<p>So, I just chose Cornell over another top school, and I just had a few questions.</p>
<p>1) Since I'll be taking demanding courses, what are some easy classes so that my gpa isn't totally wrecked (or some hard classes to stay away from)?</p>
<p>2) How long do you have to drop classes into the semester, after signing up?</p>
<p>3) How easy is it to get tickets to the hockey games if you don't get the season tickets?</p>
<p>4) What are the best frats to join? (not the sober frat or math frat)</p>
<p>5) Best places to study if you want total quietness?</p>
<p>6) Best way to make friends/ best club to join?</p>
<p>Any other tips/ recommendations?
Proud to be a Cornellian :)</p>
<p>Congratulations!
You’ll find out pretty much all this stuff once you get there, so you probably shouldn’t get all excited about it just now.</p>
<p>Here’s some things I can suggest:
The freshman seminars aren’t killer courses (or weren’t a million years ago), and most people have to take them.
If you are not majoring in the sciences, a number of the courses non-majors can use to fulfill the science requirement were not killer courses.My D2 really like the one she took. People might be reticent to post “This course is a flaming gut” on a public website, because that’s just rude. You are wise to moderate your initial course schedule though. Many people experience a period of adjustment to the rigors of college-level work, and can wind up, through hubris, taking every hard course in the unversity first semester and not doing that well. (cough, cough, ME!)
Course drop information must be posted someplace on the registrar’s webpages.
I don’t know how to get tickets, but I suggest you do it, the games are a lot of fun. I didn’t get them till my senior year, and then I wished I’d gone much sooner…
There are a lot of frats. The 'best" frat for you will be the one where the residents and you get along best with each other. The purpose of rush period is to figure that out,. If you do a search, there are some 'best frats" threads. But those will not be the “best” frats for you if the people don’t like you so much, or vica versa.
Everybody develops their own studying system, that works for them. I used to study in the libraries, Particularly the science library. But I’m not sure it’s even there any more. I also used some of the side rooms in the Straight. But those werent always totally quiet. My D2 liked to study at Mann, for some reason, even though it was a million miles away from her house. I’m not sure why.Something about lots of outlets for her devices IIRC??
The best way to make friends, initially, is to do the summer “Outdoor Odyssey” orientation program. If you do that, when you arrive first semester you will already know people there, and that can make a big difference.
I suggested this to a friend’s son, who did it and really set him out on the right foot. He just graduated last year , and had a tremendous experience at Cornell. Then of course also check out clubs and activities that may interest you. Keeping in mind that your free time will ultimately not be unlimited.
Another great way to make friends is by getting a part-time job. One where you interact closely with other people.
Being a tour guide is one great job that is social. For instance,.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>What’s challenging for you might not be challenging for me (and vice versa). A lot depends on your major and what fits into your schedule.</p></li>
<li><p>There are two drop deadlines: drop deadline without appearing on your transcript is about the 8th week in, after the first round of prelims. Otherwise, you can drop until around the 13th week in, but a W (withdrawn) will appear on your transcript. This puts it after the last round of prelims.</p></li>
<li><p>Not sure. I’m not a hockey fan.</p></li>
<li><p>Not sure. I didn’t rush.</p></li>
<li><p>If you get a single (try Dickson) with quiet hallmates, that works well. Otherwise, try any library. @monydad, science library is gone, but Carpenter Hall has no books anymore and is now a quiet study space.</p></li>
<li><p>Go to Club Fest the first weekend of the semester. It happens the first Saturday afternoon after classes start, and most clubs set up booths. As for meeting friends, I met most of my best friends by striking up conversations with those sitting next to me in lectures before class. I know not everyone likes doing this, but it worked for me.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Never be afraid to try something new…there’s a lot of things to try at Cornell.</p>
<p>Hi! Rising sophomore here. I’m a girl, so my frat information is more limited. There is a tier system, I guess, but no one buys into it too much since all the frats have their own personalities and it really is about finding one where you fit in. </p>
<p>Hockey tickets-- I’m a season ticket holder, but getting tickets without it depends on the game. For most games? Totally doable. For Harvard? Good luck…people offered me $200 for my Harvard ticket this year. I recommend buying season tickets, then selling tickets for the games you can’t go to.</p>
<p>Totally quiet study areas? A. D. White library in Uris library, the Asia room in Olin library. </p>
<p>Go to club fest. There are more than 600 clubs on campus–go it’s worth it. </p>
<p>Other advice: take advantage of o week. Meet lots of people, attend parties, and get to know different people. Keep your dorm room door open and don’t just do everything with only one person. Inbox me if you have other questions! </p>
<p>In regards to the frat/sorority thing: a bizarre trend here on the Cornell forum was pointed out to CC moderators . Once or twice a year, someone would post supposedly a first hand report about the rankings of the frats/sororities to inform other CC readers. Funny thing is that it was the same cut & paste, ultra shallow BS list that boasted about certain frat/sororities and then lambasted some others (e.g. “girls not cute”, “weird”, etc.) – the kind of thing you’d see passed around in middle school.</p>
<p>Due to this trope’s constant appearance (over like 6-7 years) and the fact that each time, the poster was a new user, it can be ascertained that someone involved with one of the greek orgs at Cornell (obviously one of the supposed upper tier ones) would force some peon to repost the “rankings list” on this very forum. Very shallow, sad and bizarre.</p>
<p>This isn’t a slam against any greek org per se. But there was definitely a “eiewwww” factor about the whole scenario. Yuck!</p>