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Post by michellea on Jul 11, 2012 19:46:12 GMT -5
DD got her room assignment last week and was shocked to find that she did not get the roommate she requested, although she did get her second choice dorm. The policy is that the college honors all mutual roommate requests and she confirmed with the girl that she did indeed request my dd. Plus, as an early decision student, my dd gets priority on dorm selection.
As it turns out, there was a glitch with the dorm assignment computer program, and a number of kids are in the same boat. DD has done a great job working with the university to attempt to rectify the situation. Today they offered her a place in the newest dorm (adjacent to the business school, her major) with the chosen roommate. The only catch is that the rooms are "single suites", two singles with an adjoining bathroom and study area. VERY nice (AC, carpeting etc). But, because they are singles they are $700/semester more. We could swing it, but would prefer not to spend the extra $$. The other alternative would be to wait to see what else might open up - most likely in a less desirable dorm.
If her roommate is willing to pay the extra for the dorm, we would do the same. But, I wonder if it is worth attempting to negotiate with the college for a reduced rate? They recognize that it was their mistake - would it be out of line to ask for a price reduction bringing the cost closer to the double rate? DD suggested this and at first I felt uncomfortable. But the more I think about it, the more I think it may be worth a shot. I know of families that negotiate aid money (which we did not get). Why not a reduction on the cost of the room?
I'm looking for a sanity check!
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 11, 2012 20:09:38 GMT -5
You can always ask, but don't be surprised if the college says "sorry, the price is what we already told you." If you don't want it, they'll probably just offer it to another pair of students who were impacted by the computer glitch.
I hate to say it, but at most colleges we looked at, there were a limited number of singles, and those rooms still filled up first, even at higher cost. I'm amazed any are left at this late date. (Sometimes the colleges keep a few singles in reserve, mostly for students with medical needs, so maybe those are the rooms they're making available now, to try and rectify their computer glitch?)
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Post by jisp on Jul 11, 2012 20:19:28 GMT -5
I suppose it is always worth trying to negotiate. You have nothing to loose and the worst that could happen is that the college could say no.
Just so you know last winter my son's college decided that starting in 2012 the college was going to charge different rates for different dorms and living arrangements, which sounds like what your daughter's college does. In fact the college administration pointed out that most Small Liberal Arts Colleges have started to do this. Singles would cost more and living in one of the more modern dorms would cost more. The students felt this was unfair and would create race and socio-economic divides in the small school. Wealthier students would end up lumped together and the students there on scholarship would end up in the less desirable dorms. The students handled their concern with the housing situation beautifully and their protests and concerns were heard. The administration decided to revoke the new policy and go back to a flat rate that the college currently charges for room and board.
We were relieved because our son after trying various living arrangements realized that he needs a medical single. In fact as his doctor predicted being in a single allows our son to be more social because he has a place he can go back to when he needs to get space and recharge. Also our son's processing issues make it hard for him to study in public spaces.
I am curious when my youngest son will get his rooming assignment. I am not worried about him being a kid who parties too much because it is unlikely there are ANY kids like that at the conservatory my son is entering. But I am worried about the foreign kid who doesn't speak a word of English and who is a totally intense and competitive classical student who will drive my son crazy with the anxiety he exudes. Fortunately their are strict rules about practicing in your dorm room. Also I hope my son does not get a room facing Crazy Singing Guy. There is this crazy guy who lives in a building on the corner of Huntington Avenue who is crazy and shouts and sings to himself all day. He is sort of a fixture. You can hear him when you are in the college's classrooms or standing outside Jordon Hall. I suppose my son has spent four years every Saturday at NEC and learned how to tune this guy out so he probably can deal.
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Post by jisp on Jul 11, 2012 20:28:27 GMT -5
Healthy my son has ended up getting a medical single both years. The first year he was in a forced triple with two boys who were total opposites. One was obsessively neat and gay (the effeminate kind) and the other was a very large African American boy there on complete scholarship who was loud and extremely messy. I think they hated each other from the moment the African American Boy walked in and saw the effeminate gay guy using a balance to line up his Glee Poster on the wall. My poor socially inexperienced son was in the middle. He had to get out and was fortunate that he has a diagnosis that definitely supports him having a medical single. His doctor wrote a letter and within a week he was out of the room and prayed the two guys didn't destroy one another.
The following year he lived with four friends in a large suite. He thought, since he had his own room he would be fine, but he found that it was difficult for him to get enough sleep and to study because his roommates were constantly bothering him. Again he had his doctor write a note and the next semester he was able to get a single.
