mohak

what exactly are general checkups??

ryanshroff

i heard from IT services that vista is recommended for next year.
i wanted to know if alot of present students are planning to migrate to vista next year

candyman92486

mohak,

If you are asking what I meant by "general checkup," know that I was thinking along the lines of a standard physical examination. If you are asking what services fall under "general checkup," you should probably get that information directly from the Health Center.

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ryanshroff,

Yes, you should be sure to only purchase a computer with Vista at this point. The campus is still on XP until Vista is more stable, but here's a timeline for the campus-wide migration to Vista: Windows Vista, Leopard, and Office Upgrades | Information Technology Services.

I don't believe many current students running XP plan to make the switch. Vista is still too much of a risk, and the learning curve is nothing to look forward to, either.

- Justin

nancyli

Hi. I was wondering if Lafayette offers students computers at a special price?

Minky

Can freshmen pick the 14/week plan? I can imagine my son eating breakfast only once or twice a week. Can't he use flex money?

candyman92486

nancyli,

Yes, Lafayette offers student discounts on Dell and Apple computers. Also, these brands can be serviced under warranty at our Hardware Shop.

For more information on computer and software sales, see: Computer & Software Sales | Information Technology Services.

- Justin

candyman92486

Minky,

Nope. First-year students can only choose from the 20 Meal plan (a huge waste), the new Carte Blanche option, or the new 200 Block option.

Yes, your son can use flex money at the smaller cafés on campus (Gilbert's, Simon's, Skillman), but for the majority of his meals, he will be able to use his meals.

IMO, I'd go with the 200 Block plan as a first-year student. If 200 meals proves insufficient, you can purchase additional 25 meal blocks for $350 or simply resort to using only flex for the remainder of a given semester. Also, the ability to use multiple meals per time period is a huge plus, especially at the Farinon Food Court.

Since that meal plan doesn't start with any flex dollars, you should consider adding a few hundred to the account. Don't worry about adding too many flex dollars -- flex carries over to the spring semester, and can then be refunded in full at the end of the academic year.

As you are probably already aware, these new meal plans are described here: Welcome to Lafayette Dining Services.

- Justin

Minky

Thanks, Justin. Maybe because I went to college in the Dark Ages, I don't understand the value of the 200 block plan. It only costs $100 less per year, and it gives 7 less meals per week.

I also don't understand the value of having more than one meal per meal period. When I went to school, the food at each meal in the student dining halls was unlimited. Does Lafayette ration the number of entrees per meal? I hope not. (lol -- That's probably why I also gained so much weight in college.)

candyman92486

Minky,

Please understand how difficult it is to describe how this all works in writing. It's really not as confusing as it sounds, but it's also so much easier to explain it in person.

Yes, it might seem that the 20 Meal plan is the better deal, but due to "wasted meals," you end up not utilizing the full potential of that meal plan. That's what our food supplier is hoping for -- to gain a profit, they rely on students not using all their meals any given week. I'm sure that's why the 20 Meal plan is "priced to sell."

What is this "wasted meal," you ask? Well, if a student on the 20 Meal plan doesn't use one of their meals during a specific time period on a specific day, they lose access to that meal. With the 200 Block plan, that becomes a non-issue. Students are allowed to "miss" meals without "losing" meals. That's the "flexibility" of that plan.

Having access to multiple meals per time period would allow a student to eat in the Farinon Food Court without having to resort to flex to cover the difference beyond the designated meal value. The Food Court serves food "a la carte," so every item has a price -- one meal usually only covers about half a typical purchase.

For the Farinon Dining Hall and for Marquis Hall, our two all-you-can-eat buffet dining halls, one meal is all that's needed. Having access to multiple meals per time period would only matter if a student wished to eat again within hours of the last meal, or if the student had a guest.

I don't know if this makes any sense -- I'm all studied out at the moment, and I've still got papers to write for the end of the week. Yikes!

- Justin

Minky

Thanks, Justin. Good luck on your papers.

Minky

Hey, Justin, I'll get this one in before you go on vacation. First, I'll be getting my son to check out this board instead of me. Second, did next year's class get their L numbers yet? Not that I know what that means -- I'm guessing it's the student ID number.

candyman92486

Minky,

Your son's L number should be listed on pieces of admissions correspondence. I'd check for an application receipt confirmation letter or something along those lines.

An "L number" looks like L03739232 (I made that one up -- it's the letter "L" followed by eight numbers). And, yes, it is a student ID number.

- Justin

mary s

Hi Justin.
Does Lafayette accept any high school college credit courses? I saw on the web site the scores which are acceptabe for AP exams, but was unsure about whether credit is awarded for college level courses taken in high school.
-Mary

PS I hope you have a great vacation!

candyman92486

Mary,

Yes, credit may be awarded for college courses taken while enrolled in high school (that is what you are speaking of, right?). Credit is granted on an individual basis after official transcripts have been sent to the Registrar:

Office of the Registrar
Lafayette College
215 Markle Hall
Easton PA 18042-1768

Feel free to direct specific questions to the Registrar, Mr. Frank Benginia, at benginif@lafayette.edu.

- Justin

mary s

Thanks so much for the info. Justin.
Take care
-Mary