<p>My daughter is local, but Vandy is a different world for her. She also transefferred from a state university after her freshman year. She has a dozen kids from her senior class, 2 of them very close freinds. She was very unhappy, never really fit in (because she was wait listed at Vandy the year before, her dream school) and came home every weekend. When she tansferred to VU her sophomore year, she started with the same thing over again, except the kids we from all over, and she knew no one. Within a day, she had found a core group (bonded over a Harry Potter tattoo on one of the girls). They are now suite mates, and once of the girls has lived with us all summer, and has become my daughter. Even though we’re only 30 minutes away, my oldest didn’t come home for the weekend. once. She came home on a couple occasions with her friends for dinner and laundry parties, but they never spent the night! My middle starts as a freshman along with all of yours. Instead of being nervous, we are all brimming with excitement because we know what the academic rigors will be, what the social life will be, and what an incredible time she will have. Of course she’s worried about the whole roommate thing, but that is a right of passage she’ll just have to get through. And if things get rough, she can trek 20 minutes across campus to her big sis. No one from her high school has gone there (except her sister) in as long as I can remember. I promise they will make amazing friends and have the time of their life!</p>
<p>Momthreeboys, My D came from Florida, knowing no one at Vandy. To make matters a little worse, her roommate did have friends and a boyfriend there, and she didn’t seem like including my D in that social circule. It was difficult leaving her that first day. But, Vandy keeps the freshmen pretty busy that first week. By the second week, she had made friend with some girls in her hall, and everything was great after that. The girls all went through rush together in the spring and, even though they all joined different sororities, they remain close friends as they head into their junior year. The girls are from all over the country, and none had friends on campus when they got there. Your son will be fine, and I’m sure he’ll find friends easily in the first few days of school.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the info on Nashville. We are coming a few days before move-in and staying a few days after to see the city. We will not try to see our student after move-in – sounds like there will be no time and no need for that. Go9ersjhr, we are also on the west coast, over 2300 miles from home. Our oldest of four to leave for college. We all can’t wait to get there. My planning and packing is getting obsessive at this point, so it really is time to throw it all in a suitcase and go! </p>
<p>Along those lines, I am wondering how difficult it is to get large packages like a printer and mini-fridge from the Commons shipping area to the West dorm. We can get these things shipped free, so I am not sure if that is a better idea or if we should just buy them when we get there. I really don’t want to spend our vacation shopping for dorm supplies.</p>
<p>idkol,
I noticed that Faline2 gave you some great recommendations about what to do in Nashville in an earlier post. I would strongly suggest you do that Country Music Hall of Fame tour and add on the Studio B tour as part of your ticket there. I was in Nashville for a conference in my teaching discipline earlier this year and that was an add on for us (we also got a special session with the CFO of Curb Records to teach us more about the music business). The Studio B tour was wonderful. Our guide there was a young woman who had graduated from the music business program at Belmont and she was superb in telling the story of Studio B. I am not really an Elvis fan, but when she told us the story of Elvis recording “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” there in the wee hours of the morning with the lights turned down and then played it for us in that studio with the lights dimmed, I had chill bumps. Even if you aren’t a country music fan, you will appreciate the huge number of hits produced in this tiny studio that is now owned by the Country Music Hall of Fame and still used in educational and historic recordings as part of Belmont University’s music business program. There is a great story about Dolly Parton and “I Will Always Love You” as well, but I won’t spoil it for you. Enjoy your time in Nashville:)</p>
<p>idklol, it won’t be any more difficult for you to pick up those packages from the mail tent then it would be to go to Target or Walmart and buy those things. You could save the shipping costs by buying things when you get there, but do whatever you think will be easier for you. The move-in process is pretty easy, with all the upper division students helping. You will undoubtedly have to make a Target run, however, for little things you forgot or your student decides he needs (like food!).</p>
<p>We’ve had a successful weekend preparing for S’s departure. We’ve gone through all his stuff and separated out the things to take. Online purchases have been made. A few last minute purchases to replace clothes he had outgrown. Thursday we will pack everything in the suitcases, duffle bags, and backpacks. Back in December it seemed so far away.</p>
<p>I have been so impressed by all the contact S has had with present Vandy students. They are making him very welcome. He’s heard from the band president, trumpet section leader and unofficial band mentor as well as his VUceptor faculty member and a phone call from his VUceptor student leader. It’s reinforcing the reason why Vanderbilt was his top school.</p>
<p>Go9…I met another trumpet player at the local summers send-off picnic. Very nice kid, and I think he and my daughter figured out they’re i the same bio and chem classes. He’s really excited about band! Icant wait till opening game!</p>
<p>I don’t think we will have room in the car for a refrigerator. Any recommendations on where to buy one near Vandy (i.e., Best Buy, Home Depot, etc.) once D moves in? Thanks!</p>
<p>Any of those, or Sam’s. We got ours at Sam’s.</p>
<p>I just ordered one on-line from Sam’s with free shipping and had it shipped right to the school. BTW it was the same one offered by the bookstore for around $45.00 less.</p>
<p>Thanks! I just checked and Best Buy has free shipping too. Picking it up in the Commons will definitely be more convenient than running to the store!</p>
<p>I bought Son’s down comforter and memory foam mattress topper from Costco and am shipping directly to the school. Both take a lot of space. I’m trying to minimize what we have to go buy in Nashville.</p>
<p>It’s packing day. We leave this evening. I’ll let you know if it all fits.</p>
<p>Go9ers, check the weather. Heavy rain and flash flooding in Nashville, but it looks like the worst is over.</p>
<p>^^
We won’t be in Nashville until Tuesday. Today is the start of the journey. We fly out of Los Angeles tomorrow morning to Atlanta to see family before we head up to Nashville.</p>
<p>I do have to laugh, our California kid knows nothing about heavy rain and flash flooding. We have waterproof shoes on the list to purchase.</p>
<p>I’m taking the horrible flooding here today as a good sign that it WON’T be raining next weekend when we move in!</p>
<p>Success! Everything he was hoping to take is packed. 4 suitcases, 2 dufflebags, 2 backpacks, carryon bag, trumpet and flugelhorn. We’re loading up the car and heading to the hotel at LAX.</p>
<p>Re: things to do in Nashville.
If you’re looking for something local but not typical, head down to Arrington Vineyards, about 15 miles south of Nashville. On Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons they typically have free music (jazz). They encourage bringing your own picnic/food but no alcohol may be brought in (they’d like to sell you a bottle of wine). Bring a blanket to sit on or use one of their many picnic tables. Pretty rolling hills with vineyard. Owned by Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn.
<a href=“http://www.arringtonvineyards.com/[/url]”>http://www.arringtonvineyards.com/</a></p>
<p>Safe travels, go9ers! Let us know how it goes on Tuesday!</p>
<p>GoDores - we’ve been thinking about heading to the wine region. It’s what we like to do at home. But just in case, we shipped wine to my parents to take with us. We had a hard time finding wine in TN the last time we were there. Too many rules on where you can buy alcohol.</p>