<p>This will be an incredibly insignificant question, but you guys haven't failed me yet!!
Anyone know the quality of the sheets/towels that are available through Residence Hall Linen company. We got a brochure last weekend from VT regarding prebuying sheets, mattress pad, etc. They guarantee these sheets (and these sheets alone!) will fit the XL mattresses. I like the convenience of not having to buy and cart all this stuff to school in August. You pick the entire package up at one of the dorms during move in day. Anyone VTers used this service before?</p>
<p>We bought sheets locally and they fit fine, however I'm sure the Residence Hall sheets are good. Their rug delivery service is terrific. They also offer loft beds that are popular with the students. We used loftbeds.com which is a local business just steps from the campus near Squires Student Center. For $30 extra they will come and remove the bed when the year is over. You can visit them during orientation. Brochures for all Residence Hall services will be available in the student center during orientation. I think they get mailed to you over the summer also.</p>
<p>Oops. I got the loft bed business name wrong - it isn't loftbeds.com. Let me know if you want it & I'll go dig it out.</p>
<p>Thanks yoda,
Do you know if all halls are able to use loft beds? Didn't know if there were any restrictions regarding this. Son goes to orientation in a few weeks, so we will look for all this info. also.</p>
<p>Septembermom, If you look on the VT page, and go to, I forget, maybe it's Student Life, or something like that, but where the residence halls are listed. You can click on each hall individually and it will give a history, room dimensions, floor layout, etc. Somewhere on there it will say if lofts are already included in the room, or if you can buy, rent, or supply your own.</p>
<p>We initially thought we would supply our own, but good golly, who wants to try fitting those long pieces of wood in a little car?! So we will probably just rent one and are planning to check out those services at orientation.</p>
<p>Thanks Zimmer,
I vaguely remember seeing that info. back in April. Will go back in again and look. I agree with you about hauling stuff down. Everyone says kids bring way too much and parents end up hauling it home. I remember back in my day, the huge stereo components I had. The speakers barely fit in the door!
Son was just asking today when they find out about dorm assignment and roommates. I do recall them saying that if you meet someone at orientation and would like to room with person, you can march over to Housing and put in request.</p>
<p>That's nice to know, although how easy it is to tell if you really want to live with someone on 1-2 days acquaintance, I don't know!! I hope s doesn't go overboard in what he thinks he needs, but if he needs something or has too much we are fortunate in that his grandparents live about an hour away from VT.</p>
<p>I don't think they get the assignments til late July. Look on your Hokie Spa room assignment page. I only know that s will be in Lee b/c he got in the freshman engineering theme housing.</p>
<p>When are you going to orientation and are you staying for it as well?</p>
<p>Son goes July 16-17th. Husband and I will attend and made reservation at Holiday Inn. Will drive down Sunday-the long journey from NH. When does your son attend orientation?
S did not apply to any theme housing options, so have no idea on dorms. He did fill out this small survey regarding traditional/suite and visiting hours (this was pretty confusing). Other schools had you fill out surveys regarding study hours, time you get up in morning, what type of music you like etc. I am sure everything will work out just fine.</p>
<p>septembermom, have you been to the campus before?</p>
<p>Hi Yoda,
We have been twice (April Jr. year when S was looking at schools and again on accepted student day-this past April). By the time he moves in, I think my husband will be able to drive to Blacksburg on auto-pilot! Non-stop it is about a 12 hour drive. This time we will probably leave NH on Sunday morning to arrive later Sunday evening. How about yourself? How far a drive for you?</p>
<p>Ouch, 12 hours! It's about 6+ from NJ, plus we go another hour + to get to my parents. S's orientation is that Tues/Wed, the 17th-18th. Looks like we will just miss you. We will have been in NC visiting other family beforehand, but I will go for the 1st day and then come back to get him the 2nd day.</p>
<p>The rooming survey was really brief, wasn't it?! I expected a whole lot more for a compatibility match, but like you, I'm sure it will all work out just fine.</p>
<p>We're 8 hrs. away. D flies home for breaks. It's $200 round trip from NYC, which is cheaper than driving to get her.</p>
<p>Yoda, I wish we could say the same. When we visited this past April-the cheapest we could find was $400.00. Of course there were 3 of us going so that adds up very quickly. When it is only son who needs to get home and back it won't be so bad. What airport does daughter fly into in Virginia? I know there is some type of bus service that goes to Roanoke from VT. S is leaving his car at home freshman year, so will need to get transportation to airport.
