Planning for Move-In Day is accompanied by plenty of questions and concerns, but moving in doesn’t have to be a source of stress. We asked a few Aggie family members to share their experiences in order to help you prepare as your student’s Move-In approaches.
Tips and Tricks for a Successful Move-In Day:
- Bring and drink plenty of water! I cannot stress that enough – stay hydrated!
- Buying or renting a dolly or heavy-duty hand truck is well worth the cost. To purchase, the prices start around $50 at Lowe’s or Home Depot. A folding wagon from Sam’s Club is handy to move smaller items carried in bags (it has a bar handle in the back for two people to carry up stairs) and is around $50. It is collapsible and takes up little room in the car.
- With students and parents everywhere, things can get a little hectic and crazy! Exercise patience, and bring lots of it.
- Pack hanging clothes on hangers and tie a garbage bag around the hangers. Then just hang them in the closet and remove the garbage bag – this trick is straight from Facebook!
- Remind your student not to pack everything they own. Dorm rooms are small and there won’t be room for everything. I recommend lofting dorm beds to allow for additional storage under the bed!
- If you’re moving your student into an on-campus residence hall, the garage parking closest to their hall may be available free of charge for Move-In Day. If not, please be prepared to pay for parking. For those who end up parking farther away, this is where a hand truck and collapsible wagon come into play.
- A trip to Target or Walmart may be crazy in College Station; it might be best to do that shopping before you leave your hometown. Each store has shopping lists for college-bound students. For students living off campus, household items (dishes, pots & pans, flatware), trashcans, and cleaning supplies (Clorox wipes) can be easy to overlook but are especially important.
Ninette Roberson, Aggie Parent & Family Advisory Council Member
Off-Campus Move-In: Three Things to Remember
Always Be Communicating: Communication is the biggest key between roommates. Open discussion ensures they all know who is bringing what. Nothing is more frustrating than buying a printer and finding out two other parents have also purchased a printer, or arriving to your student’s home and finding out no one has brought kitchen supplies.
Roommates also need to sit down from the beginning to discuss respecting each other’s space and property, and address topics like borrowing clothes, expectations for significant others, and sharing expenses for household items.
Keep Move-In Day Logistics in Mind: Stagger your move in times/dates so everyone isn’t moving in on the same day. It makes things a lot easier if only two people are going up and down the stairs (instead of four or five). Make sure your student fills out the check-in sheet in detail, writing down every scratch, carpet stain, hole in the screen, etc. You don’t want to pay for someone else’s damage at the end of the year.
Make Plans for Month-to-Month Needs: Invest in a modem for Internet service. It’s much cheaper to buy your own than to rent one from Suddenlink. Assign one person to sign up for all utilities and then use Simple Bills to manage splitting payments.
Once you get them all moved in and stock their pantry, it’s time to leave. It’s hard and sad to walk away, but this is the first step to real adulthood. Students will learn a lot about themselves and relationships with others over the next 10 months.
Good Luck and Happy Move-In Day!
Melissa Thome, Aggie Parent & Family Advisory Council Member
Parent of Emily ’17 and Brooke ’19
The Emotions of Move-In Day
Like most new Aggies, our son Michael was very excited to receive his acceptance letter and proudly displayed his poster: “I’m going to be an Aggie!” He had wanted to go to A&M since he was a little boy due to successful indoctrination by his father, uncle and other family and friends. He did have a few other good options, but in the end made the right choice!
Unlike the other Aggies in his life, our son decided to join the Corps of Cadets. No one in our immediate family was in the Corps but we had a close friend that suggested he “spend the night with the Corps.” After a few experiences with the Corps, Michael decided to go for it.
All freshmen (or “fish”) in the Corps report approximately 10 days before school starts to Freshman Orientation Week (FOW). We didn’t know what to expect other than it would be tough. The day came for Michael to report to A&M and we accompanied him to the Sanders Center where he officially joined the Corps and reported to his outfit. Mom, after a tear or two, had to be assured that she would see her son again!
Of course, we were very anxious to see if he was going to make it through FOW. We didn’t have much communication with him during the week, but we found out about an outfit Facebook page for parents where pictures from various FOW events were posted. Notably, we saw pictures of the “haircut”, and water fight, and a late night Yell Practice. It gave us peace of mind to see everyone going through a tough experience together and knew he was making friends and memories for life.
At Fish Review, the new members of the Corps of Cadets took the Cadet Oath and marched on Simpson Drill Field for the first time. Afterward we went out to eat with the new fish and their parents. It was great getting to know the families and we found some peace of mind knowing the other parents had the same concerns we did.
School started the following Monday, and the fish year was tough for all but rewarding. Michael just got back from a semester in Germany through the Mays Business School and is looking forward to rejoining his outfit as a junior with “white belt” privileges!
Gig ’Em and best wishes to your Aggies!
Mike and Martha Page, Aggie Parent & Family Advisory Council Members