I'll Answer Your Lafayette Questions! Part I - Page 14

candyman92486 · 05-22-2006, 11:49 AM

alissa,

It's nice to see that you have taken such an interest in selecting courses for your first semester at Lafayette. I believe that, if you are planning on attending one of the June Academic Advising Days, you simply need to bring your ranked FYS choices with you that day. If you could not make it, that is when you would have had to worry about sending it to Lafayette through the mail.

Just rank the five? that interest you the most, and bring it with you in June.

J

candyman92486 · 05-22-2006, 12:29 PM

certifiedsoulman,

I believe I have touched upon this question before in previous posts, but I think it is time to reiterate some of my main points.

You DO NOT need to drink to have an active social life at Lafayette. There are always so many college-sponsored activities and events open to students that one does not have to resort to "getting wasted" to have a good time. I, personally, do not go out on the weekends looking to drink. Occasionally, I will go to a party where alcoholic beverages are available. I have NEVER felt pressured into drinking...I will walk around with a can of soda while others might choose to carry around a beer. No one really cares, and that's the truth.

Even if you NEVER went to any such parties, you would find so many ways to spend your Friday and Saturday nights. Even though I will not list all of the events that go on, rest assured that you will find many nights during the week where you will have to decide which event to attend out of many choices. On the Lafayette homepage, there is a link to "Calendar of Events" which you can access 24/7 to find out what there is to do on any given day. Right now, it is blank, but once classes are in session for the fall semester, expect the calendar to fill up quickly.

You might have a hard time believing me when I say this, but those who go out looking to drink and "get wasted" are the minority at Lafayette. The majority of students are like me: we go out looking to socialize, meet new people, and unwind. If alcohol is available, we are in full control as to whether we wish to participate. I have had the occasional beer/shot, but that does not make me someone whose social life "revolves around alcohol". Some students refuse to drink ANYTHING, and that is fine as well. They might come into contact with alcohol or someone who has decided to "drink the night away", but they couldn't care less.

Come to Lafayette with the attitude and excitement you have already shown on these boards ("Hell yes, go leopards!" --> your words, not mine!), and look forward to becoming a member of the Lafayette community.

Just be yourself in college, and go your own way. People will appreciate you all the more for it!

J

maxy · 05-22-2006, 12:57 PM

Justin,

Sorry if this question is answered somewhere on the Lafayette website, but are the FYS courses offered only the first semester, or both semesters? Do you have any recommendations regarding first-year seminars? What have you taken? There are just so many to choose from. Thanks.

candyman92486 · 05-22-2006, 01:25 PM

maxy,

Do not be sorry! The Lafayette website is poorly designed, to say the least. Even after a year at the college, I still have trouble finding my way around our own website.

The FYS is only offered in the fall semester, and you MUST take it your first semester at Lafayette. I took FYS:069 Monuments with Prof. Sinkevic, which I noticed is not being offered for you guys...oh well!

Let me go through the list and see if anything hits me...

FYS 024 is taught by Prof. Childs..I had him for the lab portion of Intro. Psych. He is a very nice man, and is pretty chill. Those who had him for the lecture portion of Psych 110 loved him, too. Are you interested in psychology?

FYS 025 sounds interesting, and Annette Diorio is teaching it. She is not really a professor (she is actually the Director of Residence Life!), but she is such a caring person. During freshman orientation, she led a discussion with my group about our summer reading assignment, and she was really fun. I imagine she would be great teaching a course on the "American College Student".

I had a floormate who took FYS 062, which might not sound that interesting from the short description. Tim Silvestri is totally chill (he is actually a school psychologist who works in the Bailey Health Center), and for some classes, they went to a local coffee shop to have class discussions. This same floormate handed in a paper about 7 weeks late for the class, and still got an A as his final grade.

FYS 071 is taught by Prof. Washington...my roommate had Prof. Washington for a 100-level English course on a similar topic, and he LOVED going to his classes. He is a very controversial man, and is NOT afraid to voice his true opinions. My roomie said they had some very interesting class discussions with Prof. Washington.

FYS 127 is really great for someone interested in economics. Prof. Gamber is by far the most popular econ professor at Lafayette. A floormate who was a die-hard econ fan loved the course.

