<p>If you don’t have a vehicle, you might have to wait until after regular move-in is finished to do it with a taxi. At at least some of the schools where they have parents wait in long lines in cars and drop stuff off near dorms where they have a cadre of guys rolling and hauling stuff up to the rooms for you all day, it is not possible to go in on your own. And the taxi might be waiting in line a long time running up the bill if you tried it that way. Could be cheaper to rent a vehicle. Waiting to the next day is not impossible, just might miss some initial fun contacts and meetings with CA. Should check with prospective schools to see how they handle move-in. Smaller schools probably different and more flexible.</p>
<p>You honestly do not have to bring SO MUCH STUFF! My daughter flew from CA to PA. Two suitcases checked, one carryon. She got everything in there including her bedding. Of course, being from CA, she didn’t have winter gear (never heard of it) so she has accumulated more STUFF since she has been there. Every summer she has stayed in Philly so we haven’t had to deal with the STUFF but I would have thrown STUFF out before renting cars to schlep it home again. Now that she is graduating she is sitll planning to stay in Philly but I’m guessing she will have BOOKS to send home with us as she simply can’t part with books once she has purchased them. But I may just send those through the mail.</p>
<p>P.S. We were able to find a taxi that was a mini-van.</p>
<p>My S is probably one of the furthest away from home that one can be…we live in So Cal and he is in Canton, NY… basically Canada. It actually went WAY more smoothly than I thought it would… but remember he is a male child, I’m sure it would of been a bit harder with a girl. We flew out with only 1 small duffle bag of clothes and small items. He was there a few days early for a Pre-O trip. While he was away on his backpacking trip, I ran to Wal-Mart( 5 min away) Target and BB&B( 1 hour away) and bought all of his necessary items for his dorm. That was that… it took all of 1/2 hour to put together everything after he returned. I was starting to worry about the end of school pack up, as I had heard of horror stories of kids trying to get everything cleaned out and packed up right during finals, so I casually asked him to start researching where he would be able to store stuff. Thankfully he got into a theme house for next year and they will let him store all of his stuff there for free. He will ship some of stuff he will want at home before he comes home, and bring the rest with him… </p>
<p>So far this cross country college has been relatively easy. Only 1 small problem with a flight in Dec. on the way home for winter break, but other than that totally uneventful. He will be driving his car next year.</p>
<p>We loaded the SUV, roof and all like the Beverly Hillbillies and hauled the first 2 kids their respective 1600-1800 miles. They used summer storage after freshman year and neither came back home after that so we lucked out. The winter flying at Christmas has been more of a logistical nightmare than anything - if only we could avoid Chicago :-(</p>
<p>DD went to college 3000 miles away. We didn’t ship anything!</p>
<p>We flew Southwest Airlines…so we each got two suitcases to check. Plus we each had a carry on bag and a backpack. Yes, we looked like pack mules. One suitcase was dedicated to linens. One suitcase held school supplies and some toiletry items (hair dryer, flat iron, brushes, makeup, costume jewelry, etc). The other two suitcases held clothing and shoes. The carryons held a mix of things…in case a suitcase got lost.</p>
<p>We ordered the bulky items (pillows, mattress pas and topper, chair cushion, desk lamp) at the Bed Bath and Beyond near our home, and picked them up at the BBB near the college town. We also did a run to Staples for a cheap printer, and other school supply items needed. We headed to Target for shampoo, soap, detergent, toiletries, and a small TV.</p>
<p>The VERY best part of having a kid 3000 miles away was that all,the college STUFF was put into storage for the summer…instead of decorating our living room for three months. PLUS we had nothing to do with moving in and out of,the dorms every year! Loved that part.</p>
<p>Take as little as possible - even college freshman girls have admitted they took way to much stuff with them for move-in! </p>
<p>I used Amazon Prime to ship additional items as needed. I also gave my son login and PW info. but he never uses it. I understand Amazon has a special deal for students but we already had an account so I don’t know the specifics or what kind of restrictions are on the student account - but either way it’s the cheapest, quickest, easiest way to get students what they need when they need it. </p>
<p>Don’t take all the heavy winter gear if it’s not going to be used for several months. Sign up for a USPS account so you can print prepaid shipping labels at home (cheaper than purchasing postage at PO). Priority Mail is the best - for occasional care packages and to ship cold weather items or additional clothing as needed. </p>
<p>Thanks to you all for the thorough replies!</p>
