<p>Figgy:
-I would say the skiing situation is actually good. There's a club that runs trips to world class resorts like Whistler and Chamonix (also more local like Tremblant, and Vermont areas), and also organizes discount season passes to the local mountain Greek Peak.</p>
<p>-A weekend trip is possible to anywhere in the northeast, but Greek Peak is 30ish minutes from campus. It's nothing special, but it's got a decent number of trails, and a good number of rails in the park.</p>
<p>-Season passes to greek peak are like $120 for students, so cost wise it's great.</p>
<p>ASP:
-Academic
1. very approachable. they have office hours or will arrange meetings with you. they're not like untouchable gods.
2. doubts? as in questions about a class? you'd go to your friends or your professors. Friend's tend to be easier since they're always very accessable, and anything they can't explain a professor can do.
3.) umm, they're only helpful if they know you. if you mean TAs, TA's are USUALLY very knowledgable and able to answer your questions
4.) depends, but it's often the case that they do
5.) i'm not positive, but in my experience, the professor/TA staff make the questions (math 111, physics 112, music 151/153, etc.)
6.) extra beyond what is assigned: rarely. if you mean should one read his textbook, obviously this is very important for doing well. any "extra" reading i've done has been looking up a concept on google or wikipedia.
7.) most quantitative classes have a problem set due every week, all of which are assigned at the beginning of the semester, or they come out a week or 2 early.
8.) what I "get in my paper?" if you mean how relevant are assignments to the course/final, very. i haven't really had busywork, because it's just more busywork for the professor to grade.
9.) Very few, but it depends on major. many more in AEM than in engineering for example
10.) depends on the idea, and where from. if it's a club, there's a simple application process. if it's research, who knows, maybe a professor would sponsor it. i'm really not sure about that--not my area.
11.) very ambiguous...but in general my professors have always been willing to talk to me about whatever, ranging from coursework to hip hop music to student behavior trends in class.
-Social
1.) if you buy your clothes online, and have a cash supply, then you could really live at cornell without leaving campus, even if you wanted to go to movies, concerts, etc. if you include collegetown (on the edge of campus) as part of cornell's campus, then the only times i left were for groceries, shopping, skiing, and downtown restaurants.
2.) every 10 to 13 minutes (i say 13 because i know they're a little longer with the bridge construction
3.) Yes, but you'd want knobby tires (i.e. road bike would be bad idea)
4.) doesn't make a difference. if by winter clothing you mean ski jackets, they're always expensive, and other stuff doesn't really chance
5.) friendship, organized group activities, business connections, place to live, mealplan at some
6.) takes up time, some may not like the lifestyle
7.) not difficult at all, but some are harder to get into than others
8.) depends on the house, some really don't have anything arduous, others have pretty arduous stuff, and on average i'd say pledging (the joining process) is half a semester to a semester in length (2nd semester freshman year in general) There no application form. you walk around during rush week (last week of winter break) and meet people at the various houses. if they like you they invite you back. at the end of the week houses that want you give you a bid (offer to join). my pledge process was basically activities that helped me learn about the house, get to know the older brothers, and bond with my pledge brothers.
-Frats do sometimes take sophomores, but it's less common, and juniors and seniors are really rare/unheard of. young members are the lifeblood of the frat. You will always be able to get campus housing arjun, they've got so many new dorms on west. Also, one does not join a fraternity for the housing; he does so for the comradery</p>