<p>Are there landline phones in the dorm rooms? Or does the student need to bring one?</p>
<p>To the best of my recollection, each dorm room has a standard telephone. I don’t believe that my son or either of his roommates used it. I think its cheaper to add a cell phone to your existing account so that calls from home are local calls.</p>
<p>I remember seeing a red land-line telephone in my DD’s room. I think that it is supposed to be used for emergencies.</p>
<p>Is computer theft in dorm rooms something that has been/is an issue? Should I buy a locking system (Kensington) for my new computer?</p>
<p>I don’t think computer theft is a huge problem at Harvard, but it never goes away entirely anywhere. I used to be appalled at how many kids would be very lax about computer and dorm room security. But in four years neither she nor her roommates ever got hit by thieves. But I’d get the computer locking system.</p>
<p>She did have one shipped and stored bag of possessions disappear, but it’s not entirely clear whether that was lost or stolen.</p>
<p>Your dorm room locks when its closed. If you go to take a shower or talk to someone down the hall, take your key. The only problem that my son reported was that someone took his Bose Headphones over pre-frosh weekend (probably went to Yale - jk). Be a little wary of people you don’t know. My son had the Kensington system, but I don’t think he really used it for his laptop. Most dorm thefts at any university are opportunity-based. Someone walking down a hall and seeing a dorm room open and a laptop sitting there.</p>
<p>Most dorms have automic locks, some, though, do work with manual locks (unless they’ve updated those dorms, but three years ago, my friend in Matthews had to lock their door upon leaving).</p>
<p>Property theft is the most common crime in Cambridge, though, most people who have things stolen have themselves to blame, not that they deserve it, obviously, but, rather, there are people who take advantage of one abandoning their property for an extended period of time.</p>
<p>As for red land-lines, these are used to receive incoming calls (one of my freshman roommates who was international would use it until he got an American cell phone) and call out to other Harvard numbers. They are more popular with students in the quad since the buildings don’t allow for good reception (unless you have Verizon), though, many of them also use skype to receive calls.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Right. Which is why I used to nag my daughter not to leave her dorm room open and her computer sitting there - which she and her roommate regularly did, at least in their freshman year.</p>
<p>Get the lock system. You may want to lock your computer in the library if you head to the bathroom or something.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on the landline in the dorm room. I always want a back up to call when I get no response for a few days on my child’s cell. What is a Kensington lock system for the laptop? Older S has never had his laptop stolen at his school even though he never locks it. His bikes on the other hand…he will be on his third one this year, despite U locks. :(</p>
<p>I also agree w/ the kensington laptop lock. Here is a link but the product is sold many places: [MicroSaver®</a>; DS Keyed Notebook Lock - K64343 - Kensington](<a href=“http://us.kensington.com/html/11208.html]MicroSaver®”>http://us.kensington.com/html/11208.html)</p>
<p>During son’s freshman year, his problem was with his roommates friends. He never left his laptop unlocked or password protected. He would frequently come back to his room to find that efforts to get into his computer had been made.</p>
<p>^ BTW I was just re-reading my post. Son did not go to Harvard though problems can happen at any school.</p>
<p>We are new parents to Harvard. I have a question: Are the beds standard twin size in the Freshman dorms? We are in the process of ordering bedding.</p>
<p>^twin xl mattress</p>
<p>Is it true that students can’t get cable at Harvard? It’s a cold winter and sometimes it’s nice to be a couch potato.</p>
<p>Sadly, that’s correct. There is no cable in dorm rooms at Harvard. There is, however, generally cable in common rooms and university facilities.</p>
<p>What is the procedure for new freshman to pick out classes at Harvard? Do they start taking classes related their major the first quarter?</p>
<p>treeta:</p>
<p>Freshmen do not yet have a major. They must take Expos in their first semester (some take it in their second semester). If they have not fulfilled the foreign language requirement, they must do so in their first year. They are eligible to take a freshman seminar, and I believe most do. Aside from that, they are free to choose what other courses to take, bearing in mind that they need to fulfill the Gen Ed requirements over the course of their four years. Many freshmen take a course or two in their intended major, but also take courses in other fields to see if they would like to major in that field.</p>
<p>Marite - are you saying that freshman are not required to take a freshman seminar and that it is optional?</p>
<p>Smoda - Though I’m not Marite, I can answer that. Freshman seminars are optional. That being said, they are wonderful opportunities to get to know a professor in an intimate setting. In addition, they can alleviate some stress since they are graded P/F.</p>