<p>We live in London, kids are in college in US. We did pretty much what everyone else here is recommending. We each took 2 suitcases on the airplane packed with clothes. Rented a car - went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and Best Buy. Moved in and made a last minute Target run. At the end of the year, kids put their stuff into storage. D1’s school has a pick up/drop off storage service, which is very convenient. S2 is a freshman so I’m not sure what his school does, but stuff will definitely go into storage. (After 2nd year, D1 moved into an apartment year-round, so that solved the storage problem. S2 will probably do the same - neither will come home for summers as there are no job opportunities here!)</p>
<p>We all flew up with each of our kids to “send them off” to school, 2500 miles away–5.5 hours by plane. We each had one carry one and offered to take a suitcase for S. He took one carry on and one suitcase and had two of us take one suitcase for him as well. He brought up a laptop in his carry on. He had more than enough stuff. We did get there about a week in advance, so he could have appointments with some of the docs at the med school in case his chronic health problems might be beyond the skills of the student health center (at the U’s recommendation). </p>
<p>We decided to make a vacation of it and drove to San Diego for a week and then returned to LA so he could be present for move in day. We didn’t see him much after that, but were glad it was very relaxed and that we helped him get the things he wanted.</p>
<p>We also made a trip to Frye’s to buy a printer, Office Depot for a room fan, Costco to buy gatorade & other stuff S wanted, and Target. We never helped S over the summer, but he found places to stash his stuff and we were never involved in the process.</p>
<p>2.5 years later when D flew up to same U, S offered her his linens, printer and some of his other things he no longer needed. She was able to fit her things in her carry on & suitcase, plus H and I each brought a suitcase with her stuff. She also wanted us to take her to Target and Costco. S helped her stash her things over the summer. When he graduated, she had to make other arrangements, but she figured it out.</p>
<p>We only helped them move out once, when we were in town for S’s graduation and they needed to get things out of his place and into a storage place before we went on a road trip for his graduation. We also helped him and D get the stuff out of storage into the place he’d be staying for a while in the summer. I have friends who fly up to help move their kids in and out of their lodging every year. We never offered and the kids never asked us.</p>
<p>D attends school on the opposite coast. First time move in, the family took a mini vacay (stopped at a few cities en route) and took Ds SEVEN suitcases ( more than 1 used for shoes alone, 1 for primping and toiletries) and the 3 family members scrunched in 1 suitcase on Southwest airlines (2 bags free). I had bought 29" rolling duffels for approx $30 each on ebags.com which hold more and are lighter so that you can pack more and keep it under 50 lbs (recommended on cc). Prebought online items (fan, bedding, etc) which could have been delivered to dorm, but I had it shipped to my inlaws house who lives about 2 hours away from uni. Rented an SUV to load up the suitcases and the online purchases. Uni is about 2 hours away from the airport. Minifrig I ordered online from Walmart and had it delivered to the Walmart near uni and picked it up with the SUV. Shopped for other small items while at uni. Uni allows move in over a period of 3 days, thus everyone can still shop after move in day and parents are all over the campus. In my D’s suite of 6 girls, she had the least stuff, if you can believe it. Shipped stuff back and/or stored it (there are college shipping services which will ship and store combinations for cheaper than UPS). </p>
<p>Most common advice is to set aside everything that kid is planning on taking, and then eliminating half of it. D chose not to follow that advice in frosh year.</p>
<p>Second year, D took only 3 suitcases.</p>
<p>“I’m wondering what is all the stuff that needs to be shipped. My parents drove me to college with my stuff in the back of our station wagon.”</p>
<p>You can fill the back of a station wagon with probably 18 boxes of 12x12x16. So a station wagon holds more than even a few shipped boxes.</p>
<p>Like you, I was concerned about the logistics of D going across the country, but it all worked out beautifully. For us, the parents, it was so much easier than driving in the stuffed car 6 or 7 hours twice each year. There is a shuttle that comes to D’s university and takes students from right in front of their dorm to the airport 45 minutes away and vice versa, for a reasonable, student-discounted fee.</p>
<p>We purchased some dorm items at the BB&B near home and picked them up at the local store before move-in. Pretty much everything else we took in suitcases. Back then H had an elite status with the airline, so we got free extra bags. So outside of what we needed for our own use, we filled our suitcases with her clothes. A few forgotten things or items she decided she wanted there after all, we did ship USPS or UPS. That was not cheap and if it was a large box, it was a hassle for her to get it from the package center on campus to her dorm. D’s first year roommate was local, so that girl contributed the fridge. The following year, D bought a used one from a senior. </p>