Zimmer- Fortunately husband does all the driving and I just sit in car and read and do Suduko puzzles! I will say that the time passed quickly, but I am sure it will get old quickly. The scenery in Virginia with all the rolling hills (and cows!) was really pretty. I agree about room survey and even the choices. After my son sent his in-he discovered that there were no co-ed dorms with the visitation options he had asked for. I had told him to check into this before, but you know how that goes! We joke that he will probably end up in a janitor's closet. I am not worrying about it as I know things have a way of working out.</p>
<p>I think there is a campus/airport shuttle for $3. D uses airport limo bus for $30 due to wierd flight times. It's very convenient. The drive down there got old real fast. D is moving off campus this year. Do not freak when they tell you about dorm shortages. Living off campus is almost like living on campus & there are more apartments than students. D is moving to a 4-bedroom condo w/ new appliances (including dishwasher) for $300 per mo. However most sophomores can remain on campus if they choose.</p>
<p>Septmom: D uses Roanoke Airport.</p>
<p>Thanks again Yoda,
I have been online this morning looking into flights for Thanksgiving. Kids have a long break-last day of classes in Friday Nov. 16th. Maybe prices will be better since it is a longer time home. Found info. regarding shuttle to Roanoke.
Sounds like lots of kids move off campus and housing is plentiful in area. Will your daughter keep her mealplan or plan to do lots of cooking? Thanks again for all your info. and help. I know this summer will fly by with lots of details to take care of.</p>
<p>I'm sure she'll keep her mealplan AND do lots of cooking. D2 also starts college this year. She'll be eating well too. I'll be eating tablescraps.</p>
<p>LOL Yoda. We won't face the table scraps for another 2 years, but have lots of cookbooks to get creative with them!</p>
<p>How does renting off campus work with the summer months? And will your d be within walking distance or will she need a car to get to campus?</p>
<p>Hi Zimmer. Some kids sublet for the summer. I hear there are also short leases available. Lots of kids like to stay there and work. D will be 2 miles from campus in a huge complex (Foxridge). You'll see their brochures in the student center at orientation. D will have a car, but it isn't crucial because the shuttles run so often. Her roommate has a car but actually prefers not to use it.</p>
<p>I thought I'd chime in a bit since I just finished up my first year at VT (even though i'm off to UVA =) super excited, but i'll miss VT)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Lofts: I saw Lee mentioned, and there you have to rent/buy a loft for. I suggest getting a wood one because although its a bit heavier and harder to move, the metal ones rock, quite a bit too. If you're renting, it doesn't matter about moving it, so definently go wood. For the dorms that already have beds in them, you'll most likely get to school to find them bunked (which a lot of people like as it saves room, and they just switch bunks at winter break). My room had these and he had one lofted and one on the floor in an L pattern which worked well, but then we put both on the floor (the engineer here figured that one out somehow). The best thing about these beds is that the height is adjustable so you can put stuff underneath (dressers, fridge, storage units, ect).</p></li>
<li><p>Airport: Roanoke airport is the closet, but not alays the cheapest. If you plan carefully, there's multiple ways to do this. One is Roanoke to destination, or Roanoke to a major hub and then on to destination (international flights mainly, or places not served by Roanoke). With this option, you can take the Roanoke shuttle that goes from Squires Student Center to Roanoke for a nice 3 bucks (it stops specifically at Roanoke Airport. <a href="http://www.smartwaybus.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.smartwaybus.com/</a>) That bus also stops at Campbell Court which is a Greyhound station. If you're leaving on a Friday/beg. of break, the HomeRide service can get you to Vienna, VA, and there are plenty of cabs to take you to Dulles/National Airport if needed, or to an Amtrack station (although there's a closer Amtrack station in Charlottesville, and the HomeRide service goes to UVA and from there its also easy to get to the train station). So, plenty of ways/options to get home.</p></li>
<li><p>Off-campus housing: there's plenty and it's cheap. I'm looking at ~$500-$600 for UVA next year on average, and I had a friend who is also transferring from VT to UVA comment that you could rent two huge apartments a block from campus at VT for that price. Foxridge is a popular place, as is Colligete Suites and Windsor Hills (a bit quieter). With the reliable and excellent Blacksburg Transit buses, living off-campus is easy. I prefer living on-campus however, and hated VT's lack of upperclassmen housing (UVA has sweet apartments which is really convinent/nice, especially for transfers), and also hated the fact that most off-campus housing was far apart (also unlike UVA).</p></li>
</ol>