One of his friends also wanted a single and was repeatedly told that none were available, so having a medical diagnosis definitely helps.
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 11, 2012 21:21:45 GMT -5
Jisp, I'm glad your son was able to get his single room, and not have to deal with roommate issues. Goodness knows my son has had more than his share of difficulties with them.
What's more surprising to me was to have you describe colleges that don't have a "staggered" rent schedule for different kinds of rooms. EVERY college we looked at (8 if you include the one my son transferred to) all charge more for different room configurations (single vs. double, larger sq. footage, suites with separate bathrooms, in a newer building with air conditioning or not, etc.) I don't know how many students are at the small college your son attends, but at the universities my son has been at, it actually seemed like students on scholarships were in the "better" accommodations (maybe because they weren't paying tuition, they could afford nicer rooms, or maybe the nicer rooms are part of the "scholarship award package" to entice students to come to the school?)
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Post by beth on Jul 11, 2012 22:03:35 GMT -5
My son was assigned late to a dorm for summer school and it was an "apartment' which was more expensive. His school charges differently for newer dorms, bigger rooms, a/c, ect. Anyway, he ended up in a double but in a former lounge with a fridge, stove, microwave, sink ect. At his school it is such a struggle to get a room that I don't think there is any division by income but rather by who got their name in first.
But anyway, he will have a big adjustment this fall.
Michellea, I think you can ask but I think you will be told no. My son didn't ask for the bigger room and it is more. When I asked housing about the price which didn't match the double's price, I was told it was bigger and thus cost more.
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Post by bros on Jul 11, 2012 23:18:15 GMT -5
Jisp, I'm glad your son was able to get his single room, and not have to deal with roommate issues. Goodness knows my son has had more than his share of difficulties with them. What's more surprising to me was to have you describe colleges that don't have a "staggered" rent schedule for different kinds of rooms. EVERY college we looked at (8 if you include the one my son transferred to) all charge more for different room configurations (single vs. double, larger sq. footage, suites with separate bathrooms, in a newer building with air conditioning or not, etc.) I don't know how many students are at the small college your son attends, but at the universities my son has been at, it actually seemed like students on scholarships were in the "better" accommodations (maybe because they weren't paying tuition, they could afford nicer rooms, or maybe the nicer rooms are part of the "scholarship award package" to entice students to come to the school?) At my school, if you live in the freshman dorms, it is $3937 a semester for the one built in the 20s for a double (4157 for a single) and $4753 for a double in the new freshman dorms (no singles). Then it's the same price for all of the non-freshman dorms, with the exception of the one built like last year (4191 vs. 4970 for a double per semester, excludes mandatory meal plan, which is 1565 for freshmen a semester and 1100 for everyone else each semester) |
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 12, 2012 9:23:41 GMT -5
As I said, it's a LOT more common to have "tiered" rate plans for campus housing. In fact, there are usually different costs for meal plans as well, but I've never heard of it being decided by grade level, as Bros' college does. What I'm more familiar with is that the quantity of food determines the cost, either by number of meals a student is likely to eat in the campus cafeterias (ie, 10, 14, or 21 per week, or unlimited plans for those who want to go back multiple times a day for snacks, etc.) Some school cafeterias are priced "ala carte" where given items or meals cost a certain amount, and students have to put money on a pre-paid card that's debited each time.
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Post by bros on Jul 12, 2012 11:52:54 GMT -5
At my school, you just purchase a meal plan and get whatever you want, no x things per week
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Post by michellea on Jul 12, 2012 12:08:37 GMT -5
Update - They have now offered her the original double room with the roommate she chose. They moved the other girl to her first choice dorm. Now DD has a choice, and is faced with a decision. She is leaning toward the traditional double room in the all girls dorm in the heart of campus because she thinks she will find it easier to meet lots of freshman girls. She's afraid that the single room dorm, with its better amenities, may not be as conducive to meeting people.
Her roommate likes the idea of the newer dorm, but also sees the advantages of the traditional dorm.
My DH thought we should leave the decision up to the girls and not worry about the increased cost. He is usually the financially conservative one, but looks at the added cost as a very small percentage of the 4 year experience. He thinks that the single room might be more comfortable and facilitate studying.
Since she has the option to stay in the traditional double, I don't have any grounds to ask for a discount on the single room. Now we just wait for the girls to decide.
