<p>If we’ve been assigned, say, the 8-11am time slot for move in, would you current Cornellians recommend arriving at 8am or later, like around 10am (hoping the crowd will die down.)?</p>
<p>It’s always going to be busy. A lot more people might arrive at 10am because you have to go to registration first no matter what, and I believe that starts at 8 am, and then there are other distractions along the way. Take time to enjoy the first day and don’t worry about getting there on time- you can check into your room any time after your time slot begins.</p>
<p>Cornell has freshman move-in very well organized. You might have to wait a short time in line before pulling up to the dorm to unload, but there are plenty of kids there to help carry things to your room, so the process moves quickly. I think arriving any time during your time slot is fine.</p>
<p>You can move in whenever you want. It’s not like they are going to penalize you. Likewise, the summer reading project isn’t so mandatory as it seems.</p>
<p>yeah, I went earlier than my designated time and they didn’t say anything. go whenever you want.</p>
<p>IMO the summer reading project is b.s. You shouldn’t have to do homework over the summer before classes start, even if it is just to read one book and write one essay. That said, you DON’T have to, as much as Cornell would like to make you think it’s mandatory. It really is not.</p>
<p>From what I understand, the main point of the summer reading project is to make sure all the freshmen have at least one thing in common. At such a large and diverse university, there aren’t a whole lot of ways to give students that “we’re all in this together” feeling. So, think of the reading assignment as a bonding experience – it’s not a bad thing, really.</p>
<p>You don’t have to let it spoil your summer; just read it on the plane on your way to Ithaca (that’s what my son did). Then you can go to the seminar with something intelligent to say, meet some interesting people, and start your college career off right. Why fight it?</p>
<p>The reading project was just a nuisance for me. Yes, in theory it’s all about having a bonding experience; I’ll admit it’s a good idea. In reality, you read the book over the summer, it’s good, OK. But no one wants to write an essay and no one wants to go to a class over orientation week, especially if it’s only 45 minutes long with some first-year graduate student in some building on the other side of campus. It really doesn’t give anyone a “we’re all in this together” feeling. It’s just a pain. All I’m saying is, don’t go if you don’t want to.
You pay tuition for the classes you get university credits for, board fees for the room you live in, money for books, your meal plan and laundry. All I’m saying is that beyond that stuff, it’s your life and you’re not obligated to do anything.
As for the university being large and diverse: why is that such a problem? If you go to a large university you should expect the large university experience. I don’t understand why there should be a need to try to bond the entire university together as if addressing some kind of largeness “problem.”
<em>shrugs</em></p>
<p>I didn’t even do the reading assignment… What are the consequences anyway? I’m I gonna have to write that Great Gatsby essay before I can graduate? lol</p>