What to bring?

[soccer9miahamm]

Although I don't plan on starting my CP experience until Spring 2009, I am sooo excited, and want to start planning every detail now because of the anticipation factor. I live in South Dakota, so I will be flying down, and will be unable to bring a whole lot of stuff with me. I will probably have some stuff shipped, but can someone give me a list of things to bring that one might not automatically think of? Your help is much appreciated!

Also, if there are any other people planning on interviewing for Spring '09, it would be great to hear from you as well! I know it would help if I was able to talk to someone else who thinks this year will go by painfully slowly!

 

[joanna71985]

Although I don't plan on starting my CP experience until Spring 2009, I am sooo excited, and want to start planning every detail now because of the anticipation factor. I live in South Dakota, so I will be flying down, and will be unable to bring a whole lot of stuff with me. I will probably have some stuff shipped, but can someone give me a list of things to bring that one might not automatically think of? Your help is much appreciated!

Also, if there are any other people planning on interviewing for Spring '09, it would be great to hear from you as well! I know it would help if I was able to talk to someone else who thinks this year will go by painfully slowly!

I'm doing Spring 2009 too! I should be graduating in December (hopefully) and want to do one more CP before going FT.

As for what to bring, here are a few ideas:
*both warm and cold weather clothing (it can be quite cold during the winter)
*a computer (if you can- the labs at housing stink)
*a comforter for the bed, if you want

To be honest, a lot of stuff can be bought down in FL. It's easier to fly lightly and buy it down there. But if I can think of anything else, I'll post.

 

[imagineergurl]

I'm hoping for Spring 09 CP also. I live in Orlando now and your definitely going to want to bring all types of clothes. Just this past week its gone from 30's to pouring to gorgeous out.

 

[Tinkrbell]

Im hoping for Spring 2009 too. It will be the second semester of my freshman year, but the college I'm most likely going to can tfigure out how to work the financial aid stuff while Id be in Florida because I wouldnt be enrolled in any classes through them for the semester.

 

[kcw]

Im hoping for Spring 2009 too. It will be the second semester of my freshman year, but the college I'm most likely going to can tfigure out how to work the financial aid stuff while Id be in Florida because I wouldnt be enrolled in any classes through them for the semester.

I have a scholarship at my university and they were able to defer it for a semester. Most schools will allow you to do something like this, for say a medical LOA, a family situation, etc, but each school has different terms. At ASU, we can only defer it once, so now I can't take anymore breaks from school. I didn't take any classes while I was on my CP, so I was just classified as taking a internship LOA with my school, and then I had to be reinstated when I came home. It was pretty easy, just a few forms to fill out. Just ask them if they offer deferments for financial aid and that should get your on the right track.

Can I just offer advice even though it wasn't asked for?? haha, you won't like it, but at least consider it. I did my CP my first semester of my sophomore year. I had hated my freshman year (mostly due to a bad living situation) and so in a way I was "running away" from school. I almost didn't come home afterwords, I told myself I'd transfer to UCF and finish my degree, or that I'd just extend my CP for one more semester and then I'd come home. Long story short, I ended up coming home, which was definitely the right decision, but it's been really hard. I stayed seasonal after my CP and plan on going FT either there or DLR after I graduate, so it is SOOO hard to stay focused in school and actually enjoy it. My first semester after I moved back, I sat in class doodling character autographs and thinking "I got to play for work every single day for five months, and now they expect me to sit at a desk and be lectured about the kirby-bauer method for testing antibiotics in microbiology...???? gag me. Needless to say, if I had just waited a few years, I wouldn't have been in this situation.... and seriously, it's not fun at all. Hence the reason I waste time on these message boards when I should be studying!! :lookaroun

 

[Tinkrbell]

I have a scholarship at my university and they were able to defer it for a semester. Most schools will allow you to do something like this, for say a medical LOA, a family situation, etc, but each school has different terms. At ASU, we can only defer it once, so now I can't take anymore breaks from school. I didn't take any classes while I was on my CP, so I was just classified as taking a internship LOA with my school, and then I had to be reinstated when I came home. It was pretty easy, just a few forms to fill out. Just ask them if they offer deferments for financial aid and that should get your on the right track.

Thank you so much for how it worked at your school. I'm going in about a month to talk to financial aid people & Im trying to find as much info about how other schools worked it as possible for me to be able to give them.

 

[hollywood<3]

:wave: I'm hoping for spring '09 as well!!
I live in the Miami/Ft.Lauderdale area so I'll most likely be driving up.
According to the CP website, the rooms come with kitchen appliances, silverware, plates, pots and pans, dressers and nightstands, so you're covered there. You would just have to bring the essentials, and anything you would want to personalize your space.

Can we time travel to that time yet?? lol

 

[joanna71985]

:wave: I'm hoping for spring '09 as well!!
I live in the Miami/Ft.Lauderdale area so I'll most likely be driving up.
According to the CP website, the rooms come with kitchen appliances, silverware, plates, pots and pans, dressers and nightstands, so you're covered there. You would just have to bring the essentials, and anything you would want to personalize your space.