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Post by beth on Jul 12, 2012 16:02:24 GMT -5
I'd vote for the traditional double room for a freshman. DH is right that single room would facilitate studying but freshman have to do a lot of other "work", which for most people is better conducted in a more traditional arrangement. My dd lived in a double her freshman year and then moved to close to campus apartment (closer actually than her dorm had been) with three other girls and had her own room. She said she was glad to have her own room then because her course load increased her sophomore year. But I noticed that she made all her friends when she was in a traditional dorm double. In other words, a single may be better once she has a circle of friends.
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 12, 2012 16:16:39 GMT -5
I concur with Beth. I think it would be better to stay in the midst of all the other freshmen and meet as many people as possible. Who knows; maybe your daughter will join a sorority and want to live in it next year, or in an apartment, or ??
For my son's freshman year, he was supposed to have a double room, but the kid never showed up. He really could've used a "buddy" with whom to explore campus, go to the cafeteria with, commiserate with, etc. Instead, he kept coming home every weekend. The university said that for the second semester, he either had the option to pay an increased rate to keep his room as a "single," or they would move students around. We didn't want to pay more, so for his second semester, he was put in with a senior who was graduating. That's why, for his sophomore year, my son need to find a new roommate, and ended up with one kid he barely knew, along with that kid's friend, the "roommate from hell" (who is now serving a 4 year sentence in jail for reckless homicide after a DUI accident.)
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Post by michellea on Jul 12, 2012 17:42:45 GMT -5
They decided to opt for the double in the traditional dorm - for all the reasons you all outlined. DD called a friend of a friend that attends Elon to get her opinion, and she thought the double was the best option from a social stand point and for its location.
DD handled the situation quite well (other than the initial call to me when you found out about the initial room assignment and pulled a nutty). Plus, it was a good problem solving exercise with her roommate. The roommate sounds much better than the "roommate from hell"!! Jail - geesh, not good!
And yes Healthy - she would like to join a sorority - so meeting people will be key and her options next year may look very different than this year.
Now we can begin thinking about how we will get her stuff to NC. I booked the flights today, so I know how we'll get there!
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Post by jisp on Jul 13, 2012 5:24:28 GMT -5
Glad to hear Michellea.
I know many parents ship their children's stuff ahead of time. It makes sense given the expense of carry on bags. And you already know about the Bed, Bath and Beyond schtick, right? When our daughter moved to CA we travelled out there with her and none of us took a checked back so she had all of our checked bags to use for herself. One advantage of moving to a warmer climate is that she won't need things like snow boots, down coat, hats, mittens etc.
I don't know about the town your daughter's college is in. But college towns tend to get overrun easily. If there is any way to make reservations for meals ahead of time I would. I often tell parents who have kids going to school in Burlington VT to reserve dinners two months in advance for move in day, parents weekend etc...
Hey my DD is moving in to her first very own apartment. She is covering all expenses with her grad-plus loan. It is pretty daunting. She decided to live alone and not seek a single. Her apartment is in a nice complex and most of the other renters are either medical school students or students like her in some related medical profession (like pharmacology, PT or OT). She is very nervous about all the "adult responsibilities" that are going to be falling on her in the coming year.
As for additional money for room and board....I keep warning my husband that we need to allocate extra money for Burrito/Bagels. (Bolloco definitely being a favorite). Why? Because I have this weird feeling my son is going to tire of the cafeteria food very quickly and being in Boston he will no doubt decide to indulge.
I think the one expense we didn't anticipate was the additional food expense. All our kids supplement their dining with outside purchases. My middle son orders boxes of Lara Bars from Amazon to have in his room for when he needs a quick snack.
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Post by beth on Jul 13, 2012 9:07:47 GMT -5
We've done our best to avoid restaurants on busy weekends in the college town both of my kids have gone to school. Chains are usually the worst (think Olive Garden) so it is worth a bit of effort to find more "local" restaurants. Another thing we've done is gone to the local grocery store and bought sandwiches already made and other things and ate at the pool in the hotel.
When we took our son to college for the summer (first time in college), we left him with his roommate to go to the dining hall. My husband and I went out to dinner ourselves later (after a trip to Wal-mart--such an exciting life!). Anyway, you might think about what your daughter's preferences might be. My son seemed to be worried that we'd want him to come with us!
