Lafayette Questions: Part II - Page 2

lafparent · 05-01-2007, 12:20 PM

deb922,

Just to echo safisher -- our S is a soph engineering major and is far from "preppy." Many of his friends are women engineering majors, so your D should not worry about being in the minority. He can't imagine going to school somewhere else -- he's said that returning to campus is almost like going home. As Justin has written, the engineering program is challenging and stressful, but classmates often study together and the professors always seem to be available for help and for support.

deb922 · 05-01-2007, 02:03 PM

Thanks lafparent. It's good to know that she would have company as an engineering major. I think that although we had a very nice tour guide and she was great, maybe she wasn't the best fit for my D. My D would love to be able to find a school that was smaller and had a LAC feel, something that I think Lafayette is.

lafayette1234 · 05-08-2007, 02:58 PM

i have just a few questions...
now that the june advising/orientation was eliminated, when are we supposed to know about when to choose classes? will we be mailed a course book or something like that? and are we supposed to pick classes online? do you know if you are able to study abroad if you are a bio major? also, do you think that kamine is a very popular residence hall request or do you think that i will have a good chance in getting it, even if i was on the later side to hand in my deposit? and one last question, do you know if we will be receiving any more information about anything in the near future, or is the next mail that we will get from Lafayette the housing/roommate info in july? sorry these questions were so random!
thanks!

candyman92486 · 05-08-2007, 08:48 PM

lafayette1234,

1. You will be receiving a packet of information with course listings, recommended first year schedules, and other registration information sometime over the summer. Yes, you will be required to select your course choices online, and I'm sure the process will be outlined quite clearly.

2. Yes, you could definitely study abroad as a Biology major.

3. I imagine Kamine Hall is one of the more popular residence hall options for first-year students because it houses only first-year students, has A/C, was just built, and has a restaurant on the ground floor. However, it is located a bit far from the center of campus. I honestly cannot guess as to whether you still have a chance of being assigned to Kamine.

4. You will be receiving mail throughout the summer from many different departments and offices. I believe the registration packet will be sent from the Office of the Dean of Studies, and as you stated, housing and roommate assignments are sent out by the Office of Residence Life in mid-July.

Don't be sorry about asking questions. I am here to answer those "random" questions, so feel free to ask away!

- Justin

person33 · 05-09-2007, 07:28 AM

Also, the June Academic Advising Days never were really an orientation program. The first-year orientation program is August 24-26, right before classes begin.

candyman92486 · 05-09-2007, 10:15 AM

person33,

Good catch! I did not notice that small detail in lafayette1234's post.

Just to reiterate, the June Academic Advising days were designed to help incoming students choose their classes. New Student Orientation is designed to familiarize first-year students with campus resources and get them to mingle with one another.

According to the online calendar, New Student Orientation will run from Thursday, August 23rd through Sunday, August 26th. Thursday may be intended for move-in (never before has Orientation run for four days!), and I imagine the actual Orientation activities will begin Friday morning.

To view last year's Orientation itinerary, please visit the following webpage: https://www.lafayette.edu/press/orientation/index.html.

- Justin

fsa1 · 05-11-2007, 10:38 AM

question about accomadation when do i get to find out where i will be living. Also as an international can i arrive early on the weekend b4 orientaion and have a place to stay .

damn cant beleive this is it im going to college baybeee!

candyman92486 · 05-11-2007, 02:47 PM

fsa1,

First-year international students actually arrive on campus about a week before other first-year students for a special orientation program sponsored by ISA (International Students Association).

You will be picked up from the airport (JFK, Newark Liberty, Lehigh Valley) upon your arrival to the States.

I recommend visiting the ISA website at http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~isa/index.htm for some very helpful information intended specifically for international students. Start by clicking on "New Students" to the right and downloading the "ISA Freshman Handbook". You might also wish to view a video of last year's ISA freshman orientation by heading to the "Media Lounge".

