<p>Maybe I’ll soon be getting information from Alabama about Orientation, but as of now I’m a little unclear as to what I should expect and what I need to bring. I know it’s an overnight stay, so naturally I’ve got all my travel stuff, but are there other items that I should have with me? Checks for anything, confirmation, etc.?</p>
<p>You will receive a mailer. but here is a helpful link
[FAQ</a> - Bama Bound Orientation - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://orientation.ua.edu/faq/]FAQ”>Frequently Asked Questions – Orientation | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>Will you travel by yourself?</p>
<p>You need to bring your health records and make sure that they’re up to date.</p>
<p>We recommend you dress casually and comfortably. In the winter, bring a jacket and dress in layers to accommodate for fluctuations in the weather and central heating.</p>
<p>Other items you should bring include:</p>
<p>Bama Bound confirmation mailer with temporary parking pass
Comfortable walking shoes
Financial aid documents (parents’ tax returns, etc.)
Pen and paper
Campus Wide Identification Number (CWID)
Photo identification (driver’s license, military ID, etc.)
Proof of immunization if not already provided to the University
Umbrella or raincoat
Any special admission documents
In addition, students staying overnight for summer programs should bring the following items:</p>
<p>An overnight bag and toiletries
Twin bed linens, pillow, and towels
An alarm clock
Gym clothes/tennis shoes, swim suit for Student Recreation Center visit (freshmen sessions only)
Linens are available for student rental through the Office of Housing and Residential Communities during Bama Bound. The cost is $10.00 per linen set and they are available onsite at residence hall check-in.</p>
<p>Also…make a grid that has the days of the week across, and half hours going down.</p>
<p>Then in the various boxes, put in course options (write the CRN). Have a Plan A, B, C. </p>
<p>Bring that with you.</p>
<p>Since these are dorms and not hotels you will also need a towel, toilet paper, and a trash bag during your stay in addition to all personal care items like shampoo and hand soap. Basically, you are getting the furniture in the suite and a fridge and microwave. Linens are provided for parents, but students need to reserve them as mentioned above or bring their own.</p>
<p>I signed up to stay in the dorms because of the chance to meet other parents, but now I’m realising that this will be a bare-bones event. Wow, since we love camping, I think we’ll just bring our sleeping bags and be done w/ the whole linen rental thing. But toilet paper?! I thought for my orientation parent fee I would be provided w/ SOMEthing other than a roof over my head… Please tell me the camaraderie is worth foregoing all the bells/whistles of a hotel stay!</p>
<p>haha… I had the same thought. I think we will continue staying in a hotel, and not having to pack up early morning and again the next day. I bet we will still meet plenty of other parents during orientation.</p>
<p>I don’t remember providing toilet paper for my student for orientation (we stayed in a hotel, so I can’t speak for the parent rooms).</p>
<p>Linens are provided for parents and we enjoyed meeting other parents, but nothing was included except the linens and the furnishings you will find when your student arrives in August. We really didn’t find it a big deal, but a few seemed to be caught off guard. It isn’t a horrible experience at all as long as you come prepared to stay in a dorm room.</p>
<p>Bamagirls - are you really saying we need to pack toilet paper and trash bags? I figured there wouldn’t be the shampoo, conditioner and soap that you’d find at a hotel, and I was planning on bringing my own washcloth and towel, but I would not have thought I needed to bring my own toilet paper. $35 (or whatever they charge) isn’t a terrible price to pay for a night in a 9x10 dorm room, but I did think it was enough to warrant toilet paper. What does “linens” include? Is that just sheets? Do we need to bring pillow and blanket?</p>
<p>We were provided sheets and a pillow case but had brought our own so we didn’t take them. I don’t recall there being a blanket when they were handed to us, but it is possible there may have been…not sure there. The dorm rooms do not have trash cans in them since students bring their own. We simply used a plastic bag from the grocery store where we brought in water bottles to put in the fridge. If there is toilet paper in the room it is because an earlier guest left it…or maybe someone took ours??? The rooms will be furnished exactly as they will be when your child arrives in August. Honors puts a roll of tissue in a goody bag for the kids when they arrive in August because it is often forgotten. Relax, you’ll have fun and it is a great opportunity to brainstorm for August.</p>
<p>In the past, housing has left a roll of toilet paper in each bathroom. Even that probably takes 2-3 hours for one person to do before each Bama Bound; having to provide other amenities would take even longer. Of course, it is possible to miss some rooms; I remember someone at my Bama Bound asking to borrow some toilet paper. Don’t worry though; there is a public bathroom in each residence hall and multiple ones in each academic building, all of which have soap and toilet paper.</p>
<p>For the relatively small extra cost, I suggest renting the linen package and bringing some small toiletries that were either free at your last hotel or can be bought for less than $3 at Wal-Mart. As bamagirls commented, you can even use the Wal-Mart bag as a garbage bag. :)</p>
<p>The parent’s were provided a towel, washcloth, sheets, pillow, and a blanket at BB last year. There was TP in the bathroom. You did need to bring a bag for your trash. </p>
<p>You can use the refrigerator for your drinks and the microwave oven for a frozen dinner. Most people went out to eat though. You can walk to Publix and the strip.</p>
<p>I stayed 2 nights last year and had a blast. Staying in the dorm means being able to measure everything in the dorm (if your child selects RCS).</p>