Pandora

I'm applying to Caltech EA, but my mom is very much against me moving to California from New York should I get accepted. Meanwhile, my dad, the earthquake engineer, warns of an impending big earthquake in California. I think they're both being silly , but can I have some first hand accounts of what travel is like between the two coasts? That's the issue at hand right now, since they want me home very often (me = ). Thanks!!!

flierdeke

So I'm not really going to Caltech yet, but I've visited four times now, travelling alone three times. (My sister went there as well... I'm not just a college stalker.) Travel generally means two flights (one connection) and something on the order of $300 round-trip if you spend a bit of time looking for airfare, depending on timing and such. It means basically losing a day to travel when you go east, but it's not too much of a hassle. (The Denver airport is a nice place to spend the night, really. )

I think east coasters tend to go home (or someplace non-Caltech anyway) for winter break but not, say, Thanksgiving, although exams factor in with the latter. Basically if your parents' idea of "home very often" is 5 weekend visits plus major breaks... well, no, that's not practical.

The simpler solution, depending on your parents, is to figure out why they want you home so often and try to reassure them that you will eat your vegetables/write to Aunt Bertha/live roughly as they taught you/stay somewhat under their influence. And if you have to be in California for an earthquake, Caltech's probably the place to be.

mmcduff

What you need to do is set precedent right off the bat. No more than one phone call per week, only come home during the breaks, no exceptions. Don't start out calling home every day expecting it to ease off to once a week after a couple months. I'm lucky that my brother doesn't call home from college more than once per month, so I'll be a shining beacon of light if I can make one call per week

korinfox

College stalker college stalker! *points*

Being home very often so far has been winter break and spring break, and a part of summer pretty much, which is I think what most east coaster people do. The cheapest flights are about $220 if you book really early with Southwest or other budget airlines, but during summer and other high demand times airfare will be closer to $300 usually (as flierdeke said) with a stop somewhere.

Travel from the airport to Caltech isn't a problem either, with the super shuttle taking you from door to door for $19 and if you're more adventurous taking either a MTA thruway bus that takes you to union station and then you can take the metro to the station 1.3 miles off campus for about $5, or you can just take the metro plus the walk back from the station (my estimate a 2 hours or so trip one way when it's 40 minutes by car about) for $3. Pretty much the metro is only useful if you don't have much luggage.

dLo

Yeah, essentially it means that going home requires a $300 roundtrip ticket and about 5 to 7 hours travel each way depending on whether you have to connect. To me, the biggest hindrance to going home is the price of the ticket. So far, I've gone home once after every term and I'll be going home again before school starts.

flierdeke

The metro really isn't any worse with luggage than the airport, really; as long as you haven't packed more than you can carry you're fine. The bus that goes between the airport and Union Station is realllly nice ($3 one way), and the metro stations have elevators so you don't have to carry stuff up & down stairs. The walk between Caltech and the nearest station isn't bad either. Altogether that takes about 2 hours, as korinfox said.

zoogies

From the New Student Information Guide:

I was amused at this paragraph's existence in the booklet.

Your parents might just be jealous of Caltech's far awesomer weather.

Pandora

How accomodating is the airline with lots o' luggage? Has any of you experienced problems in this area? I think my parents are picturing the hassle involved in trying to shuttle my stuff back and forth, not that I have a lot, but....

Actually, they pulled the weather card on me recently, on how everybody is dying from the heat wave.

Did any of you face problems from overprotective parents when you were making the decision to go to Caltech? Thanks for the advice so far!!

jediknight

Hrm, how about the fact that the second term starts on Jan 2nd... which means either flying on New Year's Day or missing the first day of class... (unless you're lucky enough not to have classes then?)
Anyone with experience care to reply? I have to book my flight before the rates go up... oh wait, too late =P

spoon!

You can bring one piece of luggage and a small item for carry-on. And for checked baggage it depends on your airline and travel class; usually two or three pieces for free and you pay extra for more luggage.

zoogies

Wait, I thought it was: 1) suitcase, 2) little carry on suitcase, 3) backpack.

Or am I wrong?

me?

zoogies, I've always known it to be a small bag/backpack/purse and a small suitcase for carry on. I could be wrong, though.


Pandora, also, you don't necessarily have to worry about travelling with all the stuff you'll need at Caltech. I'm planning on shipping some of my stuff it out there so I have a relative minimum required through the airports. (Note: I've never actually been out there, so my advice is purely hypothetical.)

SteelPangolin

Your parents are idiots, air travel is easy, and the best way to bring large amounts of stuff over is to mail it. If you find yourself bringing more than one piece of checked luggage initially, you're probably bringing too much stuff, because you won't know what House you're living in until two-ish weeks after you get to Caltech: you'll be in a temporary room meanwhile, and there's no point in bringing all your stuff over if you're just going to have to move it again.

korinfox

Earthquakes so far haven't been a worry (knock on wood). It seems like it's far more likely that you'll be disturbed in your sleep by a fire alarm set off by either rain (messing with the alarm system) or someone burning breakfast in the kitchen.

zoogies

Oh, for carry-on, yeah. I thought spoon! meant that was it for luggage altogether.