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Post by jisp on Jul 13, 2012 15:47:38 GMT -5
aaaah all this talk of drop off and food is making me reminisce about the places my daughter (now a college graduate) has gone to school. She seemed to go to school in "good food" places. First NYC....yum. I remember leaving her and going to an amazing restaurant in Union Square with a friend whose mother's loft we were staying in. Then Oakland CA where we treated ourselves to dinner at Chez Panise. But we also discovered other great finds like this amazing brunch place. Then Burlington VT where there is also great food. The Winter Farmer's Market in Burlington has to be the BEST market anywhere. There is tons of prepared food, which include these amazing dumplings. YUM.
Next year my daughter will be Worcester. I think the closest good restaurant is going to be our HOME. Too bad.
My middle son goes to school between Providence and Boston. Providence is closer and we have tried to find decent food there but so far have not had a lot of luck, which surprises me as people often say that Providence has great food.
My baby is going to be going to school in downtown Boston. We have been told NOT to go anywhere near the part of town he is going to school in. Although once a week I likely will be in his neighborhood as I take a CE class at another school near his.
One thing that will be nice about next year is that all three of my kids will be within an hours drive of home, so we don't have to worry about hotel fees on top of everything else.
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 13, 2012 16:29:44 GMT -5
My son's first university was in Chicago, but the area in the immediate vicinity of the school is not the safest part of town, so it meant riding the subway to get to where better restaurants were in the downtown area. That was a hassle, and we didn't bother to do it very often.
The college he transferred to and now attends is basically "in a small town in the middle of a cornfield" (except we've had such extreme heat and drought lately, that farmers aren't growing any corn.) Unfortunately, we haven't found any good restaurants out there, and all I have are bad memories of the day we first dropped him off at the school, when I got into a fender-bender in the parking lot of a local eatery. On the plus side, my son said he likes to BBQ and he's found a local butcher who must get fresh-cut meat from local farmers. (After his first year, my son decided to live in an apartment specifically because he wanted access to a kitchen 24/7.)
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Post by michellea on Jul 13, 2012 18:27:22 GMT -5
Good tip about making dinner reservations early - I had already been warned about reserving hotels and cars for move in weekend and parents weekend and did that back in March when we went to orientation. There are a number of good restaurants there - we enjoyed a great Thai and a great Mexican restaurant in the spring and my neighbor gave us a gift card to a place a family of an alum recommended. I'd like to avoid fast food if possible - especially the cafe at Target!
The room saga has not fully ended. DD went on line last night to look at the floor plan of the assigned room. It is at least 1/3 smaller than all the other doubles and does not have closets per the floor plan. I was sleepless all night in worry. This morning I called to gather information. The person I spoke with had a more recent floor plan that showed that it was actually a larger room than most and had two closets. I asked if she could fax me her copy and to confirm the dimensions. She said that she would first confirm with the Dean and would then send me the info. We haven't received it, so I am wondering what is up. I've been extremely calm and friendly, but I must say, I'm seething inside.
DD is not so worried about room size, but would like a closet. I've remained very calm in front of her, but I have to say I am ticked off. We have been reassured throughout the process that Early Decision Candidates get priority in room assignments - this is stated in all admission material. I will be pretty angry if she ends up with a sub standard room, given the emphasis on the benefits of being an ED student.
I'm hoping that the online floor plan is outdated (it is dated 1999) and that the one that the residential life person has is correct. But if DD is assigned a lousy room, and she is not able to get a better assignment, I will step in. But for this weekend, I will choose to believe all is fine..........
As far as stocking up on food - her room mate is pretty "healthy" and fit and they want to rent the micro/fridge combo. (hope there will be enough room.....) Wish there was a Trader Joes near by - there are a few things that I get for her all the time. Her BF spent a lot of extra $$ on food. He hated the cafe and being a small school there were few choices and limited hours. Added to that was late lacrosse practice that often ended after the cafe closed. It got to the point we sent him Subway gift cards on a regular basis, and he blew through ALL his money. His dad pressured him to start working hard and long as soon as he returned home to build up the coffers for next year. DD school has good food and a lot of options - we did opt for one of the "larger" more flexible plans for first semester, just to cover her bases. We'll know more second semester and hopefully can cut back. But, we didn't want to run into the situation her BF had. (although there are at least some food options available almost 24/7 at her school)
On a happy note - just heard today that she tested out of AP English and Psych with a 4 and 5. Amazing given the senior slide last quarter. I guess all that rest and relaxation paid off!
