I have some new logistical questions about dorm living:
I was wondering if anyone knew more about how the wireless system works in the dorms. The web site says that the Internet connection is wireless. How user friendly is it? How Mac friendly is it? So the only computer cables we need are to connect to our printer (since the web site says wireless printers are not allowed)?
It looks like you are not permitted to put anything into the dorm walls thicker than a thumb tack/push pin or tiny brad. Where do students in double rooms put their televisions since it appears that the dressers are under the loft style beds?
Are there ample electrical outlets? The web site says NO extension cords allowed, only surge protected power strips.
Will twin sheets fit on the twin XL mattresses (since they are only 6 inches deep at Emory and most sheets today fit 12-18 inch mattresses)?
In the dorms, and everywhere on campus for that matter, Emory students have access to EmoryUnplugged, Emory's wireless service. At the beginning of the year they will have tech people downstairs in the freshman dorms or they give you directions to do it yourself to connect the first time. It's pretty simple the login information is the same as your OPUS account. Pretty user friendly/mac friendly although sometimes it will randomly not work... which can be frustrating but that usually doesn't last too long. Yes the only computer cables you need are to connect your printer.
Students can buy extra dressers if they want to or like a small table to put their TV. The dressers don't HAVE to be under the bed, my friends freshman year just pulled the dressers out and placed it on the edge of the room and put their TV on top there.
I suggest surge protected power strips. There are plenty of outlets but if you move furniture around sometimes they're not in the most convenient of locations. My power trip has a longer cord (not teeechnically an extensions cord) so it allows for outlets to be a little more convenient.
Yes they will fit. It is a little annoying, I mean at least for me, because I found that they would come off sometimes because they are larger than usually but then I got a mattress topper so then I had the opposite problem.... I'm sure there is a balance to be found I just haven't found it yet (I realize this answer may not have been the most helpful, but hey it's just my personal experience.)
Bryanilla- I would definitely say that Emory is a place where political activism could and does survive
Seiclan - The laundry rooms are usually on the first floor of every dorm, Longstreet has two laundry rooms because it's so large, one for the south side and on for the east and north.
Class Registration Advice:
I'll try not be redundant but a lot of this advice you've probably seen in other posts.
1- YES, It may seem weird that you don;t pick your classes until you arrive... just go with the flow on that one. Emory does it so you will be surrounded by experienced students, mentors, and advisers who will be able to help you much more than if you were picking classes at home.
2- Check ClassComments, it's a conference on learnlink that is like Emory's own version of RateMyProfessor. Helpful, but at the same time keep in mind that the people who posted obviously felt pretty strongly about the class either one way or another... take it with a grain of salt.
3- I know you all are the top of your high school class and that your incredibly smart and intelligent students... but if we (meaning mentors or advisers or just the random student) say that perhaps a certain schedule you may want to have isn't the best idea because of it's extreme difficulty it would probably be in your best interest to listen. This is a whole different ballgame from your AP/IB classes, you don't want to overload yourself trying to prove yourself and conquer the world, especially freshman year.
4- If you don't get a GER you need, chill out it's not the end of the world. Me and my friends always laugh at how foolish we were thinking we NEEDED to have a "HSC" GER first semester to get it out of the way. Turns out a lot of the classes for your major will fulfill GERs so please please please don't freak out if you don't have what you need right away... This is more common with freshman seminars. Students freak out thinking they need to finish that GER immediately and want to take it fall semester but they quickly fill up so they end up taking some course they're not even interested in which of course has the most ridiculous syllabus known to mankind (exaggeration but you get the point.) During registration if I don't get a class (which isn't often) my mantra is simply, "there's always next semester."
5- Make a back-up schedule, matter fact make multiple back up schedules. Like I said, classes fill up so it's best to be prepared so you're not completely lost and end up in a bunch of random classes because you didn't think ahead.
6- Last but certainly not least, check out the course catalog. You can do that now even, just look for classes that interest you. Freshman year is a year to experiment with classes and major-pathways. Don't limit yourself to just one field... college is about expanding your horizons, so maybe the social sciences aren't your thing... check out Racial and Ethnic Relations for an HSC requirement, or maybe you always wanted take an art history class in high school but never had the chance to... sign up for Understanding Architecture and HAP requirement. Ok I'm sounding so cheesy now so I'm gonna stop but you guys get my point haha here's the course atlas for fall 2012:
Can the freshman sign up for BUS 201 (business economics)? It is not listed in the catalog.
What other interesting electives have you or your friends taken that also fulfill GERs? My son has no clue what to look into at all. We don't know any current or past Emory students to ask either! He is planning on a business track at this point. Could anyone here post a list of possible classes that are interesting and will work toward the GER and or business school?
