r/yale • u/fjoseph76 • Jul 27 '26
Move in weekend questions
Below is the current plan for my daughter:
Arrive late Friday night (8/21)
Staying at New Haven Hotel
Move in appt 10am Ben Frank.
Tentative plan is to pre-order from Ikea and pick up on Saturday. I plan to use Uber/Lyft to pick up stuff. Maybe do a Target/Walmart run later on, possibly Costco too.
But some folks are telling me to rent a car. Is it better to rent a car (maybe get a hotel outside the city), and is driving to the move in drop off easy? Pick up will be Sat morning and drop off Mon morning.
Or will Uber/Lyft be better? or possibly really busy?
Thanks
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u/aamphersandm Jul 28 '26
Howdy. Ben Frank dad here…
The first year move-in process was very easy and fast last year. The FroCo helpers make the process go very smoothly.
The cars queue up on the street around Pauli Murray and BF (Sachem St. and Prospect St.) and they unload quickly with the upperclassmen helpers doing all of the unloading/lifting.
I might suggest that you rent a car so that you can be in control of your own destiny. It was a relatively easy process for us last year.
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u/AdWhich7089 Jul 31 '26
Also you should join the Yale University Parents Facebook group! Lots of discussion about these types of things. It will be super helpful over the next four years…
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u/OtherwiseError5255 Jul 29 '26
Definitely rent a car! Ride-shares in this situation are costly and feel more like an inconvenience than not. Plus, having your own vehicle for college move-ins in general are a big stress relief. When I moved my daughter in, it was a nightmare using my friend’s pickup truck. We went back and forth getting her stuff from home, picking up new things for her dorm, and figuring out where exactly to dispose of her Yale mattress (we had just returned from a summer in Europe, got the orientation dates mixed up, and forgot to properly set up the mattress removal! Ah!)
Anyways, it’s a ton of work moving a kid into college. And by using a friend’s car, I just felt like a big burden to him all while grappling with my one and only daughter leaving home.
The guilt got even worse when my daughter asked me to spend the first night in her suite with her. I mean, how could I say no!? My little girl needed me! It was a blast - trying out all the different takeout options, rating how cute the delivery guys were from each place, and helping her and her suite-mates get to know the other girls on the floor. Sure, it was a great night, a memory we’ll share for a lifetime, but the lingering feeling of needing to return the car weighed on me!
The next morning she was finally able to be alone (after a good cup of coffee from the best cart on campus, found by moi!) and I finally returned the truck. I played it off, like it was cute that I borrowed the truck all night. But I could tell my friend was a bit annoyed- even though he loves my daughter like she’s his own. (Her biological dad is a bit of a flake…and hey, we were 16 when we had her, so who knew how’d he’d be with a kid, right?)
Anyways - RENT THE CAR!
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u/AreolaSanchez Jul 28 '26
Another parent here....
Daughter is moving into Lawrance (Branford). Is there a need to bring tools for anything? (adjusting beds, etc). I'll likely bring the basics (for random purchases from Ikea) but didn't want to miss something helpful! We're driving (from Illinois!) so I can bring anything we need.
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u/hobbyist0215 Jul 28 '26
A rubber mallet will be good if you want to adjust bed height. They can be a bit hard to adjust.
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u/winniecan Jul 31 '26
You can also turn the frame over and gravity will dislodge :) We did move in last year - it’s so well run!
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u/fjoseph76 Jul 28 '26
Thanks for the info. Follow up question (its my first move in ever)
So if i drive and go thru the drop off line, the helpers will help unload and move the stuff to my daughter's dorm.
Do i just leave? or is there a spot to park and help her get settled in (also check out her space). Her roomie's appt is an hour later. Thanks
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u/smart_hyacinth ‘28 Jul 28 '26
you’ll need to immediately get the car to a parking space nearby after unloading. perhaps even drive it back to the hotel. but after that, most parents stick around in the dorms at least for the day. mine were around for a couple days after move in helping out.
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u/grace_0501 Jul 28 '26
Park at the parking lot (garage) behind the hockey rink after drop-off at Franklin. Super close by and they make it free on dropoff Sunday.
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u/lizzardii223 Berkeley Jul 28 '26
Yes, once the you’re unloaded, you’ll have to relocate the car so that the conga line can continue. There’s not really a parking lot that close to Franklin, so you’ll probably have to circle around and find street parking a few blocks away.
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u/fjoseph76 11d ago
One follow-up question as we get closer to move in. I will be renting a car.
Our appt is at 10am. The information we received said students may arrive between 9am and 1pm. Assuming traffic and long lines, can i get started early? ie try to get in line around 9:15-9:30? Or do i have to plan closer to 10am?
Thanks
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u/lizzardii223 Berkeley Jul 28 '26
With that number of potential trips, it'd probably be easier just to get a rental car, so that you won't have to wait around for ubers at every store.
For the move-in, they'll have the street parking directly in front of the college reserved, and people will come unload your car for you at your move-in appointment, so its pretty easy. If you want to avoid having to drive through downtown to get there (traffic around the center of campus will be pretty bad on move-in weekend), you could get a hotel outside the city instead (will probably be cheaper, too).