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 13, 2012 18:48:59 GMT -5
I wouldn't worry about a closet, per se. If they don't have one "built in," then they may provide a wardrobe cabinet. My son's second university had that arrangement in his transfer student dorm room, and it actually worked out better than a regular closet. It had doors that could be locked and the entire unit, although very heavy, could be repositioned to his liking.... He ended up moving it to the end of his bunk, so it acted like a "footboard" and it blocked light that would shine in whenever the door to the room was opened...
P.S. Congrats to your daughter on her AP credits!
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Post by jisp on Jul 14, 2012 8:27:52 GMT -5
Michellea,
I know it is hard with your first child but try to relax.
Things will not be perfect. You might be shocked at the condition of the dorm room. Many parents are. Your daughter is going to hit more than her share of administrative bumps and glitches along the way. Maybe there is a course she needs/wants that she can't enroll in because it is already full. You have to keep reminding yourself that your daughter is resilient and that if her room is not perfect it will be OK. Maybe a less then perfect room will force her to use the library more or to spent more time getting to know the campus. I suspect that no matter how bad the room is there will be enough room. Nothing could possibly be smaller than my daughter's NYU dorm her freshman year and she managed to survive.
I know it is hard when you are paying tuition...you feel (at least I do) like you should get your money's worth. But unfortunately it is more complicated than that. Dorm rooms are often sub-standard. My mom used to joke that the dorm rooms at our university (and you know what university I am talking about) were preparing us for our future struggles after graduation. See if we learned to deal with cockroaches in college then when we moved to NYC to start our careers in finance we could cope with the small cramped apartment in the lower east side that has even bigger cockroaches.
Kids this age learn how to cope from each other. Upper classmen will guide your daughter through the maze of finding what she needs and how to navigate the system. It can be hard to take a step back. But the more you do and the more you let her sort through these things herself the happier she will be and the easier next year will be on you. Honestly the layout of her dorm room will be the least of her problems.
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 14, 2012 9:21:52 GMT -5
"Honestly the layout of her dorm room will be the least of her problems. "  There's truth to that statement! Jisp, I had to smile about your cockroach story...my dorm had them, too, as well as mice! When I was in college, it was a women's only residence hall, and most girls were "squeemish" about bugs, rodents, etc. I had to laugh when some of the girls would try to put rolled-up towels along the bottom of their door to the hallway, thinking they could prevent mice from coming into their rooms. Little did they realize the mice would sneak up from the holes in the floor and walls where the heating ductwork and piping was. (I knew it was impossible to keep them out, so I just bought regular traps and set them around the room to control the population. I'll never forget the time a trap snapped on one mouse's tail, and it was still running around the room with the trap attached. Every time it tried to squeeze back into the various small holes in the wall, its body would go through, but the trap wouldn't fit, so it would come back out. Eventually, it got so tired that I just picked it up and carried it outside.... |
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Post by beth on Jul 14, 2012 17:11:09 GMT -5
Then you can't control what the roommates do...
My daughter had a roommate who would stay up half the night--we're talking 3 or 4 in the morning. She wasn't a party girl; she just had weird sleep habits. She would get up for an early class and then come home to bed.
We visited my son the second day he was in his dorm room. His roommate had cereal and milk left out and half spilled on his dresser. We live in Florida and so I have always been fastidious about food because of the bug problem ....even my sloppy son would never do that. I kept my mouth shut and thought about the fact that he doesn't have a car so the milk supply should run out...
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Post by michellea on Jul 19, 2012 8:42:18 GMT -5
Update - DD and roommate settled on the small room. They figured the dorm experience trumped the square footage and ammentities. It seems some of the other dorms have the same size room as their's anyway (10.5 x 14). Seems incredibly small for two people, but I guess that is part of the learning experience.
Last night DD insisted on ordering the comforter "before they sell out". That is done. Now we figure out how to limit her stuff to two mailed boxes, and max 4 checked suitcases, plus the stuff we'll buy and pick up there. SHe's a clothes horse, so this will be interesting. Last night I told her to think about which pair of rain boots she would take (she has 4 pairs), along with the sneakers, sandals, cleats, ballet flats etc etc. I don't think she has a clue about how little space she will have!
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Post by momfromma on Jul 19, 2012 8:49:58 GMT -5
This seems to be a fairly standard size,
ds got his room notified too. He got a single in a suite, which is what he wanted. There is no way ds would survive a semester without a safe place where he can regroup. The room is 8'x 10' with mininal furniture (bed, closet, chair and desk). We are trying to figure out if we can put a small fridge, an electronic keyboard and a set of plastic drawers. I wonder. At least, ds will be close. We can drive there, and he does not need his winter clothes yet.