Can the freshman sign up for BUS 201 (business economics)? It is not listed in the catalog.
Yes they can. But BUS 201 a course in the b-school and therefore is not listed in Emory College's course catalogue. When you go on OPUS to register for it you'll have to change the school for something like "Emory College" to "Business" to be able to see it.
Emanekaf- You should buy clothes wherever you see fit. Depending on how soon you are going to return home and how much packing space you have I wouldn't say your heavy duty winter clothing is necessary at first but if you won't be going home until Christmas break I would say bring jackets and winter clothing.
KBKMOM- You actually have the option of both. The machines will take quarters (I believe it was about $1.50 or 1.75 for wash and .75 for dryer) and they will also take Eagle Dollars. Eagle Dollars is simply the money that you put onto your Emory card if you choose to and it serves as regular money pretty much. You can use Eagle dollars at the bookstore, CVS, a couple restaurants in Emory Village, and for laundry. Same cost as quarters but probably a little more convenient. I took the quarters route freshman and sophomore year
Former Chicagoan, now in Atlanta since 1989.
1. Atlanta Weather can be changeable but, in general, cool weather (one needs a jacket) does not hit Emory until November and leaves, in general after the end of Feb.
2. The Dec/Jan/Feb weather is similar to November weather in Chicago. It rarely gets below 20, even at night. Normally, highs are 40s to low 50s/ lows in the 30s, maybe upper 20s, during Atlanta Winters. It snows, on average, every other year. The winters are chilly but not cold.
3. Yes, guys wear shorts most of the year. Even in Jan, the temps can get into the 60s for several days.
The best parts of Atlanta weather are spring and fall. The fall weather can be wonderful well into November but usually by Nov 15 it starts getting chilly. The spring can be absolutely spectacular (if you don't suffer from allergies/hayfever). Once March begins, any chilly weather is generally over (60s); April and May are great. The winters are tolerable for any cold weather which is usually not too bad; (rarely, Atlanta can have several days of highs in the low 30s or even upper 20s but those days are short-lived).
Atlanta's worst season-Summer. The summers are long, humid and hot. Day after day of 90s (like right now). But most students aren't on campus then. The temps don't start moderating until mid-September. So, the first few weeks of classes will be Africa-like hot. But everything is air conditioned.
Are there one or two cable connections in the dorm rooms (so that each student can connect to their own tv)?
I read that some freshman are already organizing and researching their schedules. Are they actually able to reserve a spot in those classes by putting them in their shopping cart or is this just hypothetical? Is this essential or can it all be done at orientation? My son isn't sure what he wants to take yet. Will he be behind more well prepped freshman and less likely to get appropriate classes? His major is still undecided.
Are there doors on the closets of the newer dorms? If not, do most kids get a curtain on a tension rod?
Any dinner reservation suggestions For the Saturday night of orientation?
seiclan, to my understanding the shopping cart is just for having a readied list of classes. (I believe the comparison was that it was the same as a shopping cart on Amazon.) It's not essential, and no one is able to reserve their spot in a class (aside from permission-only classes) but consider that the entire class of 2016 (~1500 people) will be trying to get the classes they want and snatching up any remaining seats in the classes that don't have spots reserved for freshmen on the same day in the span of a few hours. I'm not sure how much of a load Emory's servers can handle, but I wouldn't want to be scrambling to find and enter course numbers while a bunch of people with the same appointment time are already enrolling; response time (loading webpages, etc.) will probably be slow enough as it is. Shopping cart allows you to check off the classes you want and enroll in one click. I'm not sure if your son'll want to wait until orientation to begin adding classes to the cart. Perhaps making minor adjustments after the adviser meeting will be necessary, but I wouldn't count on having free time to sit down and devise a full schedule + backups on the day(s) your son will be meeting future classmates, exploring campus, etc.
It might be a good idea for your son to go review PACE Unit A, B, F, and G (which cover Gen Ed. requirements/AP credits/picking courses/enrollment process) and, as soon as he has a faculty adviser assigned (everyone should get one before the 17th I think) email them. It is definitely a good idea to at least have some idea of which specific classes he'd like to take (at least fulfill some GERs or take classes toward a potential major?). Apparently it's also wise to have backup schedules for your backup schedules as I've heard horror stories of people winding up with one or none of their choices. As I'm also an incoming freshmen, I can't comment on the effectiveness of the add/drop/swap process.
I'll be rooming in LSM and from what I've gathered I believe there are no doors for the closets. I think you have to provide your own curtains and rods too.
