<p>No, one cannot rent brooms/vacuums but the janitors are really nice and would probably let you use their vacuum (you might even want to try and tip them if they do). If one does start buying vacuums and brooms be sure to email your mate of the room. One does not want to end up with 2 vacuums, 2 microwaves, and 2 fridges in the dorm room. </p>
<p>One can check out audio visual stuff like cameras and microphones, and laptops in the library. </p>
<p>A mirror is a definite must! Although I became very drunk and belligerent breaking both me and my roommate’s mirrors, they served us fashionable people quite well.</p>
<p>collegesgirl:
One does not need to apply to get into their concentration. You simply say you are concentrating in this subject at the end of one’s sophomore year and then you sign an agreement and you are in. Honors… that is a different story.</p>
<p>I would really like to know about the security in the dorms, on campus, etc. Like, do people lock their rooms, can anyone from another dorm get into our dorm, etc??? no security guards on the first floor? also, how do having guests work?</p>
<p>No security guards, no one cares if you have guests. Only people who live in that dorm and the two or so closest dorms so (for Keeney, Wayland and Littlefield I think) have access.</p>
<p>Lock your door when you leave the room and you have 0 problems.</p>
<p>Security on campus is good. Brown is not a police state, because the neighborhood is very safe. So police have a laid back presence. Sure there are a few robberies and such but it is usually people walking at night, listening to their Ipod, while playing on their Blackberry. The police have several emails where they tell you how not to get robbed and sometimes who got robbed two hours ago.</p>
<p>Everyone locks their rooms. Do not unlock your door period (unless you are having a party or some kind of Halloween show down). My friends became too comfortable with their room and left their door unlocked alot. One night when they were sleeping some sneaky sneak snuck in and stole a laptop.</p>
<p>Always close your door when you leave and make sure it is locked! My room mate didn’t want to lock the door but you have to be persistent and protect your stuff. I had too many friends with sad faces because they went to the bathroom and left their door open, came back to see that their Macbook was a gone book! Just keep reminding your room mate and your self that there are bad players out there.</p>
<p>I cannot lie. The dorms aren’t very secure. You will probably recieve 2 - 3 emails about how a peeping tom was spotted in the girls shower. The bathrooms are usually locked except when people unlock them. For security to work everyone has to play by the rules. </p>
<p>When I first arrived in Keeney I felt really unsafe because of the lack of a security and lack of accountability. But you will become used to this once you see that the campus is very safe and it would be kind of dumb to have level 10 Alcatraz type security. Basically you can break anything and no one will know who did what. And whatever you broke will magically fix itself over time. But you will become use to this anarchy and you either are a good player or a bad player. It is annoying though when some idiots are partying it up and end up smashing windows and etc. Usually if you get them early in the game, when they aren’t too drunk and disrespectful you can tell them to quiet down or threaten them by calling the cops. But if it is late in the game do not bother you could end up fighting for your life! But you might like this challenge. </p>
<p>Last year Keeney swipe cards work for Keeney / Perkins and no other dorms. </p>
<p>Guests, just talk to your room mate before they come. And try to tell your room mate some things about them. For instance, if I am a guy and I invite my girlfriend to Brown, I would not want to my room mate to be studying around in his boxers or hitting on my girlfriend. If they are homosexual and the likes. Just try to make it so when your guest leave you aren’t like: ROOM MATE WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU MAKE OUT WITH THEM, TELL THEM THAT I AM DATING THIS GUY or etc. Also try to avoid losing your guest at a frat party. You’ll wake up realize something is missing, and bam you’ll find them making love with Julius Caesar on Lincoln Field.</p>
<p>Sad to say, I think some of the dorm theft is by other students. So, lock your doors. </p>
<p>While you need a key to get into dorms, most students will let in anyone who is waiting by the door. But as arapollo said, Brown is in a pretty safe neighborhood, so while there are problems they are exception rather than the rule.</p>
<p>And some concentrations require a little more effort than just signing a piece of paper. You need to fill out some forms, write a short essay, detail all the classes you’ll be taking to fulfill the concentration.</p>
<p>First off, this is a great thread. Now I’ve got some random questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>Where are our mailboxes located? Are they in the dorms?</li>
<li>If I got sick and couldn’t make it to a class, what should I do and what will happen? Do I have to make up whatever I missed?</li>
<li>Where’s the closest grocery store, electronics store, and movie theater?</li>
<li>How much room would a mini fridge, microwave, and printer take up in a Perkins room?</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>No one will care.
