<p>I just want to know people's opinions... being that ND's social life seems to focus so heavily on the dorms, are most people's friends from their dorms? classes? where? My other question I guess is a little ignorant but ND or college in general, would people say that compared to high school there is more "being alone time", e.i. studying, walking to classes, etc, or for the most part are you generally with someone all the time? I know they're weird questions, I'm just curious about the so-called social setup of ND and/or other schools</p>
<p>Im currently a freshman at ND, so I hope this helps you:
Most of my friends are from my dorm, Keough Hall, but I do have friends from other dorms as well...so it's not like you are only allowed to be friends with kids from your dorm. However, it is easiest to make friends with in your dorm, and their are lots of activities that you do w/ other dorm members (pep rally's, signature dorm events, SYR's). In terms of alone time, I would say it is up to you. On weekdays there is a lot of alone time if you want because everyone has work to do, however there is always someone to go to dinner with or just hang out with for a little while. I hope this helps you out, if you have any other questions let me know. Keep in mind that this is one perspective and that social life may vary with in different dorms. Also, I'm a guy, so a female's perspective on ND social life may be much different.</p>
<p>thanks louie, i have a couple other questions if you dont mind... boy i feel like an idiot, alright 1. generally, do people take their laptops to class? 2. when you consider "school shopping", would you basically buy the same essentials that you would for any high school class? -- thanks so much, i really appreciate it</p>
<p>ONTHEROAD88</p>
<p>I'll answer your newest questions now and return later to respond about the social scene of ND later...that's kind of a loaded question.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Laptops in the classroom. I've seen people bring them, the majority choose not to use them. Until last year, my background was in the hard sciences...in these classes you find the professors make their powerpoint notes available via the H:/I: drive system or they post them on WebCT (I think it's called WebVista or something as of this year). If the professors are the ones who make the available before the class session, then you are most often better off just printing these out and writing additional comments in the margins of the PP slides. If they make them available after class is completed, then print them out and add your notes to them or use them with your notes. A lot of the higher level chem classes involve more focus on chemical processes and drawing of structures, things that you probably can't do as quickly on a computer as you can with good old paper and pencil.</p></li>
<li><p>The majority handwrite notes in class, personally I do with an improvised system of shorthand I developed over the years. Then I retype them as soon as I can after class on my computer. That way I have a clean, legible version, and it makes me return to what was covered in class that day and reinforces it. Then again I am a very quick typer so doing this doesn't bother me...</p></li>
<li><p>Personally I bought the same things I used in HS. Pens, loosleaf, binders, notebooks....all these items are available at the ND bookstore; including the spiffy monogrammed ND notebooks. Personally you can get servicable and usable supplies at Office Depot, Office Max, Walmart or Meijer (thier all withing 2 miles of each other on Grape Rd.) Be warned during FroshO weekend these stores shelves get a little bare in some aisles...the school supplies and then electric fans being two of them. (Fans can be very helpful because only about half the dorms, the newest ones, have AC...)</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I'll return to this thread a little later, but feel free to post any more questions you might have.</p>
<p>My friends are from all over personally (I am a junior). I have a ton of friends from my classes so they are all over the place.</p>
<p>As for laptops in class, I am one of the students who does bring their laptop to class, so if you are interested get in touch. There aren't many people that do it but what I have noticed is that if I am in the class with my laptop others usually start bringing their laptop as the semester goes on. I think it is fantastic, I use a program called Microsoft OneNote which is great for studying as you can search through your notes and it is legible. Also, I type over 100 wpm (which is why my posts don't make much sense) and so I just catch a lot more with my laptop. </p>
<p>Lastly, believe it or not, you can make some money with it. I was a notetaker for the Office of Students with Disabilities in part because I do type my notes and it is easy for me to get the notes out to people. Over the last two semesters I have made almost $1,000 by just going to my normal classes and taking notes for another student and it has been fantastic! Something to think about.</p>
<p>Also, you can have alone time if you like but I am with people most of the time. However, I do study on my own most of the time.</p>
<p>I hope that helps. Feel free to post more questions and I will try to check back.</p>
<p>you charge for notes? cool business</p>
<p>You could do that but I choose not to. I give them away, but I am employed by the university to provide notes to one student who is in a few of my classes. Because of that, I get paid by the university, not by the students.</p>
<p>My dad went to ND and he said during finals people just like camp out in the upper floors of the Library and just leave their books there during the day. I thought this was quite amusing and was wondering if people still do this.</p>
<p>Finals are a funny time at Notre Dame. We get Thursday and Friday off as study days, but most of the people party during this time (I am one of the few who studies and then has nothing to do on Sat and Sun). Then, on Saturday, you have to get to the library at a rediculous hour to get a decent seat and it is just swarming. The library and Como are definately the place to be IMO. It is crazy during finals, no doubt about it. I don't know how many people camp out and then leave their books, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to be honest with you. It is crazy; you can walk around campus and literally feel stress in the air!</p>
<p>don't forget the streakers during exam week in the library....yet another reason to avoid it (at least for that one night)...</p>
<p>hey irish..."you can walk around campus and feel the stress in the air" Very true statement. Of course there is always my dorm (except this year when 23 hours per day of quiet time were instituted) when you could study to the sounds of drunken singing from down the hallway on certain days.</p>
<p>I did forget to mention that you will find in college that people deal with stress in very different ways. Some prefer drunken singing and it just makes you shake your head. Most just freak out, however. Which is better, well, that is for you to decide.</p>
<p>hey i didn't say i liked the drunken singers....actually i went in one night and reamed one of them for several minutes. Apparently I must have been pretty effective because now every time he's drunk and sees me he spends several minutes apologizing for his behavoir that year, course it hasn't changed...we just don't live near each other.</p>
<p>ndude237....back to your library example. I know people who kept their books in the Nieuwland science bldgs computer lab for an entire semester. They just used an empty file cabinet drawer. All in all there is a very trusting atmosphere on campus when it comes to personal property. NDSP is constantly sending emails these past couples of semesters to warn students to lock their doors....</p>