<p>Alabama action starts Sun Aug 8. If we are OOS, can we come early (like Fri Aug 6) to help DD move into dorm and buy needed items for dorm room from Target, etc? Can D move in stuff on Sat – or does she have to wait until Sun, since she is already moving in 1 week early anyway? </p>
<p>If she flies alone, she would have to arrive on sat bc she wouldn’t be able to arrive early enough sun morning from lax (considering the time difference) to get to UA from Birmingham to move things in before the AA program starts that sun afternoon. Also, will UA provide shuttles/transportation for all the kids coming in for outdoor action or AA?</p>
<p>If we go with her to help her move in, we are thinking of flying there Fri . . .and I guess buying the dorm stuff sat for her move in on Sun. But it may be hectic since Alabama action starts on Sunday and she wouldn’t have much time with us anyway.</p>
<p>…so maybe having D fly to UA by herself Aug 7, and then us visiting her for parents weekend/buying her dorm stuff a little late is better? Your opinions?</p>
<p>You could certainly fly down with her on Saturday, rent a car & stay in a hotel Saturday night. We’ll be driving down Saturday afternoon & staying in a local hotel so we can be there for the 8am move in time. </p>
<p>I don’t think I’d want to wait until Parent’s weekend to buy her dorm stuff. She’ll be in the room for almost 4 weeks at that point.</p>
<p>I came down early with my mom and sister and spent a couple days shopping for dorm stuff and touring Birmingham. As a note, that weekend is the Alabama sales tax holiday, so clothes, computers, and school supplies will be tax free in most jurisdictions (Jefferson County will probably charge a 2% sales tax, but Tuscaloosa and Shelby counties will be tax free on approved items). It’s usually best just to buy items before move in than waiting a month.</p>
<p>LAX should have some redeye flights that should get y’all into Birmingham between 8AM and 11AM. That’s what I usually take from SEA and it’s very convenient, just try to get some sleep sometime in the two days. Some airlines might have early morning (1AM) flights that work too.</p>
<p>How about student flying down with just essentials and parents following during week of welcome to make the move in official. We are doing this so our son will have some time to help set up his room.We thought that during outdoor action week, he would be too busy.</p>
<p>We arrive in Birmingham around noon Aug 5, will rent a car, and then spend a few days in Tuscaloosa buying the essentials before helping our son move in Aug 8 (he’s attending Outdoor Action). If any student is coming in a few days early without parents and wants to hook up with us, we’d be happy to have you join us for shopping, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, and bbq, as well as provide any assistance moving in Aug 8. Feel free to PM me if you’d like to connect on this matter.</p>
<p>We plan to arrive on the 7th, do a little touring, then move in the bulk of D’s stuff the 8th.
We’ll have to head home that afternoon as D2 starts Junior year of high school the next day.
If necessary we’ll come back the next weekend - we’re 4 hours away.</p>
<p>D is also doing Outdoor action, Malanai. I think it’s going to be great!</p>
<p>*If any student is coming in a few days early without parents and wants to hook up with us, we’d be happy to have you join us for shopping, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, and bbq, as well as provide any assistance moving in Aug 8. Feel free to PM me if you’d like to connect on this matter.
*</p>
<p>^^^Very kind of you to say so, m2ck, but my take on it is that you and your compatriots (you folks know who you are) are seriously contagious and are spreading an epidemic of good will on the UA thread. :)</p>
<p>all our kids can get to know each other and while they’re doing their thing at UA we can find a nice quiet thread on here to commiserate them being gone and celebrate all their successes! I imagine at one time or another many of us will meet in person :)</p>
<p>I may take you upon your offer if Krazie ends up flying to UA in August on her own.</p>
<p>And I do hope our kids will meet and get to know each other. . .and that maybe we can too ( although if we are OOS, that may be hard). </p>
<p>Glad we have a few months to figure all of this out. Krazie is probably doing Alabama Action (she applied for AA instead of OA since she now has a knee surgery scheduled less than 3 weeks before she would leave for Bama), Aug 13 orientation, then WOW, then start her classes. </p>
<p>Not sure if we are flying out with Krazie before Alabama Action starts, during WOW, during Parent’s weekend – or not at all. Our 15 yr old s is coming back from a week long church trip on Aug 8th. . .so have to coordinate everything.</p>
<p>We will be driving in before noon on the 7th and if anyone’s child needs a family to hook up with we will be available too. We will be moving our son in. PM me if you would like us to help.</p>
<p>Also, for those of you far away please know you may contact us if your child has a crisis. I know it may be hard for those who are far away. There may be some folks closer, we are about 2:45 away, but I’d be happy to give you our phone numbers and you can give them to your child also. I’m sure a lot of us will be meeting on the 7th-8th of August.</p>
<p>^^^Just keep us posted, mom of four. Always happy to help out a fellow Southern Californian (I lived there from ages 2-18). I hope we meet as well. Pretty much guaranteed at graduation, lol, but let’s try for something sooner.</p>
<p>And thanks for your offers, wonderbreadmom. Should we all wear name tags on Aug 8 with our CC screen names on them? :)</p>
<p>Mom of four: If it’s anything like last year, you won’t be moving in your daughter alone. Various campus groups help with the move in, so it’s nice when a kid asks, as you unload the car, “Want me to get that?” </p>
<p>Last year, we showed up at 8:15 or so, pulled right up to his dorm and started to unload. Got everything in his suite in about 90 minutes or so. My youngest son and I stayed to help the older one unpack some of his stuff (I actually took home some of the suitcases) and help him set up a TV and make his bed. We left T-Town before noon and headed home (which is a 13-hour drive). Do not worry if you do not get everything unpacked – kids find time to put things together. Maybe not the first day, but they do find time. </p>
<p>Remember, you also can ship things to your student. This makes life a bit easier. You would be sending the shipment to Paty Delivery Center, which is located in Paty Hall near Lakeside Dining. I know that one mom (Mom of 3 boys) sent her son from Ohio to T-Town with a good-sized suitcase. When he got to Alabama, he checked into his dorm, got his keys and headed over to Paty. He picked up her shipment, which included a small, portable handtruck. He stacked his belongings and brought them to his dorm. He had to make a couple of runs, but everything got there.</p>
<p>*If it’s anything like last year, you won’t be moving in your daughter alone. Various campus groups help with the move in, so it’s nice when a kid asks, as you unload the car, “Want me to get that?” *</p>
<p>Nice!! </p>
<p>Is it that way for those who move in early for AA and OA? I know that this happens for regular move-in day, but didn’t know if it happens for the earlier move-in dates.</p>
<p>as wonderbreadmom says, those of us close by will be more than willing to be that phone number away, that you hope you never need. we live about 2 hours from tuscaloosa, so would be glad to help if ever needed. my son will be going to uab and will have his car in bham… so he will be even a bit closer… but if there is a long weekend or something, that your kids cant make it home for and are in need of a home cooked meal, my son or i could pick them up and take them back.</p>
<p>Can’t tell you how all your posts have been a help. I’ve left my S alone (stressing AP/IB exams) about his decision for AA or OA but I can see that he really should do one in order to meet some of your kids, especially since he couldn’t swing the honors orientation dates. We’re coming from a private school that’s very community oriented and its such a pleasure to see that UA is attracting many families with the same outlook.</p>