Can we time travel to that time yet?? lol

Yes, it's true. All the kitchen essentials (pots, plates, silverware, cups, ect) are provided, as well as a dresser and night stands in the bedroom.

And I wish it was time to apply already. I can't wait!

 

[TheBeatles]

Right now I'm also looking at Spring '09.

 

[WDWKat26]

MONEY! Trust me, living off of CP pay stinks. If you want extra cash so you can go out and do things, or buy merchandise, definitely save up before you come down.

 

[OilSlinger822]

Basically ppl have just told me to bring the same stuff that you brought to college.....pretty much all the clothes u want to wear while down there (including business attire if u enroll in their classes), toiletries, etc..

some tips i got were to use those spacevacuum things, and wait to buy hangers at walmart while down there...that'll save u a lot of space
...and like someone else said, u don't get paid for like the first 2 weeks or something like that, so make sure u bring enough money to live off then.

p.s. I'm also going down Spring '09!!!! I can't wait

 

[dani8706]

Just a side note- take at least a few hangers...Walmart seems to run out quick, and you're going to want to hang at least your buisness clothes up right away! The spacebags do save a lot of room though, especially for things that can squish a lot, like towels and stuff.

Also remember this as you're packing- when you arrive on check-in day, unless you have family with you, you'll have to leave all of the stuff you brought with you in a huge pile that's only supervised by a couple people. So if you have anything valuable that you don't want stolen (in my case, my laptop), you're going to have to carry that around for the whole time it takes to check-in. I realize some people said they were done in under a half hour, but it took me two hours to check in because the people doing the fingerprinting/background checks took forever. So in summary, either have a lock for any bags with anything valuable, or be ready to lug it around for awhile!

 

[joanna71985]

A tip for getting through check-in quickly is arriving at 8am (or earlier, if they let you in). I got done in about 45 minutes last time, and I got there at 8am.

 

[soccer9miahamm]

Just a side note- take at least a few hangers...Walmart seems to run out quick, and you're going to want to hang at least your buisness clothes up right away! The spacebags do save a lot of room though, especially for things that can squish a lot, like towels and stuff.

Also remember this as you're packing- when you arrive on check-in day, unless you have family with you, you'll have to leave all of the stuff you brought with you in a huge pile that's only supervised by a couple people. So if you have anything valuable that you don't want stolen (in my case, my laptop), you're going to have to carry that around for the whole time it takes to check-in. I realize some people said they were done in under a half hour, but it took me two hours to check in because the people doing the fingerprinting/background checks took forever. So in summary, either have a lock for any bags with anything valuable, or be ready to lug it around for awhile!

This is good to know--thanks! So, the airport is okay with the spacebags? I mean, since they hand check the checked luggage now.

And with Walmart, do busses run there every day? Also, where all can the busses take you?

 

[dani8706]

This is good to know--thanks! So, the airport is okay with the spacebags? I mean, since they hand check the checked luggage now.

And with Walmart, do busses run there every day? Also, where all can the busses take you?

Yes, the airport was fine with the spacebags, but I only used them in my checked luggage. I guess if they had an issue with your bag they might have to un-seal the seal on the spacebags, but I had no problems as of May (coming home). Remember that you can't lock checked luggage though, so if you do want any of your bags locked during check-in, you'll have to lock them once you're out of Orlando airport. Also as of last May, the Walmart bus ran every day of the week except one- and that day changed each month. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I THINK anyone at Chatam had to come to Vista to catch the Walmart bus- I heard lots of complaints about this from the Chatam people. :shrug:

 

[joanna71985]

This is good to know--thanks! So, the airport is okay with the spacebags? I mean, since they hand check the checked luggage now.

And with Walmart, do busses run there every day? Also, where all can the busses take you?

The Walmart bus runs everyday but Sunday. It goes from Vista to the Commons to Chatham. Mon, Tues, Thus, and Fri it runs from 3pm until midnight and Wed/Sat it runs 9am-5pm.

Also, 1 day a week (the day changes each month) the Walmart bus goes to the Florida Mall instead of Walmart. For example: in Feb on Thursdays, the bus will go to the Florida Mall instead of Walmart.

 

[Tinkrbell]

Remember that you can't lock checked luggage though, so if you do want any of your bags locked during check-in, you'll have to lock them once you're out of Orlando airport.

You can lock your checked luggage, it just has to be with one of the TSA approved locks that they have a universal key to open no matter if its a key or combination lock on your suitcase. If they have to open your luggage to hand check it, they put a sticker on your luggage tag that says TSA Cleared.

 

[sum41914]

United Flyers, watch out for the new fee going into effect where your first bag is free and the second bag is $25. Not sure when this is going into effect, but this may have a problem with a few CP's trying to pack or maybe it won't when you need stuff for the CP there is always Walmart, or if you have a rommie with a car (and doesn't mind) they can take you to Target and there is another Walmart past the Walmart on 535, not as nice as 535 but it has the general Walmart Merchandise.

Besure to get a matress pad for your bed, the rubbing of sheets on those matrasses is like nails on a chalk board and haunts me in my sleep .