I was admitted into my EDI choice school in California, I would just like to see if anyone on here has had to move across the country before and if you guys could give me some advice about what to start bringing, ways to start preparing, etc. :). Thanks!
Lots of people do it every year. They have stores in CA too so anything you don’t bring, you can buy when you get there. If you go to the Parents forum there are old threads on what to pack when you go to college but its highly personal. Just like some people can’t go on vacation without 4 suitcases full, and others are happy with one carry-on, so it goes with packing for college.
Is it doable financially for your family, without debt above the federal loans?
U can UPS stuff, too.
I received a generous financial aid package and have to loan a few thousand, but should I just pack clothing and get the bedding, etc there?
yes, buy the bedding and bulky stuff “onsite”. There will likely be “welcome back students” sales at Walmart or Target.
Do pack towels and such things (or at least one towel and a wash cloth)…
if you can fit it beneath your backpack, a sleeping bag is always a good thing to have.
Should I have in mind when to start booking my plane ticket?
I’m actually in the exact opposite situation as you! I’m in California at the moment and planning on going to the east coast for college, with many options in NY (where my family will be moving).
In terms of stuff to bring, you’re going to need a lot of shorts and short sleeved t-shirts. Seriously, it’s in the high seventies to the nineties about 75% of the year during the day, with the lowest going into the mid-fifties for much of Southern California. It’ll be a little colder if you’re going north, however.
CA is filled with lots of places you can buy things at, so you can generally find what you need in places closeby. Worse comes to worst, you may be able to travel to LA if you’re close enough, or one of the major cities like San Diego or Sacramento.
Hey capitalamerica! That’s awesome. I’m actually going to college in Los Angeles. We can PM each other if you want to share our packing list and give advice since we are going to be basically “switching” places this fall 
wouldn’t that cost a lot @GMTplus7
Remember that Southwest Airlines allows 2 free checked bags per passenger. If you bring a parent along to help with move in, that’s 4 suitcases full of stuff.
Bed Bath and Beyond has a thing where you can go to your local store, pick out what you want and then they arrange to have it ready for pick up at the store closet to campus. I know a few people who used that service and were very satisfied. Just be sure and go to Bed Bath and Beyond with as many of their 20% off coupons as you can get your hands on!
Are their plane tickets a reasonable price?? Thanks!
Yeah! I was planning that as well!