<p>They ordered it from a website called ThinkGeek, my favorite source of nerdy paraphernalia.</p>
<p>@TD: I definitely agree about the hand-eye coordination, and goodness knows mine needs improvement! Maybe this alarm clock will be good for me in more ways than one. :D</p>
<p>I heard of a great idea–buy a crate, the kind that you’d put a small dog or cat in. Take the alarm clock and lock it inside. Put the crate on the other side of the room and then when it the alarm rings, you not only have to get out of bed, but open the crate to shut off the alarm.</p>
<p>Hint: for those using Stacy’s method, do <em>not</em> put an extra pillow on the floor next to the crate.</p>
<p>Below in my last post I meant to type the klaxon “wasn’t” so bad.</p>
<p>We love Think Geek - that alarm clock is called Clocky and was designed by an MIT student. I think you can even find it on Amazon - it sounds a bit like R2D2. They also have a helicopter version which I believe was a bit less successful since it would be disturbing to have your alarm clock land on you in the am 
I also don;t recommend these if you sleep with a pet in your room since it can be like waking up to WW3:)</p>
<p>@overwhelmedma: Yeah, I think Clocky is on Amazon, too, but we can never resist giving ThinkGeek some business. :D</p>
<p>I can see how that helicopter clock wouldn’t work so well–someone could wake up not only herself, but the rest of her house with her cry of surprise when it landed on her!</p>
<ol>
<li> Microwave/fridge combo is a good idea, if you’re getting one.</li>
<li> Health services are truly subpar. There is only one doctor. He doesn’t know how to treat Lyme disease, which is a very common disease here in the northeast; after we suggested that he test for Lyme (after all the other tests came back negative, and he admitted he had no idea what to look for), and the test came back positive, he tried to send my D to a “specialist” in town, who refused to see her for three weeks. When I insisted that she needed antibiotics now, not three weeks from now, he prescribed the wrong duration, as even my pediatric nurse knew, when I talked to her. Anyway, the point is, don’t assume they know what they’re doing. </li>
<li> Many students don’t leave room for getting furnishings/decorations over the course of the year; while it’s tempting to move into a fully-finished room, it’s also fun to acquire things that express your new life. My d’s roommate had every surface fully covered from day one.</li>
<li> My D really loved her featherbed.</li>
</ol>
<p>Marysidney, I’m so very sorry to hear about your daughter’s getting Lyme disease and health services being so grossly inadequate. I hope you were eventually able to get the correct prescription for her.</p>