I'm sure you'll receive more information about this special orientation program from ISA within the next few months. If you wish to speak with an international student to learn more about arrival procedures, you might wish to send a private message to the CC user rytis. Rytis is a first-year student from Lithuania, and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to answer your questions.

With all that said, you should receive your housing and roommate assignment around the same time as other first-year students (no later than mid-July).

You have every reason to be excited about college...it really is an amazing experience!

All the best,

- Justin

candyman92486 · 05-11-2007, 08:43 PM

Class of 2011:

I thought I'd post this very important piece of information regarding computers at Lafayette before anyone makes a quick purchase.

This information comes directly from the ITS website:

<<< ITS has been testing Microsoft's Vista operating system since its release and has discovered several incompatibility issues with Vista and key network, academic, and administrative applications used on campus. For this reason, ITS continues to recommend Windows XP Professional as the operating system for all campus computers. >>>

Just to reiterate, do not purchase a new computer with Windows Vista preloaded. Buy a "Vista Ready" piece of hardware so as to be prepared for the eventual shift in operating system.

FYI, I have already answered many questions of the "which laptop should I buy?" variety back in the "I'll Answer Your Lafayette Questions!" thread (post #69 comes to mind).

Mac fanatics, feel free to ignore this post!

- Justin

janesmom1 · 05-11-2007, 10:27 PM

Justin, thanks for the heads up on the computer info. In the past, the relatives have bought a computer for the graduate in the family, now I can direct the computer knowledge relative in the family to this post. I had called about this the other day and I was also told to have the students Lafayette ID# on hand to use when purchasing from the purchasers you recommended.

joinville · 05-14-2007, 02:55 AM

janesmom1
I think they mean Lafayette's ID with the vendor not the student's ID although you may need their Lafayette e-mail address. Check you in-box, I've sent you some more specific information.

candyman92486 · 05-14-2007, 11:23 AM

janesmom1,

I believe joinville is correct on that point.

For some very helpful information on purchasing a computer for college, visit the following link to the "New Student FAQ" page: http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/help/faqs/froshfaq.

It looks as if the college has eliminated Gateway from its discount program. If you would like to purchase an Apple or Dell online, use the following link: http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/help/sales. You can also purchase software (think: Office) at a significant discount by clicking on the AICUP link on that page.

- Justin

girl10 · 05-14-2007, 11:55 AM

i have a question about housing..i sent my deposit in pretty late but i really want to be in south college and filled out the housing form accordingly..i was wondering if that was an especially preferred residence or if i still may have a chance in being placed there

candyman92486 · 05-14-2007, 01:08 PM

girl10,

Let's take a look at the situation. South College has about 110 spaces reserved for incoming students (55 doubles), which is a significant amount. However, as you may already know, South is consistently one of the most popular places to live on campus.

Why, you ask?

Well, the doubles, on average, are much larger than in our other residence halls. The building was last renovated back in 2002, so it is in rather good condition. Each room has wall-to-wall carpeting and A/C. Also, many students like the social atmosphere in South...with so many residents, something is always going on in there!

So, yes, it is an "especially preferred" residence hall. Does that mean you have absolutely no chance of being assigned there because you sent in your deposit just recently? Not at all! In the end, the Office of Residence Life has the ultimate power to place incoming students wherever they want based on their own priorities.

If I were you, however, I wouldn't keep my hopes up. Don't let my prediction dampen your mood...Easton, Ruef, or McKeen (just to name a few) would serve you equally as well. Wherever you are assigned, just be sure to get to know the other people on your floor.

I can also promise you that, wherever you end up, you'll consider it "home" in no time.

All the best,

- Justin

lafayette1234 · 05-15-2007, 04:48 PM

justin,
i was wondering if most freshmen at lafayette usually take 4 or 5 courses in their first semester of freshman year? in the second semester? i think i am planning on majoring in biology (as you can probably tell from my previous posts) so should i plan to take 4 or 5 classes?
thanks!