Student Experience

Hey Parents: Here’s How To Get Ready To Move in Your New Wahoo

August 6, 2024 • By Jane Kelly, jak4g@virginia.edu Jane Kelly, jak4g@virginia.edu

Portrait of a mother hugging her daughter goodbye as she leaves for school.

(Illustrations by John DiJulio, University Communications)

Bring a rubber mallet.

Huh?

Yes. That is high on the list of seasoned parents’ suggestions for how new parents can prepare for moving their first-year students, members of the Class of 2028, into dorms at the University of Virginia later this month.

The mallet comes in handy when adjusting bed height to create a space underneath it for, say, a desk or a small couch and accent lamp.

The newest Wahoos will move into their dorms Aug. 22 and 23. Between then and now, parents and students will be busily checking items off their packing lists.

One of the UVA parent-focused Facebook pages was abuzz with suggestions recently after Michele Osterman Taylor, the mom of a third-year student, posted, “As a parent of a rising 3rd year…this is what I wish I knew as a new Hoo family.”

Her suggestions included:

“Label every single box, bag, with name, dorm info. This helps Greeters (the student volunteers who help families move into dorms) be more efficient.”

“Plan your ‘goodbye’ before the move-in.”

“Don’t stress about decorating the dorm room … emphasize comfort and function over perfection.”

“Pack a medical kit that includes a thermometer, pain and cold medicines, soup and tea. Your new Hoo will most likely get sick.”

“The mail room and buses are overwhelmed for the first two weeks.”

“Our Hoo was OOS (out of state) and knew NO ONE! Encourage them to join at least two clubs to meet others.”

Soon, other parents began sharing their thoughts in the comments section.

One mom suggested parents share their cell phone numbers with your student’s roommate and family.

“Bring tools to assemble all the things your wife bought at Target for the room,” advised Kris Larson, whose son Owen is a rising third-year student.

The suggestions were not limited to the parents of upperclassmen.

Susanna Evans, whose son Noah graduated in May, suggested adding COVID-19 tests to any medical kit. Amy Stone, whose son Ben was also a member of the Class of 2024, had this practical point: Pack “enough underwear for two weeks so they don’t have to do laundry.”

Gina Bliss, whose son also graduated in May, had some alternative advice that could soothe both parents and their first-year students.

“The main thing I always stressed to my kids is that they might not find their ‘people’ in the first few days or weeks, but they will find them eventually,” Bliss said. “It always looks like everyone else is paired off with no room for others, but that’s usually not the case.”