Princeton parent thread

<p>Princeton doesn’t actually buy stuff for you. Even though you might receive financial aid to cover books and other expenses, you still use your own credit card to pay for them, and then FA will cut you a check if you have a credit in your account. So yes you have to buy (and pay for) your plane ticket.</p>

<p>I also posted this on the current student thread, but wanted to ask here too. What is the best type of fan to bring, window or tower? My son will be in the addition part of Forbes. Also, what about a rug? Should I buy one now or wait until we get there?</p>

<p>window fans don’t fit in most princeton windows (they usually push outwards or slide sideways). So a tower fan is safer</p>

<p>Thanks, ec1234!</p>

<p>woot forbes addition!</p>

<p>Now we are at the point to start shopping, gathering things together and thinking about packing, I found this thread from years ago and think it might be helpful:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/205148-practical-questions-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/205148-practical-questions-2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Thanks, TigerMom. We were out yesterday getting a few more things. I had a written list that I kept adding to, finally got smart and started a list in word. Told my son when he thinks of something just type it in. Seems much easier than having a piece of paper attached to the fridge! Happy shopping to everyone!</p>

<p>Is there an event calender for parents’ weekend? Is it useful to attend? travel coast to coast 3 times (preview, drop-off, parents weekend) in a few month is a bit of a hassle.</p>

<p>TigerDad14- Go to the Parents section on the Princeton website and then on the right there is a section for Freshman Parent’s Weekend. (I know I can somehow put up the link but I have no clue how to do that!) There is a schedule of events. I tried to register last week and it said that registration was closed. I didn’t realize that I was so late. I am still going even though I am not officially registered. I also live only about 1 hour and 15 minutes away so I am one of the lucky ones.</p>

<p>I only found last year’s event calendar.</p>

<p>ProudNJMom – The link to which I think that you are referring is still for last year’s Freshman Parent’s Weekend, which is why it says that it is closed.
[Welcome</a> to Freshman Parents Weekend - Freshman Parents Weekend](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/pub/fpw/]Welcome”>http://www.princeton.edu/pub/fpw/)
[Registration</a> - Freshman Parents Weekend](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/pub/fpw/register/]Registration”>http://www.princeton.edu/pub/fpw/register/)</p>

<p>Here is a schedule of events from last year.
[Program</a> of Events - Freshman Parents Weekend](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/pub/fpw/program/]Program”>http://www.princeton.edu/pub/fpw/program/)</p>

<p>The 2014 Dates & Deadlines link just says that the FPW is Oct. 15-17, but no details.
[Welcome</a> Tigers - Dates & deadlines](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/welcometigers/dates.xml]Welcome”>http://www.princeton.edu/welcometigers/dates.xml)</p>

<p>ETA: Cross-Posted w/ tigerdad14</p>

<p>Wow, I didn’t even realize it was last years. I guess when I went to register and then clicked on the calendar I never noticed it was for Class of 2013! Plus since I will be driving and not booking a room, I wasn’t even checking the exact dates. So sorry. Hopefully someone will post where we can find it.</p>

<p>GSharpM7 - Thanks, I just read your post before submitting mine. Glad everyone is on top of things. My head is swimming with all of the stuff we as parents have to do. Not only get their dorm essentials but also Outdoor Action too! </p>

<p>Thanks to everyone on this board. I have learned quite a bit and am very thankful for it. Thank god for the internet! How did our parent’s do it?</p>

<p>tigerdad14: the thing about Freshman Parents Weekend is that it is a one time only event. There isn’t a general “parents weekend” in the fall like other schools have, so I would encourage you to go if possible. We really enjoyed it - by then your child is probably settled in and can show you around and there are many on campus events and specific meetings on subjects of interest to freshman parents. </p>

<p>One thing I found very different from previous experience with S who attended a small LAC - there are no class visits. There are lectures by profs, but you do not visit actual classes. That might be standard practice at Universities. </p>

<p>You can also check the website for the winter class day, I think it’s called. Alums and parents can attend this one day event (a Saturday in February) and it’s interesting, though given a choice between the two events I would choose the Freshman Parents Weekend. There were not a lot of freshman parents present at last year’s February event - it’s mostly alums.</p>

<p>The TigerPay setup email came yesterday. Tell your kids to check their pton email.</p>

<p>I agree with ProudNJMom, shopping and preparing dorm essentials, plus getting all the necessary things for OA, certaininly make my head spin … I didn’t realize all the things that would need to be gathered until now,oh well, part of the fun sending kids to college. We are going to drive about over 10 hours to Princeton, we are trying to think of all the things we can pack in the car, so we don’t have to do much shopping once we get there, it’s not easy :-(</p>

<p>I have a couple of quick questions:</p>

<p>Is the bicycle needed if a student lives in Whitman? </p>

<p>Do other parents plan to to pack winter clothing: coat, boots, etc? How cold would it be in November in NJ? We haven’t thought about Thanksgiving yet, one option of course would be to take the winter stuff then if S comes home for Thanksgiving. </p>

<p>I will post these questions on the
“Get your questions answered by current students”
thread as well, hopefully will get some answers there as well… Thanks…</p>

<p>When we lived in central NJ, the first snow or freezing weather often came around Halloween, Oct.31. I encourage you to send a coat or jacket with the student in September.</p>

<p>Students from SoCal will be in coats much earlier, NoDakotans may not feel the need.</p>

<p>Concerning Parents Weekend: though there will be multiple trips this first year, other years you will not go. Your student will be so proud and delighted to share their campus, and the events are so marvelous for the parents, it is a chance of a lifetime.</p>

<p>TigerMom2014 - You could have been in our house this weekend participating in the conversation.</p>

<p>Our D will also be in Whitman. We are going to bring all of the clothes for move-in. As fauve points out, cold is relative, but better to have them and not need them than the other way around. We are also planning to bring a bike and can always bring it back later if it is not needed. We live about 7 hours away, but plan to be there for CA move-in, probably “real” move-in (although not necessary), and Freshman Parents Weekend.</p>

<p>Thank you fauve and GSharpM7! </p>

<p>We will pack all the winter stuff during OA move-in as well… I will fly back during Parents Weekend, already booked the ticket and hotel! Looks like the hotels are filling up fast for the Parents Weekend…</p>

<p>I would bring a jacket and some warm clothes, but you don’t need the boots until after christmas break really. It’s usually not that cold on a regular basis until about christmas break time. You don’t need a bike anywhere on the princeton campus-- its not that big. They are definitely popular in forbes. Only one or two of my friends had bikes.</p>

<p>TigerMom2014- I have lived in NJ for my whole life (about 30 minutes from NYC). It does get cold here by Thanksgiving. My sons always only wear a fleece jacket until around mid December, but they are always only going in and out of cars, not walking across campus. If you are looking to save space you might want to ship the coat to him in November or bring it with you when you come back for Parents’ Weekend. Your son will already have his boots with him from OA so you don’t have to worry about that.I am probably going to send my son with 2-3 hoodies to start with. We are lucky that we live so close that we don’t have to worry about bringing everything that first trip. I did post on another thread about the fan and was told to get a tower, not a window. Of course, we already have a window fan here! From what I can tell, it seems like move in on OA day will have a lot more kids than on regular move in. My older son commuted to college so this is a first for me! I am looking forward to it, but I am already getting “CRAZY”. I can’t even imagine what my dining room will look like this time next month,we already have a pile of stuff and I don’t think I even put a dent in my list!</p>