Welcome Wagon is the best! You will not get that for any other move-in day in the future, so take advantage of it. Your car will be unpacked within minutes.
Duck taping drawers is a great idea and they should be fine during the move.
@immomtoone the bus-tracking app is called Transloc Rider. Won’t be of much use until your daughter moves in, but it is a must-have.
@immomtoone…I think your daughter got lucky! Newton campus is great for making friends, the food is better, the rooms are bigger and each student has shelves and they hold a lot of stuff! My D’s bathroom on Newton did not have a place to store the shower caddy. She turned the dresser sideways against the bed and put command hooks on the side and hung her towel and shower caddy there. Her room had a full length mirror on the door. The bus was a pain, no lying there, but it really wasn’t that bad bc she rode with her friends. It took a little more planning to get to class on time but also instead of going back to your room to nap between classes, Newton kids tend to get more work done during the day.
The welcome wagon kids were great, they got everything in the room very quickly. Duct taping should work fine. We had a welcome kid help us get the bed lofted to the highest setting which was very helpful so maybe ask when you get there. Once someone shows you, it’s really easy.
Thanks! I will let her know!
@keepmecruisin Thanks so much! My daughter is pretty organized overall so I guess not napping btwn classes will be a bonus lol! I was looking at her schedule and believe it or not, her first class isn’t till 11 MWF and noon TTH!! Her plan is to study before class and at least she won’t have to rush to catch a bus for an 8am class!
We have loaded up on command hooks and the velcro strip things. Are the closets open? It looked that way on the website.
I will def ask a welcome kid to loft for us! It’s just me and I"m not that handy (but have an IKEA toolkit!)
Thanks so much!
@immomtoone Yes, the closets are open! It is usually a combo of deep shelves with rods in the front. I had enough space to hang what I wanted and the shelves hold a lot!
For some closets, it is possible to use a tension rod to hang a curtain, if your daughter wants. But I would wait until after move-in because it varies per room!
Also, to make it easier to raise the bed, bring a hammer. This is the easiest way to move the frame!
On a separate note, tell your daughter that those Tuesday and Thursday mornings before her 12pm class will be the quietest time to do laundry!!!
The closets are really deep, they hold more than you think. Also, bring a combo lock, there is a cubby in the closet that can be locked up. D kept her cash in there.
I’m an incoming freshman too and I’ve been placed on Newton. Do Newton people usually come to campus for class and go back to Newton right away or usually stay on main for the whole day until the night?
I had originally planned my classes spread out with at most two classes back to back with nice breaks. However, I’m not sure if it would be better to cram my classes closer to each other to get them done with earlier. Do you have any advice on if a more spread out schedule or a crammed schedule is better, and if being on Newton should have any effect on that? If I was on upper, I could go in and out of my dorm much more often, but I would have to occupy myself in the library or some other way since I’m on Newton and idk if having classes spread out is ideal anymore.
Also, how early on can we add/drop classes? Can we do it during welcome week or is it only after classes start? I know there is an add/drop week, but classes start that week and I would rather change courses right away rather than miss the first two or three classes of a course I just switched into.
Do you have any suggestions for which work study jobs are generally the most lax or flexible with scheduling?
I lived on upper, and did not go back and forth to my dorm during classes that often, as the stairs to upper are not worth going up more times than necessary!
I would imagine that most Newton kids stay on campus between classes, unless they have a break that’s over 3 hours long or so. Many kids find a spot in the library or a dining hall and get lots of work done during the day. Just remember to pack your laptop charger and you’ll be good to go. Also, you may find that your breaks align with a friend’s, and then you can take on the library together.
As for scheduling classes, make choosing the classes you’re interested in the priority, rather than those with times that are appealing. If there are multiple time slots for a class, then you can worry about time.
My biggest suggestion for classes and living on Newton: know how early you can get going in the morning! You won’t be able to just roll out of bed and sprint to classes. If you aren’t a morning person, do your best to only schedule classes after 10am.
My freshman year, I had classes at 10, 11, and 1 on MWF, and I thought that was nice. I had a break for lunch, and was done early in the afternoon. On T/Th, I had no breaks from 9-1, and then had a late lunch. I packed a snack for those days.
On the other hand, having a longer break is nice when you want to get work done during the day so you have less to do at night. It might take a semester or two to figure it out, and that’s okay! You’ll probably have a semester at some point where you enjoy your classes but the scheduling sucks, and that’s totally fine. Part of the process.
You may add and drop classes from now until about a week and a half into classes (check the BC website for an exact date). Just use the UIS software that you used during orientation (if you went to orientation yet).
Work study:
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Probably dining? I’m not sure. If you want a good dining job, check out Addie’s. I think they posted in the facebook group about applying to work there.
If you want something not dining related, look into ushering at Robsham Theater, or perhaps check out the bookstore.
Honestly, I would just apply to everything and see what sticks. Listings are available on freshman move-in day but some (like Addie’s) are open now. Work-study jobs are out there if you look hard enough. And if you find one you really hate, you can always quit and start fresh in the spring semester or during sophomore year. (That’s what I did!)
^^I hope you found some sense in all of that, because it now seems very jumbled to me. If there’s anything I can clarify, please let me know!
@tiva_mcabby5 Thanks for your detailed and quick response! I went to orientation already and was not too happy about my course schedule. I had asked my OL about how early I could switch classes and she said I couldn’t do it now(something about orientation 7 getting a chance to schedule). Also, don’t I need an access code to get into the system?