<p>At her school there were a variety of storage options of differing levels of convenience that one could choose for the summer, but one of them drops off a large container in front of your dorm room door for you to fill, and then they cart it away until the start of the new term. Then they drop it off at your room again. This was really nice, since D does not have a car there and we were not going to be able to afford to fly out each time to help her move in and out. She has also shared larger storage areas with friends, some of whom had cars they used to drive back and forth to the storage facility, so they all helped each other with move-in logistics. Do a little research, and your mind will be eased when you find out what’s available near your child’s school. I promise you, if it’s a school that attracts kids from all over, there will be good options. </p>
<p>Bringing it all back home was worrying me for 4 years, since naturally she has been accumulating stuff while there. However, she found a job locally, so after graduation it will get moved in to her apartment in the large city near school. So while I’m a little sad she’s staying there, this has been a very easy 4 years for Mom and Dad as far as move-ins and move-outs. </p>
<p>AuthorMom, I think whether you need to rent a car depends on how good mass transit is and lots of other things. When ds1 and I moved in ds2, I picked a hotel that had a free shuttle from the airport. It wasn’t near the Metro line, but it had a free shuttle to the nearest Metro stop, then the university has a free shuttle from its nearest Metro stop that runs every 15 minutes 18 hours a day. Worked great for us. I think we used one taxi at an off hour. Oh, and we had a friend in town who drove us once. So… doable, but takes some planning. </p>
<p>@YoHoYoHo, it wasn’t anywhere close to that full. My closet was half-empty and I never had anything stored under my bed, except maybe an empty suitcase. If you fill the back of a station wagon with a large suitcase and 2 carry ons per person for a family of 3 traveling, you won’t have room for anywhere near 18 of those boxes even if you cram it full.</p>
<p>Agree with everyone else, buy stuff there and store over summer. I would rent a car, reserve it as soon as you know where college bound child is going and have made plane reservations. Cabs can be expensive. If you do not already have Amazon Prime sign your college student up for it, free for first 6 months I think. It is a great way to buy and ship heavy items directly to school. I used to buy everything from laundry detergent, cases of drinks, shoes, books and clothing on there and have it shipped directly to college S. </p>
<p>I’m planning on convincing my D16 that she is a minimalist before she heads out to college (hopefully at a residential school in another city). Google minimalist + college + list. 
</p>
<p>Wow, I am a little surprised at the number of people who think “far” is 700 miles. Not a criticism , but a surprise to me.
We sent DD from west coast to Dartmouth. With one box pre-shipped and her 2 suitcases. We didn’t take her, didn’t rent a car … Summers had storage on campus while she was in the dorms . Her study abroad quarter was harder as she went fall quarter so had to pack up and store at the end of spring quarter. Rented part of a storage place with a friend. She managed to gather garage sale stuff to have a bed in a room in houses after that. Sold them on leaving. We were there for graduation and brought back the remainder in our joint suitcases. She had pared down pretty well. DH DID rent a car for the move to storage unit. He went out and was there for the move I don’t know how she got the stuff back to the next place she lived, but she did have friends with cars by then. </p>
<p>The big thing(s) for me for the distance was never a home trip for Thanksgiving (too short to bother) and the wanting to help her when she was sick. She lived without me somehow. However, back in the dark ages, I did all that (left on a plane with a suitcase; didn’t come home for TG break) so it seemed more normal than the big to-do events I read about.</p>
<p>If you are planning to buy any items after arrival at college keep in mind that others will have the same plan and some items will be sold out. I recommend ordering beforehand and then just do the pickup.
I also recommend the space saver vacuum bags for shipment and summer storage of bed linens and mattress toppers.
Southwest baggage policy is fantastic!</p>
<p>
I’m an off campus community college student (my parents live in a different state than I do), and my parents weren’t involved in the move in process at all, but I have some answers.
In my case, no. I packed the immediate necessities to get by for a few days, and my stuff was shipped right before I left.
I flew in as summer break was beginning, so that I could get paperwork done in person and because I was eager to arrive in the state.
Neither was an option in my case, but I see no reason either of these would be a bad idea if time and finances permitted it.</p>
<p>
I take summer classes and don’t live in a dorm, so I don’t do anything with my stuff.</p>
<p>
Not crucial at all. If I want to go to the airport, my school gives everyone a public transportation pass for the entire term, and it’s pretty easy to get to the airport by bus or light rail.</p>
<p>
Logistically it was pretty easy, but shipping can be pretty expensive. I paid about $60, and I paid the government rate, which is a good deal cheaper than what UPS or Fedex would charge.</p>