FYS 134 is taught by Rev. Colatch. A floormate took this course, and said it was pretty easy. She just wasn't too excited about having to learn about death all the time! Otherwise, the readings and paper assignments seemed pretty interesting to me.

My roomie took FYS 136 with Prof. Fabricand-Person. He loves Japanese culture, so this course was a great fit for him. It is pretty much an art history course, where the Prof. projects slides and tells students about the history behind each piece. My roomie loved the Prof. and said "she was a doll" (his words!).

FYS 140 is great for die-hard philosophy fans. Prof. Panichas is the most popular professor in the philosophy department...some students have actually created a facebook group called the "Panichas Fan Club".

Other than that, many of the FYS choices for you guys are different from the ones we were offered just a year ago.

For more information on the professors, be sure to visit ratemyprofessor.com (the college version of ratemyteacher.com). Maybe you can narrow down your choices that way.

All the best,

J

rytis · 05-22-2006, 03:03 PM

Hey Justin,
Thanks so much for sharing the web site address www.ratemyprofessor.com!
It's a damn wonderful resource for college kids like me, who tremble at the prospect of failing a course.
Comparing physics and engineering professors ratings I now begin to understand what they mean saying that Lafayette's engineering is top-notch. Good for me...
Thanks again for being that helpful!

ridethecliche · 05-22-2006, 03:19 PM

Be careful though, I wouldn't go by the rating site too much other than for comparing professors within a college. Don't use it to compare professors in different institutions since students at other schools will have NO idea what the profs will be like at a particular school (unless they're transfer students, which would be very helpful).

candyman92486 · 05-22-2006, 03:20 PM

rytis,

No problem! Just be sure to take all of the comments on ratemyprofessors.com with a grain of salt...some comments make absolutely no sense and are completely false.

That website is great, but as a current Lafayette student, you gain access to student course evaluations off of the Lafayette website. These evaluations are published online for every course each semester, and help students select courses and professors. Even though you do not have access to this resource (it requires a userid and password you do not yet have), rest assured that it awaits your perusal as you select courses for subsequent semesters.

As a first-year student, you really have little information to go on, which is quite a shame. Most students have no choice but to select courses and professors blindly. Attending one of the June Academic Advising Days (June 8th-10th) may help to a certain extent in selecting suitable courses.

Take care,

J

candyman92486 · 05-22-2006, 03:25 PM

ridethecliche,

What are you still doing roaming around these parts? Do you feel a lingering sense of guilt after passing up Lafayette's offer of admission? Having second thoughts?

I can hear Wesleyan's boards calling for your presence...

J

(I kid, I kid!)

ridethecliche · 05-22-2006, 03:33 PM

What can I say, I've been around the block :-P

certifiedsoulman · 05-22-2006, 05:10 PM

Thanks candyman, thats good to hear.

certifiedsoulman · 05-22-2006, 11:06 PM

have you ever seen the jazz ensemble? can you tell me anything about them?

candyman92486 · 05-23-2006, 12:11 PM

certifiedsoulman,

I actually have yet to see the jazz ensemble perform in the Williams Center for the Arts. I have, however, enjoyed numerous jazz performances by famous musicians sponsored by the college.

Since I know very little about the program, I encourage you to visit the Music Department homepage at http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~music/ and explore the site thoroughly. There is a section with a short description of the jazz ensemble contained within that website, as well as information on our facilities, faculty, and courses offered in the music department.

I will make sure to attend a jazz ensemble performance next semester. As you might imagine, there is just not enough time to see and do everything that college has to offer in one year!

Peace,

J

rytis · 06-04-2006, 04:49 AM

What is Lafayette ID/student number, which is on the First-Year seminar registration card and course registration worksheet?

How to know my Lafayette ID?

candyman92486 · 06-04-2006, 09:51 AM

rytis,

Your Lafayette ID would look something like this:

L03619339

The letter "L" followed by eight digits. I believe this number was provided to you on some of the admission/financial aid documents you received in your initial admissions packet.

J

rytis · 06-04-2006, 01:04 PM

candyman,

Thanks, after searching through all of my Lafayette papers, it turned out that it was written in the letter of acknowledgment of receipt of my application.