Hi - my S will be starting at UConn as a Freshman in August, so I thought I’d reach out to prospective, current, and former UConn parents for advice on orientation, move in day, Parents’ Weekend, etc. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Pick an early orientation date…classes are picked at orientation and most fill up fast! We stayed over the night before orientation, as it starts super early and we live over 3 hours away…without traffic. Move in day can be crazy. The first thing to do is get a cart…before you get keys, before you check in…GET A CART. Our first year my husband stayed by the car, while I got the cart…we brought it to the car so he could start filling it…my daughter and I went to check in. Her sophomore year and Junior year we either paid for one night to move in early or did a volunteer program which allows them to move in early for free. Well worth the $ or effort to not deal with the crowds!!! Some clubs, sports etc can move in early without any strings attached, Never went to a Parents Weekend…daughter always competed off campus that weekend. We stayed at Nathan Hale Inn once…for Orientation, as we needed to be close for the early start. Every other time we stayed in Manchester at a Hampton Inn, which was a lot, to be at our daughters sporting events, great hotel, very friendly, helpful staff! In bad weather they have even let me cancel in less than 24 hours with no fees. Feel free to ask any specific questions that come up.questions
@TLD1267 So are you saying the parent orientation is not worth it? Or that you were not able to attend it? I kept going back and forth and decided to attend it after all.
Other questions… and keep in mind S is my first child to college. Can you explain the FERPA policy at UConn and what access parents may have? I believe it will be covered at the parent orientation but if you could share your thoughts that would be great.
What dorms has your D lived in? Thoughts? S was accepted into a learning community so let me know if you have experience with those.
It seems like you’ve gone through it now several years - so what is your final opinion on what to bring and not bring to UConn. S wants a bike, not a cheap one either, but one of the expensive commuting foldable ones. Is that necessary? Also wants a PS4 but I keep saying that he should not have time for video games.
My daughter was our first to go away. We did not do the parent orientation. Still not sure if that was a mistake…but I have never had a problem… I will be honest…there have been many a time I have called any given office on campus, financial aid office, residence life office, the infirmary, etc…and as long as I say I am the student and give her id # they tell me anything I want to know. So I am sure your husband could do the same. I have also called as a parent…and have only dealt with extremely helpful people! Her freshman year she broke her shoulder, badly, and was home for almost 2 weeks. 4 out of 5 teachers were happy to speak to me, especially the first few days while she was on lots of pain meds. 1 professor was not so nice about it. When she went back we both dealt with the office for students with disabilities and they were wonderful! First year daughter lived in Northwest. They were in my opinion the best of the freshman dorms. At that time most frosh lived in North or NW. 2 years ago they put most frosh in Towers. I hear those are nice, but can be quite a walk to most classes. Different learning communities are in different dorms…and it can change from year to year…so it would depend, if it is worth it from a dorm stand point. There is no benefit as to better pick times for classes or housing, so the benefit would be social, meeting people with similar interests. I feel that is a huge benefit. The shuttle buses are not running regular routes on the weekends. His dorm could be a 45 minute walk to CVS or the supermarket, he may want a bike. I do not think he would need a bike just to get to and from classes though. My daughter actually did not have a lot of down time her first semester, but that is only because she made the equestrian team and have her English class and wrote 4 large papers…so I guess it would depend on what his classes are and if he will be involved in an activity or sport.
She has also lived in East…which she liked because it tends to be quieter, and is close to the barns, and she is an Animal Science major, but the buildings are old! In her building the heat would be on full force from the radiators and in January the bathroom windows would have to stay open, otherwise it is so hot the fire alarm would be set off. That actually happened in the middle of night once or twice. Junior year she was in Busby. Everyone will complain about the “Busby Hill” she said it wasn’t that bad at all. This building is suite style. The rooms are very big, with a huge walk in closet. Also kinda quiet and on the newer side.
Thanks so much! Very helpful information.
Thanks, @TLD1267. It looks like August 24 is move in day, and classes start August 27. Is it required that Freshman move in that Friday, or can they move in Saturday instead? Also, can you think of any other tips for what to bring / not bring? Thanks!
I do not know if you can move in a day later…I don’t see why not, but it will be even crazier as most upperclassmen move in on Saturday. There are also nice events planned for the freshman for that Friday night. The beds are awful…in all 3 dorms my daughter has lived in…definitely need a mattress topper! Power strips are a must…not enough outlets. I generally followed the list put out by Bed, Bath & Beyond. Never used the lamp I bought. The umbrella was useless, as it is VERY windy on campus, very often. On move in day Make the bed last…use the bare mattress to pile up your things, then wipe it down with clorox or lysol wipes, and then put on the mattress topper and your sheets. We have found it easiest to pack items on the hanger in a large plastic shopping bag…so just get to the room and hang it right up. Desks in Northwest had shelves, very convenient, the desks in East and Busby did not. The closet in East had a door. The closets in Northwest and Busby did not…so we bought a tension rod and window curtain to make the room look neat. You can view pics and virtual tours on UCONN RES LIFE website. There is also a website that has pics of actual rooms and answers questions about dorms…google uconnthings and or uconnthings.tumblr
Parent of a 2018 graduate and a class of 2022 entering freshman chiming in. Freshmen can move in anytime that weekend, but, seriously, you want to do it on the 24th. It gives the kids more time to get settled for class, learn the layout of campus, and there are lots of welcome activities to take part in. The campus will only be busier with returning students moving in the 25th and 26th. The single biggest piece of advice I can offer is have your student take his or her schedule and actually walk it from dorm to each class so they actually know where the classrooms are and, more importantly, how long it takes to walk there. My daughter lived in West, Alumni and Mansfield. Mansfield was furthest away from her science classes, but she always walked, even in the rain/snow. Ditto the advice on an umbrella. It’s windy. Always. Invest in a good raincoat instead. And, good, waterproof boots for winter are highly recommended. Also ditto the mattress topper idea. It makes all the difference in the world. The dorms are hot. A fan is a must. Pretty sure my daughter always had a window open even in the winter. I did not attend parent orientation and I never had any problems. Your student can set certain permissions in their admin account which authorizes various departments to speak with you if you contact them. Sorry for the lengthy post. Hope it helped.
Thank you all for the info on this thread. My D is my first…so its good to hear survival tips. She will be in the Engineering House. I’m going to attend the Parent Orientation, but just the first day.
FYI, there is a UCONN Parents FB page. The parents are very helpful
Thank you UConn parents for the helpful info!