<p>Around here, the local schools don’t get out til mid-June, so for college students who want to work at summer camps, the quarter system is not a problem. In fact, S thinks it will be an advantage – he can work at a camp for its regular summer session (which ends around here no later than 8/15) and still have time to temp. Next summer he plans to work at one place until 8/1, when that program ends, and then go to an internship for eight weeks.</p>
<p>See, you just have to get new friends!</p>
<p>Almost all of my best friends are also banshees of the quarter system-- we have Northwestern, Dartmouth, Caltech, Stanford, Union, and Carleton all on very similar schedules to ours. Those are also the colleges where about half of my close friends go, so my friends who come home a little bit before us feel that they are the ones waiting around for us!</p>
<p>I do understand how college stuff presents bumpy get-together opportunities, but I think people also tend to exhaust their high school friends, as a lot of people stay around Chicago over the summer to be with their “real” friends rather than going home, particularly after first year…</p>
<p>Unalove, your prognostication skills are amazing. She has already informed me that this is the last summer I am to expect her living at home!! Now since I have already lived through this with her two brothers, one a 2007 U of C grad, I’m not surprised at all. I think of it as the next step in the rest of their lives! Enjoy your summer!!</p>
<p>rmom, I can see that handwriting on the wall with my Maroon, too. Had
to be pried out of the dorm.</p>
<p>I met a number of my D’s friends at convocation last weekend. All were staying in Chicago except my D. Most did not even have jobs yet. Not a great job market for new college grads?</p>
<p>Or just that college grads haven’t really thought about employment yet. All of my fourth-year friends have pretty set plans, but that wasn’t the case with my brother’s friends or other recent college grads I know.</p>
<p>My father and I have been discussing ways for me to get to Chicago next September, and we’re pretty sure the best way would be by plane. Does UChicago set up an airport-campus shuttle on Move In Day, or are students expected to take the bus/find alternate transport?</p>
<p>A friend of mine has offered to drive me (it’s about an 11 hour drive), but we’ll see.</p>
<p>No formal U sponsored shuttle because there are so many other transportation choices.</p>
<p>It makes a big difference which airport regarding cost - Ohare is much further = more expensive. But you are coming a good distance so count on Ohare.</p>
<p>You should receive O week materials later this summer that will explain some of the transportation choices. You can also search the U website.</p>
<p>You will also have a chance to network with other 1st years and may find someone with which to share a cab, although if you bring much stuff, you will probably need your own cab. cost from Ohare to Hyde park is in the $60-70 range with tip.</p>
<p>Need to remember that more airlines are charging you for checked in bags. The first one is not so bad, but the second one might be quite steep. We are thinking about shipping everything. When we went to visit in November we bought a 3-day unlimited use bus pass ($12/person). The train from the airport left us about 1 block away from our hotel downtown and we took the bus to the school. For O-week we plan to rent a car and we know parking is going to kill us but we do need to get lost a few times to really savor the occasion.</p>
<p>Flying into O’Hare doesn’t depend on distance so much as on airline. We are more than an 11-hour drive away, and we fly Southwestern into Midway. You should, too, if you can.</p>
<p>Also, ship most of your stuff in advance, carry on a knapsack, and take the CTA 55 bus from Midway. (35 minutes, $2.) A cab will save you 10-15 minutes, cost you $40+ more for the privilege, and charge you extra for luggage now, too.</p>
<p>Shipping works well, there is a time window prior to move-in for dorms to receive boxes.
O-week parking was not too awful. Only 1st years and O-week staffers were on campus. But the ease of parking may vary with the dorm.</p>
<p>S has taken flights into Midway and then hopped the 55 Express to campus – not a bad trip, and he has done it a couple of times solo. Midway is a small airport, so it’s easy to navigate alone. If I recall, it’s a $20-30 cab ride from there to campus if you can get a cheap plane fare in and want help w/hauling your stuff.</p>
<p>Some stuff, like coats, second set of linens, etc. can be shipped separately. I remember seeing others post here that there are shuttles to the local Target, etc. during O-Week if there are things you want to purchase upon arrival.</p>
<p>Cross-posted with JHS: Take his word on cabfares from Midway. We are also 11-12 hours away. Southwest is also the cheapest airline for us. DH and S will drive out for O-Week, I’ll fly in that Friday, and DH and I will drive home Sunday. After that, I expect S will fly solo and get a storage cube w/friends to store his things over the summers. (However – I am a sentimental old sniff and wouldn’t mind the trip at all.)</p>
<p>Be aware that these days SW is not always the cheapest. It will pay to compare, but consider the extra time for Ohare travel in comparing.</p>
<p>One advantage of SW, though, is that they don’t charge more for OW flights like the majors seem to do.</p>
<p>But ticket pricing is very volatile these days, and Midway does not seem to be SW’s cheapest destination, so do your comparison shopping.</p>
<p>I always fly Southwest into/out of Midway, and it’s generally the most convenient and least expensive option for my destination.</p>
<p>By the way, I usually pay about $22 for a cab from Midway, with 20% tip. The most I can remember paying was $25. Sometimes I take the bus, sometimes I take a cab. It’s nice to take a taxi if it’s late at night and you don’t leave near a 55 stop (I tend to take a flight that gets in around midnight), you have a lot of luggage (shipping a full suitcase definitely costs more than the cab fare), or you’re sick or injured. I keep a good eye on my money, but I’ve opted for a cab for all of those reasons before.</p>
<p>The cab would be a lot cheaper at midnight, with no traffic. The only time I took a cab from Midway, in the middle of the day, it was $38 pre-tip. I was taken aback – in part because the cabby took the Stevenson, so it was a very roundabout route – and I asked various people if that was out of line. All of them said, no, it usually cost $30-$40.</p>
<p>generally my midway cab fares are in the 25-30 buck range including tip.</p>
<p>Well I’m happy to be on the low end of the spectrum, I guess. I always instruct the driver to take 55th street, if that makes a difference. (Obviously I don’t always take cabs at midnight. I definitely remember rushing out of sosc at 4:20 in order to make a flight at least once.)</p>
<p>Storage cube for the summer may not be necessary. Some dorms have great basement storage.</p>
<p>can anyone comment on greek life at Chicago? I guess most students join after their freshman year. What are the frat houses like? Is this alternative housing cost-free? Do students join as a way of saving money on housing and is frat life disruptive to one’s studies? thanks</p>
<p>Can’t comment on Greek life too much… </p>
<p>All I can say is that I have a friend in a sorority and she really enjoys it. Her boyfriend just joined a fraternity for next year, and anticipates that he’ll like it, but that’s up in the air of course. </p>
<p>A lot of guys in my house were thinking about joining frats for next year, but all changed their minds and decided to stay in housing for various reasons.</p>