Also, can you rent your textbooks and reading books right away on campus from BC? Or do I have to get everything before I get there?
Again, thanks for taking the time do this!
To my knowledge, you shouldn’t need the access code now that you’re registered. At least, BC students that aren’t incoming freshmen can change their schedule at any point over the summer (and we registered in April). You might as well try it! Worst comes to worst, try during welcome week (after orientation 7).
Books:
I recommend getting books before classes start. That way, they collect them all for you and you pick them up in a nice, complete bag, and you don’t have to wander through the aisles to find your books. Also, the lines will be HORRIBLE, because half the school will refuse to buy their books online. You also run the risk of a book being out of stock if you don’t do it early enough.
(However, don’t buy/rent your books until you get your schedule figured out).
But the best way to save money is to look at Amazon. I usually make a spreadsheet comparing book store prices to Amazon prices (the used book section) and Amazon is almost always cheaper. (However, you can’t return used books from Amazon if you find you don’t like the class, and you CAN do this at the bookstore within a certain amount of time).
Amazon also does rentals for textbooks, and it’s very easy. You just ship it back for free at the end of the semester. I always keep the box the book came in, retape it, and bring it to the UPS place across from St. Ignatius church. This semester, by renting my big text books on Amazon, I’m going to save almost $200.
For books from Amazon, just have them shipped straight to your BC address, and pick them up whenever.
@keepmecruisin thanks for the tip re: lock for cubby in closet. That wouldn’t have occurred to me! Not that she every carries cash! All about the debit card lol! That being said, what about a lock for the laptop? A friend whose daughter is at a diff school mentioned this. Hadn’t entered my mind!
@tiva_mcabby5 you’re a wealth of info! Thanks!! Glad to hear the closets are ‘large’ and great tip about laundry, too!!
Also good to know about the books. I just mentioned to my daughter last night that she should look at the book situation and figure out if she can buy them now. she got some mailing from the bookstore where they say they are competitive with Amazon in rental and buying.
She’s a science major (bio) and right now she’s trying to decide if she will want to keep the intro book forever. I seem to think no!!
@HSStudent938 my daughter is also on Newton. Her classes are later (11 and 12 depending on the day) with some days a break but some they are back to back! She planned the later classes so she didn’t have to deal with the stress of getting up and out for an 8 or 9am class. She was a little bummed about getting Newton campus but honestly the more I read the more I realize it’s all good!!
Hi! My son is assigned a forced triple in Fitzpatrick. We’ve read the posts from others here who lived in FTs. He is planning to bring a lot less stuff (and we have to ship it from South Texas, so that will save us $) now. Any specific advice based on what you’ve heard about forced triples? Thanks in advance.
I have no advice since my daughter will also be a freshman, however just yesterday she commented that if she knew the forced triples were on main campus, she would have volunteered! Meanwhile if I had thought about it, I might have told her to volunteer to save some money lol! That being said, I think forced triple is a challenge, particularly for a girl (though i’m sure boys too!) Anyway, good luck!! We live locally and know that re: shipping clothes, not sure what South Texas weather is like (hot?) but here they can wait until November for a winter coat, but it gets cold sooner than you think and we’ve had the occasional major storm pre Thanksgiving!! Plan for that! Plus, not sure whats’ popular there for boots, but my daughter’s HS guy friends wore Timberlands and some wore Bean boots. I"m sure @tiva_mcabby5 can speak to BC guy winter wear though!!
@immomtoone my D does not have a laptop lock. She’s pretty careful about not walking away from her stuff when she’s in a public place. She doesn’t lock it in her room but I don’t think it’s too much of a concern.
You’re on the right track with bringing less stuff! Along those same lines, try to only bring seasonal things when you’ll actually need them. (Ex: If your son will be going home for Thanksgiving, he can bring home his summer/fall clothes and come back with a parka and snow boots - it usually doesn’t snow before January.)
Also, being in a forced triple means you lose most (or all) of your under-bed storage. Therefore, you have to be smart with the size of your boxes, because they might have to go in the closet! The closets are maybe 15 inches wide or so, so if you want to store plastic bins in there, keep that in mind. And, your son will be sharing 4 closets between 3 people. (When I say “closet” I mean one column of shelves. Usually, each student would get two of these columns.)
Make sure your son talks with his roommates and they decide who is getting which bed well before move-in day! Nothing would make move-in day more stressful than a disagreement about who’s sleeping where.
The options will be the bottom bunk, top bunk, or the lofted bed. The top bunk and lofted bed will be the same height, but obviously only one has a person underneath. Many prefer the single loft, and others prefer being on a bottom bunk. It’s totally personal preference, but keep in mind that your son might have to compromise a little.
There is a good chance that your son’s room will be de-tripled as the year goes on. I have found that many kids in forced-triples don’t accept the de-triple offer, however, because they end up liking their roommates and/or moving is a hassle.
Bottom line: it’s definitely doable. I have a few friends that had forced triples and they lived to tell the tale!
I’d bet money on her never looking at an old textbook again (I certainly haven’t, and they would just take up precious space!). I don’t think they’re worth keeping after the class ends, especially when all of the info in there can be found online.
If your daughter doesn’t rent her books, she can sell them back to the bookstore after the semester ends. Many students, however, find they get much more money if they sell them straight to another student that is taking the class the following semester (this usually happens via the Facebook groups).
Also RE: laptop lock. I have one and have never once used it. Just don’t leave your things unattended! Ever!
@keepmecruisin sounds good. My daughter also pretty responsible like that so I think we’ll skip the lock!!