<p>Hi - my D will be a member of the 2015 class. Any other parents out there? It might be nice for us to have a thread. D filled out housing request and made a doctor appointment. I am starting to think about the logistics of a kid in school a plane ride away, where to suggest she bank (no ATM fees?), and when exactly to get to MD. Fortunately, we have good friends in Baltimore, so she will have a local "parent" and we will have a fun place to stay.</p>
<p>Bed Bath and Beyond does remote pickup. I will have to check out which store is closest to JHU.</p>
<p>There’s a Bed Bath and Beyond in Towson, which is about 20 mins north of campus. The same shopping center has a Target and a number of other stores that are good for college shopping. In terms of a bank, unless things have changed in the last year, the only two banks nearby are M&T and Bank of America. Both have full bank locations within a block of campus and both have ATMs on campus as well.</p>
<p>I’m a parent of a 2014, but happy to assist as needed.</p>
<p>DS uses the JHU credit union which is on campus at Charles Commons. We would have preferred a bank with branch at home and on campus but we have neither BoA nor M&T here so didn’t have that option. It’s been fine other than I have to send him a check which he then deposits. Seems to clear in a day or two.</p>
<p>Suggest you arrive in Baltimore the day before, unless you want to play with your friends first. Move in is best in the morning, then we went to Towson for the things we had figured out we needed during the movein, then the kid basically wanted us gone 
so we wandered around, attended programs and stayed out of his way other than taking him and roommate out to dinner. We stuck around Baltimore for a couple more days but don’t recommend that unless your kid really wants you to. Don’t know about your kid but mine wanted to get moving on his new life and parents were not a part of it. We did drink goodly amount of red wine to get us through the transition, including at the airport as we were flying out without our kid :(</p>
<p>When we flew in, my H drove the car to campus and DS and I did a dry run on the light rail from airport to campus so he would be familiar with how that works. We don’t have public transportation at home either. Having done that, he’s never used the light rail again all year :D. </p>
<p>They have a shuttle that they run from campus to airport when school goes on break that the kids can sign up for ($20) but it only runs every 2 hours so DS has ended up hanging around the airport when leaving. Doesn’t seem to mind. He usually gets back to Baltimore late at night so has been taking the Super Shuttle ($24?) back although the last time that took 2 hrs. No campus shuttle available on return to school.</p>
<p>Anyhow, happy to answer any parent type questions.</p>
<p>Thanks ihs and tanman. I hope we get some others on this thread. D is my first, so this terrritory is new. I am so proud and excited for her!</p>
<p>Anybody know how the freshman trip (5 days prior to starting school) affects move in? Can the kids get their stuff into the dorm early? Looks like fun but complicates things regarding move in, especially if the move is long distance. We were planning on buying most stuff there (Target and BBB) and helping D get it to campus in the rental car. I think move in dates are 8/24 and 8/25 and there are upper classmen helping, but the kids on the pre-orientation trips need to arrive several days earlier. Hmmm.</p>
<p>This might help from the [Pre-O</a> website](<a href=“Ralph S. O'Connor Recreation Center | Student Affairs”>Ralph S. O'Connor Recreation Center | Student Affairs):
</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there is a laundry service available at JHU?</p>
<p>If by laundry service, you mean where someone will actually wash, dry and fold laundry as opposed to the availability of washers and dryers, I believe the answer is no as far as the University is concerned. However, there is a least one (and I think two) private company offering those services in the neighborhood (on St Paul Street).</p>
<p>And I strongly endorse the Pre-O program for those who can swing the expense. It is a wonderful way to forge close bonds with a group of students In a non- academic setting before schools starts. My D, who tends to get nervous over transitions, was much more relaxed starting school having already made some close friends at Pre-O.</p>
<p>Thanks tanman and bonanza. I need to get D’s log -in info so I can be informed. She is in charge, but I want to know what is going on when I need to. Pre-O, here she comes; I do believe it’s worth the extra cost and hassle and, more importantly, she wants to go!</p>
<p>Regarding banking, you can join a credit union at home and then use the JHU credit union ATM’s to access your account at home for free. </p>
<p>The credit unions have a network of ATM’s with no fees, which has been great at many places my kids have been. I just go onto our credit union’s website and print off a list of no-fee ATM’s near where they are going to be. It also usually includes some store chains, which also comes in handy. I use my ATM card at CVS, Duane Reade, etc. for free.</p>
<p>P.S. This also makes it easy to transfer money into your child’s account. We have our accounts at the same credit union, so I can just go online and transfer the money from our account to theirs.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on Pre-O? D is leaning to the canoe/hike one. It will mean sending her solo with a couple bags and then meeting her out there for move in with a rental car to get the stuff at BBB/Target. After some helpful input here, she is leaning toward the JHU credit union for her banking. Decals are on the car!</p>
<p>Don’t know about pre-O as DS didn’t do it. </p>
<p>Re credit union: Get there first thing in the morning as soon as they open. Nasty lines later in the day.</p>
<p>Credit unions in my town does not/cannot communicate with JHU credit union. We just deposited a semesters worth of money in the fall. I have ended up sending checks for additional stuff to him here and there.</p>
<p>I was reading the JHFCU website and spotted “10 FREE ATM withdrawals per month” in the student account description. Probably a non-issue as 10 is a lot, but…they charge for using their ATM after 10? That seems odd to me…</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.jhfcu.org/site/checking.html#student[/url]”>https://www.jhfcu.org/site/checking.html#student</a></p>
<p>Also, it looks like you can open an account by mail…which would avoid lines entirely.</p>
<p>ihs76 - that is why we use the credit union in my town and then son will withdraw money from his ‘home’ account using the FREE atm’s at the JHU credit union. He never opens up a college account in Baltimore, but instead has free access to his ‘home’ credit union account.</p>
<p>I can do an online transfer of money from my ‘home’ account to his ‘home’ account and then he takes the money out using the JHU credit union atm without any atm charges.</p>
<p>mnop:</p>
<p>I think credit unions belong to different networks. The ones in my town (across country) do not belong to the same network as JHU credit union so I don’t think cross usage was an option. I could be wrong but that’s how it looked when we looked into it. Same for the banks, we have none that has a branch here and near JHU.</p>
<p>ihs76 - oh, I thought it would work at all credit unions, only as far as using each other’s atm’s with no charge…</p>
<p>mnop: </p>
<p>Well you got me curious so I did look into it some more. At least one of the credit unions in town seem to belong to the “Co-op network” which JHU credit union also belongs to. </p>
<p>[CO-OP</a> Financial Services](<a href=“http://www.co-opfs.org/public/company/index.cfm]CO-OP”>http://www.co-opfs.org/public/company/index.cfm)</p>
<p>Some of the other credit unions, that do not appear to belong to this network, allow free ATM only at their machines and state that while they won’t charge for use of other ATM’s, the other institution may charge their standard fee. So don’t know whether the JHU credit union would charge a fee or not…</p>