amazon a week ago and shipped to dorm, and they have been delivered. Definitely a nice cost savings (new for less than the price of book store used). We’ll give all the savings back plus a lot more on Parents Wknd football tix, though!</p>

<p>Looking forward to CB checking in from Iowa City with first impressions!</p>

10

<p>I moved in my dorm today and had orientation Friday. Unlike other posters I do not have an entire page to write about my orientation. Though since I do remember others stating their interest of how my orientation went I thought I would make a post.
I had a one day orientation with just enough time to get say and do all the basics. Although my orientation did not include a campus tour I was able to view the campus and city myself which looks how met my expectations if not better. As others also stated the city is pedestrian friendly likewise the students.
(Will write more but it’s late)</p>

11

<p>Coolbrezze, thanks for your note, and it is great to hear that things seem to be going well.There is lots for you to do and get acquainted with in a short time, including getting books, hopefully enjoying the welcome week activities, the Freshman Convocation and subsequent barbeque tonight, various entertainment, organization & job fairs) and of course finding your classes and meeting people. Looking forward to updates if/as time permits in the coming weeks/months. Enjoy and good luck!</p>

12

<p>Hey Hawks:</p>

<p>Between vacation and work-related travel, haven’t been on CC in a few weeks. Got caught up on the recent posts. It sounds like all of your kids are doing well. </p>

<p>Us - Darling Wife and I took our D to Iowa City on Thursday, 8/19. She’s living in Burge. Got in around 7:30 PM. We picked a great time to arrive. Check-in was like real butter - smoooooth. Lots of open parking, no lines at the 'vator and a dozen empty moving carts. We unloaded her stuff at her room, met her new roommate (a nice young lady from Wheaton, IL), ate a Milio’s subs on Clinton, and then left them to get to know each other. Stayed that night in Cedar Rapids and then back the next morning. Did the obligatory Bed Bath and Beyond / Target run, and treated her and her roommate to lunch at Panera’s in the Coralville Mall. Stopped by the University Book Store to pick up her books we ordered on-line the week earlier. Slick process - prices reasonable but, as RWE noted, not as cheap as Amazon. Said our goodbyes about 3 PM, a few tears, [mostly Mom’s :)] and then headed back to MN.</p>

<p>Thoughts:</p>

<p>1) Have talked to our D every other day or so. She’s the one doing the calling. We can tell she’s a little lonely but she’s doing fine. She’s always been a pretty outgoing kid. One comment of her’s hit a chord with us - she said “You know Dad, its kinda tough. Everything is new here and you basically have to start over”. We told her its the same for everyone else and that’s what college is all about.</p>

<p>2) Gals on D’s floor were very friendly. I thought it was interesting that about 90% of them were from suburban Chicago. On her wing, the only non-Illinois kids are 3 gals from Iowa and our D from MN.</p>

<p>3) Izzie and RWE - your right! The rooms are enormous - almost twice the size as our son’s dorm in Madison. Plenty of room to spread out. Big closets, in-room sink, and A/C. Much nicer than what I had in college “back in the day”.</p>

<p>4) D’s going through Greek recruitment this weekend and will check out the sororities. About 60% of kids on her floor in Burge are going to rush. It will be interesting to see if our D finds a sorority that fits her personality/style.</p>

<p>5) First week of classes are nearly done. She’s met a number of kids in her “Courses in Common”, love’s her Rhetoric teacher, and says her Professor and T.A. in chem seem really interesting. She’s also in the “College Transitions” class and says her instructor there is pretty “cool”. Hope she feels the same in December.</p>

<p>6) Last item - D says that the new Campus Rec Center on Burlington is unbelievable. She’s been there a couple of times and really likes it. Make sure your kids check it out if they haven’t already.</p>

<p>Take care all - looking forward to updates from everyone else.</p>

<p>B10P</p>