<p>D is an incoming freshman. Will there be a place that we can ship up her stuff in advance? I'm especially concerned now that luggage has gotten so expensive to take along with you. Advice from those who have been through this would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>As it gets closer to move in your daughter should get a letter with more information, but you can absolutely ship stuff to Smith. She'll get her box number and mailing address sometime this summer, and you can just mark the box "hold for arrival" and pick it up when you arrive (and the post office loans out carts, making the trip across campus with big boxes slightly easier).</p>
<p>I did this last summer after an internship in Boston (I'm from PA) -- I mailed my bedding and a few other things to Smith, and they were waiting for me when I returned to Smith a few weeks later.</p>
<p>Mailing boxes is a great idea. Bear in mind that the post office's hand truck will probably be in high demand that day. If you could check a cart of your own (maybe one of those folding "granny carts" people in cities use for shopping, or something) it would probably be helpful.</p>
<p>I'm an international and can't take a lot of baggage with me. I plan to buy most of things in the States, but what about the stuff that I will need at the first day of my arrival, like beddings? Is it also better to ship it? What if I buy them via internet and ask to ship to Smith? I think that will work better within the US.</p>
<p>Montanaro, I'm not sure of the exact schedule for ISP, but I'm sure that there will be time scheduled for you to go shopping early on in your stay (actually, I just checked the web site and there are shopping trips planned). While you certainly could order things online, there will be plenty of time to obtain linen when you arrive, and the Office for International Students has dealt with the same issues before. Most of the international students at Smith can't bring very much with them.</p>
<p>Ah yes, moving in, my yearly hell-fest. I come from the other side of the country, and I come alone so I do a lot of heavy lifting on move-in day :-) </p>
<p>You can ship things to Smith, though I ditto renting your own cart or be prepared for a lot of haulage (especially if she lives in a house far from the campus center). If possible, think about renting a car and just buying what you need/she wants when she arrives at the local malls. Remember that almost none of the houses have elevators, so any large boxes or suitcases will have to be humped up the stairs by hand. </p>
<p>Montanaro, while there will be time to shop when you arrive, and plenty of places to do it, I recommend you bring at least a fitted sheet to put on your bed for orientation when you arrive. It doesn't take up much space and you might be exhausted right away and the mattresses at Smith are not nice to lie directly on. It will be quite hot when you move in in August, so you won't need blankets or anything right away, but just a top-sheet can make a huge difference. </p>
<p>Also, pack one towel so you can take a shower when you arrive. I know I always get sweaty coming from the airport.</p>