Hi. I have to get my freshman to Oberlin from NYC. I don’t have a car. Trying to figure out should I rent a car here and try to drive ? It would be grueling for a a ride that long. Or fly to Cleveland and rent when I get there ? Also trying to figure out best way to bring all her stuff. Is buying stuff for the room when you get there feasible ? I have a hotel booked for Fri- Monday. Thanks!
You can give your Amazon membership to her. That’ll cover most buying that is not a mattress top or things of that size. She can order the small stuff at leisure. No reason to drive from nyc. It is exhausting.
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Easy to check bags - either double up the Ikea blue zip bags and/or combine with Samsonite ton a tote. Easy to store in dorm room, as take up no space and then can be used again to store everything at a storage facility near Oberlin over the summers.
Flying and rent a car on arrival - easy for last minute Target run and imagine Oberlin will let you drop ship items right before school starts too.
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Yeah I have my big suitcase , she has an XL duffle from camp and I’m buying her one from LL BEAN. plus her carryon. She doesn’t have THAT much clothes. M
What do you mean drop ship to Oberlin. If I give her access to my Amazon account great idea btw they will ship straight to the dorm ? Or there’s like a package center somewhere?
No clue about Oberlin - but guessing you will find on their website. Both my daughter’s schools allowed you to have items shipped directly starting on a specific date. One took to the dorm room (yeah) and other had to pick up at mailroom.
Bags add up with winter wear, mattress pad (would direct ship that if possible) bedding and towels - i liked to have those with us, as I washed everything in advance. we bought all toiletries, hangers, storage containers, rug and misc items all in a day at each school. Lots of kids fly to school - you will see all the bags piled up at the airport 
Check out Bed Bath and Beyond. When my kids went to college they offered a service where you could place an order in one location (near home) and pick it up in another (near the college). And agree that Amazon is a grest resource.
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Target and Walmart also offer this service. We used BB&B moving my daughter in, we flew. Order over the summer, rent a car at the airport, pick it up on the way to college, it was easier than our drive in moves. Amazon is great, most likely will have an on campus package pickup, not in the dorm. Keep in mind mail rooms/package pick up tend to be overwhelmed the first few weeks, so make sure to get stuff needed right away from stores instead (like bedding), but most stuff isn’t needed immediately.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I would rent a car and throw everything in the back. But to me that is an easy drive - once you get outside of the New York area, I-80 west is a dream.
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I agree. Imo easier to drive the one way, drop the rental car at Hopkins after move in and then fly home.
You need to ask the folks at Oberlin your shipping questions. Colleges have a variety of ways of hand’ing shipping.
Both kids at different schools always had access to our Amazon accounts. Great for just about anything including some books they needed.
I don’t know the area of the school but just ask where the closest store is to buy college things. Usually there is a Target, Walmart etc for needs. But just remember, you gotta get that stuff home also… Lol.