Good luck
In a less happy note, they were just informed they had to read a book for the summer "The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks". Yikes.
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Post by healthy11 on Jul 19, 2012 8:54:23 GMT -5
Michelle, I just checked on the dimensions of the dorm rooms at my son's first college, and they're exactly what your daughter's will be...it's the size of what I lived in while at college, too. You're right about it being an adjustment, especially for a "clothes horse," but she'll survive! (At my son's colleges, they had options to pay for a bunk, rather than a standard bed. It really helped to maximize the space, since you could fit a lot more underneath. I'd highly recommend it.)
Momfromma, although I realize the subject may be awkward, especially for a boy to read, I think my son would much prefer that book, because it's a true story that has modern moral implications. Instead, among other things, my son has had to read Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises," and all he's gotten out of it is that the guys are drunks and the women are sluts. Where's the benefit in that?
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Post by michellea on Jul 19, 2012 9:39:43 GMT -5
DD's book is Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. Recent novel about a Muslim family in New Orleans navigating the aftermath of Katrina. She hasn't started it, but I'm listening to it during my drives to and from DS's camp drop offs. A bit slow, but it seems it will raise a number of cultural and social justice issues. I'm not a fan of Hemmingway and haven't heard of Immortal Life...... Seems interesting. I'm also listening to DS's summer reading book (when he is in the car). The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. Light, funny and entertaining. We're not very far, so it is difficult to see where it will take us.
I actually like getting the "required" reading lists. They often open my eyes to books I'd normally pass over. DD will chat with me about them. DS usually doesn't like to.
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Post by beth on Jul 19, 2012 11:15:09 GMT -5
Think also about climate differences. We used to live in upstate NY and my kids always had rain boots. But I never had them in IL where I went to school or here in FL--even though it rains lots. It is too hot and the rain comes and goes quickly.
I'd vote for no rain boots!
My daughter spent a semester in Washington D.C. She had two checked pieces of luggage, carry on, and her uncle who picked her up and took her to Target for school and personal supplies. Her room was def. sparser than when she had access to our van but I would think your daughter would be more than fine. Her problem is there isn't much room for stuff!
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Post by bros on Jul 19, 2012 11:32:23 GMT -5
The dorm rooms sound like they are decent sizes. The bedroom my brother and I share is only 8'x10'
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Post by SharonF on Jul 19, 2012 13:04:32 GMT -5
michellea--
Reading your saga made me smile. There are so many things to think about as we send our kids off to school for the first time. And we tend to worry about the things that seem important at the moment. But as jisp explained so well, they often are not all that important.
Learning to share a dorm room, fit your belongings in an armoire rather than a closet, share a bathroom (huge bath for an entire hallway or a suite-style), share a TV, put up with your roommate's sleeping schedule, survive with a slob while you're a neat freak...it's all part of the college experience.
Face it, most of our kids had a pretty comfy home environment their first 18 years. College and launching years often make young adults appreciate all those creature comforts they've been taking for granted.
Given the difficult job market (flat wages in many careers) and backbreaking student debt, many new college grads will need to adjust to scaled down, scaled back lifestyles. One way to begin is in a less-than-perfect dorm room.
As you know, adjusting and adapting are all essential aspects of maturity. But too often, we don't learn the skill of adjusting and adapting until we have no other choice. So you may be paying good money for a substandard dorm. But you're also providing the opportunity for her to learn essential skills that are harder to learn in any other setting. And that's worth the price.
Rain boots? If your dd has to walk any distance to her classes or wants to go to football games, she'll probably need them. NC can get some fierce T-storms and also gets its share of tropical storms and remnants of hurricanes. While old tennis shoes will work, they will get SOAKED. My dd had never needed rain boots before going to college. But only a few weeks into her freshman year, she asked for a pair. Good idea to squeeze in a pair for your dd if you can. (ONE pair!!!)
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Post by caniacfan on Jul 19, 2012 13:09:21 GMT -5
Definitely bring rain boots to NC! My dd goes to college in Virginia and she couldn't live without her rain boots on those rainy days. And like Sharon's dd, my dd never wore rain boots before she went to college.
The good thing about NC is the winters are pretty mild, all things considered. Winter coats, boots, etc, can take up a lot of room. While we "might" get a little snow, it's pretty rare to have a big snow storm (although it can happen!) so hopefully she will save some space from not bringing all her northern "winter gear".
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