<p>I think Kdog is right in that weeknights are restricted. Since HGS is only open on weekdays, grad students are supposed to be able to access Morse or other dining halls on weekends but were being denied access by staff. I’ve heard they’re working on finding a solution though.</p>
<p>lydia08, Nice run-down on transportation options earlier. I wanted to add one other option from Grand Central, however. There is the New York Airport Service bus, which leaves right outside Grand Central at 42nd and Park. It is $12 o/w, $21 r/t, but I see right now they are offering $10 web only prices. So, Metro North to Grand Central, step outside and catch bus. Purchasing online and printing out ticket saves time, and we have found it pretty convenient.</p>
<p>In response to the query from a few days back about transportation between campus and the New Haven train station, I’d like to call your attention to the TransLoc GPS shuttle locator. One can track the location of shuttles using either a phone app or a Web page. The phone app also shows estimated arrival times at the different stops.</p>
<p>I know this gave me great peace of mind when my daughter’s train arrived in New Haven after 9 pm.</p>
<p>[Yale</a> Transit - Transit Visualization System](<a href=“http://yale.transloc.com/]Yale”>http://yale.transloc.com/)</p>
<p>Anyone here have or know a student dealing with a food allergy? Would be interested to know how well Yale’s dining services can work with that sort of thing.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>On food allergies, I can give some information. My son is allergic to nuts, and I would say that the staff in his college dining hall has been responsive, but not completely effective. He has to carefully look out for himself–the risks of cross-contamination are significant, because so much of the food is self-serve. There are some things he just doesn’t eat because they are too close to the peanut butter, etc. I would say a student with really serious or extensive allergies would have to be quite assertive, but also very careful.</p>
<p>Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.</p>
<p>Question re grades…kiddo’s grades are in except the L1 language… I read on the site that they dont get credit for L1 until completion of L2. Will that grade show up or be held back until after spring term/L2? Seems odd.</p>
<p>My DD L1 grade show up at the end of the first semester. DD did not take L2 in the spring. For now her L1 grade is showing on her transcript.</p>
<p>S2 has 3 out of 4 grades posted. Still waiting on one (not a language). I don’t know when the deadline for posting grades is, but it might be right at the end of winter break.</p>
<p>As the parent of a current freshman, what are some options for storing TV’s, printers, etc. for the summer ? People have mentioned a few. Is there storage in his residental college for a few thing ?</p>
<p>Thanks for any feedback</p>
<p>My kid was in Dport and they had room to leave a few big items or boxes, don’t know if it varies by RC.</p>
<p>Storage at RCs varies. At Saybrook each student can store up to 5 boxes for free. DD mentioned one of her friends RC only allows one box, and others have small fees.</p>
<p>IvyBoundParent: Many international students use storage facilities near the campus, you freshman may be able to store with them.</p>
<p>Last summer, the Associated Student Agencies had a storage trailer (without AC) in the parking lot, and each students was allowed 2 boxes ($5/each). Not sure if they will offer it next summer.</p>
<p>I remember DS was able to store a floor lamp and a (very heavy) printer at RC over summer. He packed one or two fewer boxes in order to be fair to other students who did not have large or odd-shaped storage items. In one year, their suite needed to throw away a sofa that had been used for one year only – kind of wasteful.</p>
<p>The storage box is not large. You really can not put much into one box.</p>
<p>The storage issue is less a nuisance for the upper class when some of your friends may live off campus. They may be willing to help you out if they still rent the apartment in the summer.</p>
<p>I heard many international students do not go home during winter break. It must be hard for them because the cafeteria at RC is closed and they need to eat out everyday.</p>
<p>The spring classes will start on Monday. I guess most students have arrived at campus by now (unless they live really close.)</p>
<p>DS still awaiting one grade from first semester–what’s up with that?? We need to send transcripts off in order to get second semester scholarships, but can’t if they’re missing a grade. Grrr.</p>
<p>Just a speculation here: Is it possible that TA has not graded the final, or the professor is too busy (traveling, doing research) to upload the grades? In one class in one year, there was some kind of “disconnect” between the professor and the TA, and well too many students complained over the break because they did not receive the grade (complained by email?) In the end, I heard the professor needed to go to the TA’s apartment in person and got back the finals and graded them by himself. The professor was very upset. (BTW, the TA went to H for his UG. LOL. The TA might be in trouble because the professor was his thesis adviser and sponsored his research work!)</p>
<p>My daughter had some International friends that stayed at the Omni but although the room was covered, food was on them.
That’s too bad about the grades, they were due by the 2nd…I would complain.</p>
<p>Wow… Yale paid for their stay at the Omni during winter break? How nice! I think it is fair for the students to pay the food as the meal plan does not cover the full year.</p>
<p>We have a bitter sweet feeling toward that Omni on Temple street. A very nice location as we can walk to campus easily during our visit to our kid. But it often charges us an arm for staying there.</p>
<p>In one year, when the remodeling of a RC had not been completed before the school started, many students from that RC stayed at Omni for a month or two (paid by Yale, of course.) I think, for the choice between the Swing Space and the Omni, I would choose the Swing Space (and go to Morse’s cafeteria across the street.)</p>
<p>Quick q’s about the Residential Colleges:
What are you hearing about how they differ, their facilities, their atmosphere, the vibe of the students?
Have any of your kids switched colleges or know anyone who has?</p>
<p>One suitemate from DS’s freshman suite switched out. His RC was generally considered as a “less desirable” one because it had not been renovated then.</p>
<p>That student who switched out ended up not being very happy in his new RC either. He often came back and crashed at another suitemate’s room. (Of a different gender. Go figure! The original RC is not good enough for him due to its older facility, but it is still good enough for him to come back for his gf. BTW, no steady couples were created in the end for everybody in DS’s suite. Sadly, the relationship tends to end after graduation.)</p>
<p>I think the most important is whether the student could develop some friendship with somebody in his/her RC. This requires both the luck and the student’s own personality.</p>
<p>The student who switched out from their suite happened to be the least likable person (personal hygiene issue – often did not flush the toilet after the use?!) in his suite, in the point of views of many. But some of the suitemates jokingly said that, in one suite, there should not be two “alpha-males” – the one who could more easily get girls. I heard that the two alpha-males in that suite very soon got ugly toward each other because of their competition in attracting girls. LOL.</p>
<p>BTW, DS said the sophomore year is the funniest year: the suitemates know each other very well by that time and nobody studies abroad yet (which often happened in junior year.)</p>
<p>There used to be some inequities between RCs as far as endowments and perks, but I heard that that changed this year and each RC got the same budget. I haven’t been able to verify this though.</p>
<p>I think there are always a few kids that switch RCs for some reason or another, but by far most are very happy with their placement and make good friends.</p>
<p>the rc switches i’ve heard of have been for social reasons. That is, if most of your friends turn out to live in a different RC, and you don’t really have people in your own RC that you feel close to, then it seems reasonable to switch.</p>
<p>Also, one of the few big differentiators among RC’s has been the number of singles available, so if you didn’t want to share a suite at all, it might have made sense to switch to an RC with mostly singles. Most Yale undergrads have not seen having a single as superior to sharing a suite, but there certainly are some people who have needed/wanted that. The RC that used to be all-singles no longer is, so I’m not sure how much of a differentiating factor this is anymore.</p>