Except sometimes in language classes maybe? But those people are crazy anyway…5 classes a week…after 3 or so absences they start *****ing</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>J. Walter Wilson, first floor, on the corner of Brown and Waterman</li>
<li>You should not go to class and not get everyone sick. If your lack of attendance will be noticed, email the professor. If you think you need to go to office hours to make up the material, set up an appointment. If not, don’t worry about it. Most professors in most classes really think it’s up to you to do what you feel you need to in order to not fall behind. The only classes I took where attendance was a huge deal were small discussion based classes and language classes, where in both cases the learning really was as much about the conversation we had in class as any material in the book. In those cases, you should always go to office hours to talk about the reading for your own sake, if not for the grade.</li>
<li>Closest grocery store is Eastside Marketplace, you’ll have to take a 5 min bus ride there. Closest electronic store depends on what you mean. There is no big box electronic store (like Best Buy) in Providence, but there is a Staples and Radio Shack not far, the Stereo Discount Center is practically on campus, the Bookstore has a technology area, and there is a Radio Shack in the mall as well. Closest big box store is probably in Seekonk, as far as I know. Closest movie theater is on Thayer Street, it’s called the Avon and is one screen and shows independent/limited release films. The next closest in the Cable Car Cinemas, also small like the Avon. The theater most of us go to is in the mall, it’s a National Amusements with 17 screens and an IMAX.</li>
<li>Not very much. The microwave goes on top of the mini fridge so it’s just one footprint. Printer fits on top of your desk.</li>
</ol>
<p>Also no will care care what you write in your concentration. It’s not like they will say, oh no, your essay isn’t very convincing, go away, try the math department. Some of you people think advisors etc are actually handsomely paid to do all these chores. </p>
<p>Safety is based on luck. I never locked my door these two years and never had problems. Not even when I left for 1 week once. I am just that lazy. But I had a crappy laptop and losing it would have hardly been an issue.
You can of course also get unlucky. Like that guy that was beat up near B&H, and people thought he was just pretending to be a zombie…with broken jaw and everything…so no one opened the door to check him out when he was knocking on the lab window. Amateurs! Don’t they know zombies don’t bleed?!</p>
<p>I’ve survived with only CVS and Store 24, which are within walking distance, although I would be completely unsurprised if the cost at these places are much higher.</p>
<p>For as long as I can remember, he teaches Bi20 and 105 (can’t remember if number is right, it’s advanced cell bio, the next course after Wessel’s famous Bi50).</p>
<p>Is it worth taking a harder class, if it means a better professor? I will need a year of physics (bc of premed) and I know most premeds take non-calculus PHYS0030 (Dell’antonio), but it seems that calculus PHYS0050 has the better professor (Pelcovits). I’ve taken non-calculus mechanical physics at a community college before so I have a “background”.</p>
<p>sviola: Shop both, see which class and Professor fits you more. I took Phys 5 with Dave Cutts. It is easy at first just keep up and it will probably be at 8:30Am… not real fun on rainy days. The lab will be a joke as it is run by first year grad students, who will either grade you really hard or not care TOO much. </p>
<p>Easy, don’t get sick. Take alot of vitamins and vitamin C. If you see a sick person, stay away. If your room mate is sick get some hand sanitizer and be vicious. Or get a new room mate. </p>
<p>nearest REAL grocery store is: Eastside Marketplace… it is basically like a 5 minute bike ride or a nice 20-30 minute walk. just google it. I rode my bike there to get food when the dining halls closed during spring break, no way in hell was I going to eat 3 times a day on Thayer St. or microwavable food from CVS. And I rode there sometimes just to get away from the “Brown Community.” Plus there is a nice river a few blocks down where it is very calm and peaceful.</p>
<p>Sometimes (or in my case) often you will take small classes where your absence is noted and !!! you get sick!</p>
<p>As someone who has a chronic condition and catches colds like its my job as a result, let me say: if you’re sick and have a hard nosed professor (unlikely) hobble over to Health Services!</p>
<p>Not only can they give you a note to take to class, but sometimes they take care of you in lieu of a mom (crappy soup, crackers, juice) -> but hey its the thought that counts. Bottom line: if you’re sick and scared someone will care go to health services.</p>