<p>Move in day is going to be big-time, and busy. You know that. It is going to happen all to fast and by Sunday evening you will be tired, perhaps exhausted, and parts of it will be a blur. </p>
<p>Here are a couple of recommendations or pointers that might be of use:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Keep reminding yourself you have done a wonderful job and you are so happy that your student is matriculating at Rice! You could not have planned this any better if you had another 18 years to do it all again. Congratulations and welcome to the Rice community! </p></li>
<li><p>Enjoy the lunch and think – we never had food like this where I went to school!</p></li>
<li><p>Attend all the afternoon programs and lectures for the parents and listen to what the speakers have to say. </p></li>
<li><p>Ok, here is the one that I wish I could have done better / differently:</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You probably will be feeling a bit tense. Most of the other students and parents are feeling exactly the same. Everyone is playing it pretty cool but tight. You don't know any of the other parents that you will be sitting near or having brief moments of contact with on Sunday. However, you are in a unique and special group so recognize that and SMILE and maybe say something. (For example, it was a long day drive for us to get to Houston on a Saturday night, but the lovely family I was sitting near had been traveling for days to get there.) Consider congratulating them on their journey or at least look them in the eye and greet them. They are proud, special and unique parents just like you - so recognize that fact and try to somehow relish this experience together – you are in wonderful company so don't do the day all by yourself. </p>
<ol>
<li> If you should find yourself getting a bit choked up – breath, wipe your eye or nose quickly and just say to yourself that you are not used to the humidity in Houston! It's the darn humidity OK (wink). I will understand.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.”
William Shedd</p>
<p>Interesting post. Lots of emoting! Honestly, my husband and I just helped our son move in, passed out water bottles to some O-week helpers, said hello to the college master, met our son’s roommate, and then said goodbye. Didn’t stay for lunch or sessions, so don’t feel like you have to. Son ate lunch with roommate (whose parents were also gone.) Our feeling is that it is best for parents to say goodbye and leave… The sooner the better!</p>
<p>renisa64 - Matriculation is student only as far as I know. I said good bye to my parents that afternoon and everything after that was with our OWeek groups</p>
<p>I’d absolutely stay for lunch and sessions. Most other parents at least stayed for lunch and ate with their kids. I’d think it’d be a little lonely for those whose parents took off early.</p>
<p>We came in to Houston a day early… did some shopping and actually got to drop off my son’s stuff on Saturday afternoon! On Sunday, we had lunch with our son and met other students and parents, and left afterwards. You parents will shed a tear. I guarantee it, especially if this is your frst son/daughter going to college. I recommend staying for lunch. It’s actually quite good. I told my son that it was probably going to be his best meal of the year since the serveries wanted to make a good impression. Congrats to the new parents and new students of Rice! This first year will fly by. I can’t believe my son just finished his sophmore year! </p>
<p>How common is it to be able to drop off the student’s “stuff” on the Saturday before? We will probably come into Houston early on that Saturday afternoon and will stay at my sister’s house which is about a 15 to 20 minute drive from campus. I think we probably will drop off S’s stuff on that Saturday if it is a possibility.</p>
<p>@austinareadad Your child will receive contact info for the people at their residential college. You should contact them and ask, because the colleges organize their own respective move ins. They will probably be fine with it, but you need to get their room key and stuff and without that you can’t even get into the building without being let in. So communicating with the college coordinators is best. </p>
<p>I’m not sure how common it is. Move in is kind of an event and there are several dozens of returning students there to advise during O-Week who help carry the stuff and introduce themselves. They actually memorize your child’s face so they can find them in the crowd and introduce themselves. So you can move the stuff in early, just remember to show up on time for move in, because that’s when a lot of important stuff happens. </p>
<p>Also you should eat with your kid despite what that one person said. They will appreciate it and they will have plenty of time to meet people over the following week. </p>
<p>@austinareadad Agree with @jfking01. It’s not common. My son’s roommate was an international student flying in on a Saturday and had prearranged to move in on Saturday. We were able to pick him up from the airport since we were already in Houston. Since we were dropping him off and his stuff to his dorm, we were able to drop off my son’s stuff as well. It was just convenient to do so. Move in day on Sunday is indeed an event.</p>
<p>@jdaa, I’m gonna be lonely there with my parents back here?
Heck, I’ve not seen them since a year and a half ago. You made me miss them.
Not sure how I’d feel watching parents greet their children goodbyes and crying… :-S </p>
<p>Our son was the O-Week coordinator for his college. I won’t name it here, but it was one of the biggest ones and the coordination, preparation, and tasks leading up to move-in day begin one year prior, and are monumental. PLEASE do not contact the colleges to “drop off your student’s stuff” the day before. What a nightmare and headache that would be for the coordinators and advisors who have worked so hard (for no pay, of course)… and they work up to the morning of move-in on very little sleep (they’ve all been there the week prior) so that the process will go smoothly. Can you imagine if parents started asking for special favors to move their children’s items in early? This is provided for international students (who receive a supplemental orientation), and that is it. </p>
<p>Move-in itself goes very quickly. A group of friendly students will descend on your vehicle and take care of it! Parents really don’t have to lift a finger, although if you have some cold water bottles the helpers will be most appreciative!</p>
<p>@JustTryHarder @austinareadad I should have been clearer. College Coordinators are not the same as O-Week coordinators. Instead, they are adults who work in the office of the residential college and oversee a lot of events, mail, room keys, etc. You want to contact the <em>college</em> coordinator, as they are in charge of who enters and exits the college, and they will be the ones who can give you your key and stuff. I don’t know what they call them at every college, but at Brown College ours is affectionately referred to as the office goddess. It should tell you who it is in the O-Week book. I agree with the sentiment of trying not to complicate stuff for the people organizing O-Week, but their mission is to make everything as smooth as possible for you. So if you would be in a rough situation by not moving your stuff in early, then definitely shoot them an email. However, if you just thought that would be a nicer and less hectic way of doing it and didn’t have a good reason, then I suggest sticking to move-in day.</p>
