<p>On the Dell ordering screen, some of the options have clickable buttons labeled “Learn More!”, but - mysteriously - many of them don’t, including Bluetooth, battery upgrades, and wireless LAN upgrades (I wonder what the latter do for you?).</p>
<p>Sounds like 4 GB is fine for now, but I may invest the extra $55 to get it as a single DIMM, to help with a potential future upgrade.</p>
<p>Guess it’s sensible to splurge $19 on Bluetooth to get wireless mouse capability. OTOH, $49 is a stiff fee to upgrade to the backlit keyboard, though you made a good point about its value.</p>
<p>My son has been using our (aging) laptop as his main computer, and I recently bought him a 1-TB external hard drive for backup, so at least that’s one accessory we don’t need to worry about now. On the topic of storage, I must admit I have no knowledge of solid state drives; wonder if that’s a worthwhile upgrade. (I first learned programming in the '70s on a computer with a tape drive [and 8 KB of RAM], so a big hard drive still seems like modern technology to me!)</p>
<p>FYI, the 64-bit OS appeared as the default when I went to configure this laptop.</p>
<p>Regarding 06520 vs 06511, I have always been confused about it – And we have been using Yale Station’s P.O. box for years.</p>
<p>My guess is that some (maybe not all?) residential college has the zip code 06511, but the old campus has the zip code 06520. But I think as long as it is not an overnight express mail, the mail will not be sent to the residential college. Instead, it will always be sent to student’s P.O. box at Yale Station. (as long as the P.O. Box number is written on the envelope.) The same applies to any mailed package too. So practical speaking, it does not matter.</p>
<p>If I am not right here, please correct me. I am really interested in finding out the correct answer to this.</p>
<p>CCParent, We recently got a Macbook Pro, and a G-Technology Mini with the Firewire-800 interface. A problem is that its disk drive size is too small – only 500 GB. I vote for at least 1 TB, but my idea was shot down by other family members due to its cost.</p>
<p>DS also does not like the fact that the external hard drive keeps draining laptop’s power so he turns off the external drive most of time – it defeats the purpose of automatic backup provided by Time Machine. I think he may try to clone his internal hard disk instead, as he thinks he can use Panthern (or whatever it is called, which is the file server used at Yale) to back up the few files manually when he needs to. He is not a heavy computer users – he thinks using computer too much is a waste of his time.</p>
<p>We are forced to bring our 12-year-old son along to move-in days. If there are other Silliman siblings roughly around the same age, perhaps we can introduce them and put them in some common room along with some board games while we get the dorm rooms ready. Maybe they could do an outdoor activity in the quad or play basketball inside, if allowed. Please PM me or post to this thread if you are interested.</p>
<p>This shows the address’s of the colleges with 06520 but 06511 is the area zip code. One site online even say 06520 is within 06511 which is a much broader area. </p>
<p>CCParent: it’s worth a try but give the Sillman Master’s office a call – they might find a good use for a 12year olds’ assistance for a few hours. You never know. Maybe they can help, maybe they can’t. It may be a fascinating time for him.</p>
<p>16 days until Move In for the Class of 2015…</p>
<p>Now if the math/science survey results would be posted, the kids would ahve a better idea about leveling and selecting courses to look at during shopping period.</p>
Not sure what you mean about the math results not being up. You take the math placement and you get a score. That’s it until you reach campus where you take the results to preregistration to determine placement. See below:</p>
<p>Placement in courses The department offers a three-term sequence in calculus, MATH 112, 115, and 120. Students who have not taken calculus at Yale and who wish to enroll in calculus must take the online placement examination found on the department Web page. At the beginning of each term a calculus preregistration session is held in 432 DL. To enroll in a calculus course a student must bring the results of the placement exam, as well as other pertinent information such as Advanced Placement test scores, to the preregistration session. Advisers will be on hand to assist each student in enrolling in the appropriate course.</p>
<p>Sorry to be the slow child in the class, but what are these math/science results you’re referring to?</p>
<p>UPDATE: Hmm, somehow we had missed out on the whole math-placement-exam bit. But now I’ve found the page on it. Anyplace I can learn more about science placement exams?</p>
<p>Complete the Math and Science Survey (The deadline to complete this survey has passed. You will be given initial placements in chemistry, economics, and physics according to standardized test scores we have on file. You are welcome to discuss your placement with the relevant departmental representative during stated times in the Calendar of Opening Days.)</p>
Your son must not be on Facebook as most of them have already figured out their schedules, know what their dorm looks like, and are BFF’s with their suite mates. :)</p>
<p>Hmm. Wow. I just looked through the Yale Daily Herald’s Freshman Issue, which came in the mail yesterday, and I am <em>seriously</em> disgusted by the contents thereof.</p>
<p>Sure, kids are gonna be snarky and try too hard to sound cool, but this publication - which, BTW, was addressed to (and thus presumably would be read by) my son’s parents, i.e., the wife & me - went past reasonable bounds.</p>
<p>It features (and these are just a few examples, I’m omitting many more):</p>
<p>*cuss words, of at least the s & f varieties, starting with the editor’s introductory note</p>
<p>*such bons mot as “Good news for you, you uncomfortable and misguided little prick!”</p>
<p>*encouragement: “The upside of frats is that they always have gallons of alcohol, and you can almost always find someone to hook up with.”</p>
<p>I mean, if the YDH staff was trying to give parents the heebie-jeebie sweats about the environment their kids will be entering, they did a bang-up job.</p>
<p>Anybody else find this way over the top? Or have I finally become my father?</p>
<p>We just received the Yale Daily Herald’s Freshman Issue in the mail today. I have no idea why YDH addressed it to me, but I turned it over to my son. Honestly, I did not find it over the top – I actually found the whole publication amusing and welcoming (in a teen sort of way). Maybe that’s because I have an older child who is already in college, and I’m fb friends with both of my kids, so I can see what they and their friends are posting on-line.</p>
<p>Beyond the original math/science survery (done) and the 11 AP scores, SAT2s, and ACT scores and curriculum) I don’t think there is any real “test”…at least not on the dept page…our student has looked there as well.</p>
<p>The chem placement was done…others seem to be pending…
or perhaps the availability of the math “test” is pending…
Two weeks left so plenty of time.</p>
<p>gibby - Thanks for your input, but I found that YDH issue neither amusing (though lordy, did they try) nor welcoming (unless I welcome my kid’s entry into an environment where his peers are immature, vulgar, drunken, and promiscuous). And yeah, I see what kids post on FB, and I spend a lot of time in schools … just [naively?] had higher hopes for the tenor of life at this particular institution.</p>
<p>Maybe someone with an older Yale student can give me some encouraging words about what life is actually like there, instead of how the self-appointed coolest kids try to depict it? I mean, if I wanted my son to experience what that YDH is promising him, state school would have been a much cheaper option …</p>
<p>Yale has students that are like students everywhere, just more driven. My daughter (for now) doesn’t drink, is quiet and she finds like-minded friends. Sure kids get drunk, they get in trouble downtown at times, they vomit and have parties but not in the same way or as often and I think that makes some stick out more.
They have frats that get in trouble for making sexist and vulgar remarks, but that is a very small amount of students. Most students are not like that.</p>
<p>I don’t remember the paper being that way when my daughter went, more informative about what is around, classes to take and not take, things like that. I’m sure it varies by who is doing it…maybe they were trying to break the stereotype many have of them.</p>
<p>Overall, Yale has a lot to offer and is not close to being a “party school” as some other colleges, including Ivies.</p>