Moving Into the Dorm

Yesterday I took my daughter to the University of Colorado to start her freshman year. She is the youngest of my three kids, so this is the last time I will do this. As we moved “stuff” into her dorm room, I couldn’t help but think again about how much has changed since I was in college, but also, how much is the same. Her dorm was renovated a couple of years ago, so the furniture is much nicer than it was when I moved my oldest son in to the same dorm seven years ago. Two beds, two desks, two tiny chest-of-drawers, two small closets. But the dorm rooms at CU come with a small fridge and a small microwave. Students use their ID cards to open automatically locking dorm doors instead of keys. Plus there is a community kitchen she and her friends can use when they are sick of eating the dorm cafeteria food. However, I don’t see how see will ever get tired of that.

CU has a new cafeteria that offers an incredible choice of food: Italian, Mexican, Kosher, Grill, Salad Bar, Asian, and more. The food is displayed in appealing arrangements and every dish is clearly marked as vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. Back in my day, we picked up a tray, ran it down the stainless steel bars and told the kitchen workers on the other side of the food which of the two choices of formless meat and four choices of previously canned or frozen vegetables we wanted. Everything seemed fried, in heavy sauces, and heavy on carbs.

My daughter met her roommate in person for the first time, but, of course, they have been Facebook friends for about four months. I did cringe when the roommate’s parents brought in a 3-foot wide flat screen television. We haven’t had television capability in our home since our oldest son was four, so bringing a TV didn’t even occur to us. I quietly warned my daughter not to get sucked into to that big screen. I reminded her the best way to get comfortable in her new environment was to get involved—find clubs or groups to join, participate in activities her department offers, check out the campus gym, get out of the dorm!

All those reminders sounded like nagging to her, so she told me to let her be, that she knew what to do. While we walked to the book store, I watched other parents and students doing the same—many groups looked like us—the student hung back, not eager to be following mom and dad around. The bookstore was crammed with students and their families, all the unloading zones around dorms were busy with students and parents carrying in boxes and bags, and the walkways were crowded as families moved from building to building.

We ended our day at a restaurant with our entire family—mom, dad, freshman daughter, and her two older brothers (one who is a CU graduate and one who attends Colorado State University). Her brothers gave her advice on locking her bike and on figuring out where her classes were before they started. I presented her with $50 that her grandfather sent and then took her back to the dorm just in time for a required all-dorm meeting. Then tears came for both of us, she took a deep breath, and jumped out into the beginning of life on her own. I’m counting on her being ready, willing, and able.