<p>random comment and random question.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Robert Reich isn’t teaching his class Ethics and Politics of Public Service this year according to the bulletin :(</p></li>
<li><p>if you petition to go over 20 units, do we have to pay for the extra units?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>and i was wondering the same thing as Omega. it only says “anticipated aid” right now</p>
<p>also…other questions</p>
<ol>
<li><p>do the superbig classes (like Chem 31X, polisci 1, and econ 1A) get capped at all for the lecture? Also, at what number do the discussion sections get capped?</p></li>
<li><p>Does the bookstore ever run out of books for the classes and how fast do the used textbooks usually run out?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>
Yeah that’s every other year. But you’ll get more experience under your belt by then. He has a winter quarter class called Justice at Home and Abroad. Also a one unit class Ethicsoc10 that’s led by him every quarter I think. Even classes where he just asks questions to guest lecturers are good. Rob Reich is like a solar eclipse- you don’t want to miss it if you have the chance. And, like an eclipse, people will track his future classes months in advance and sign up as soon as possible. </p>
<p>
I believe not. </p>
<p>
I don’t think so. Discussion sections generally are capped at 10-15 people depending on the class it seems. </p>
<p>
Sometimes used textbooks aren’t even offered, and the bookstore does run out of some books fairly quickly. You should be fine if you buy books the day before classes I think. Midway through the quarter they’ll pull books off the shelf and send them back, so don’t wait forever to buy a book you’ll need at the end of the quarter (I did, and I had to use the library’s dusty version which I couldn’t check out).</p>
<p>As for essays, just from reading different people’s responses, it’s very apparent that one method will not work for everyone. So just take our advice with a grain of salt and do what you find works best for you. I definitely do not think that what I did is right for most people, but it’s how I operate. It worked for me.</p>
<p>And regarding financial aid,
I do believe that you just pay however much you’re supposed to pay for the quarter (anything aid doesn’t cover) and then you’re fine. They will pay whenever it is they pay, but as long as you’ve paid your part, you’re fine.</p>
<p>I totally agree with Senior0991, if you are into politics AT ALL, you cannot miss out on Rob Reich. He is a Stanford god. Take anything and everything by him. Seriously.</p>
<p>To all the people with 4 class concerns: Honestly it is always going to depend on the specific dorm the specific year. Some of my very good friends were in a 4 class and LOVED it. They may even choose to live there again junior year.</p>
<p>To all the people who asked party related questions (too lazy to go hunting to find the names): Stanford parties are typically like every other college party. A whole bunch of people playing beer pong in one room, a dj blasting music in the other, an open keg/bar with bad alcohol, and horribly nasty bathrooms. Doesn’t sound attractive on paper, but it can make for some good nights. Also as the year goes on, you will get invited to more small parties. </p>
<p>Also waaaayyyyy back, someone asked a sororities/fraternities related question that I believe was never answered. (Keep in mind I am biased) As a sorority member, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Greek scene. It is a great way to meet people and expand your friend circle past the people in your freshman dorm. I can honestly say that I have made true friends through sorority life and met some remarkable people. Also, because it is Stanford, it is not like the Greek scene is filled with all the kids on academic probation. Our chapter has an average 3.75 GPA. I also have some friends who have had a great experience with philanthropic Greek letter organizations. Stanford rushes in the spring, so you have plenty of time to check out the scene and decide for yourself. I would just recommend that you keep an open mind :)</p>
<p>Does anyone have any in-depth information/first-hand experience with Soto in Wilbur hall? How does it compare with the other dorms in Wilbur in terms of look, feel, facilities, social life (changes from year to year I know), etc?</p>
<p>^ i’m in soto too!
someone i know was an RA in Soto. she said they were her best years, so the frosh students musta been pretty chill/cool people.</p>
<p>the entire soto residence is being renovated this summer, so it will be ready for us with new bathrooms, carpet, paint and everything. she said basically everything about the vibe changes every year, but its a decent place to live, and a lot better since its gona be rennovated. i asked about other stuff but i havnt gotten an answer yet…
but an advantage: its the closest to Green/Meyer/Quad of all of Wilbur :)</p>
<p>Thanks NJDS. Hope to meet you there.</p>
<p>this is more a statement than a question…
but AP credit is posted now on Axess</p>
<p>iuno if it’s okay to ask this in this thread, but would I have better chances of getting in if I declare an unpopular major?
And would it be difficult to switch from an unpopular major to a popular one (let’s say biology) because of the higher number of people with that major</p>
<p>Applicants to Stanford don’t apply to specific majors, or even to specific schools, within the university, so the answer is no, it won’t affect your chances of admission. (Majors don’t have to be declared until the start of junior year.)</p>
<p>oh okay thank you</p>
<p>I’m looking through the catalog for Introsems, and there are so many good ones to choose! I was just wondering what your advice would be for picking them. Obviously, the small class sizes and ability to get to know your professor is a huge plus. Should we use this advantage to apply for intro sems that are in the field we want to major in or should we choose one that is of another topic that we are interested in as a hobby? </p>
<p>The reason I ask this is because some of my friends have told me to choose seminars in the sciences since I want to major in them. They said that they’re great gateways for doing more research with your professor, etc. However, the seminar I’m most interested in is about religious studies…I’m torn between their advice and my “fringe interest.”</p>
<p>I’m an incoming freshman and have some questions as well. 
I was thinking of majoring in bio, if anyone is doing that at Stanford and has commentary on the classes/etc, that would be great.
<p>bellatrixie, I don’t think you can go wrong with either approach. I do remember seeing something in the IntroSem materials that encouraged us to choose things outside of our anticipated fields of interest, in order to discover potential new interests. So why not apply to one in the sciences, and the religious studies one, and see which one(s) you get?</p>
<p>Hi everyone! I’m an incoming freshman as well, and I’ve been browsing through a good portion of this thread. I’m currently interested in bio or bioeng. A HUGE thanks to everyone who has answered questions here It’s been a big help so far. I also have a handful of questions, but I’ll ask them tomorrow because I have to “poof” from the internet world soon.</p>
<p>But first a quick question: this might be asking for too much – but out of curiosity, are any of the current Stanford students (techies in particular) available for a gchat question-answer session sometime? (If not that’s a-ok too)</p>
<p>^^i agree with zenkoan. i am doing the same thing since I am majoring in HumBio but I am interested in public policy and polisci, so I am applying to both groups.</p>
<p>I have a random question. Is anyone else thinking of not taking a language? I would likely place into Spanish 12 or 13, but I honestly don’t know if it’s worth taking since there are SO many other classes i want to take as well. I would probably regret not learning more Spanish, but I would also regret not taking those other classes. A few weeks ago, I was trying to decide between Chinese and Spanish, and now I’m trying to decide whether I even want to take Spanish at all…hmmm…any opinions?</p>
<p>^ I am probably not taking any languages. I placed out of the language requirement by virtue of the fact that I am an international student and a native speaker of Chinese. I plan to do a double major in CS and Economics so I don’t think there will be much time left to start a new language from scratch.</p>
<p>I never took (and will not take) a language here at Stanford (AP credit). Instead I took other cool classes, and now I have 2 minors :)</p>
<p>@silentmuse: 1) Don’t know much about living in Roble. It’s really big. 4-class. I think it has the most freshmen of any dorm. Someone else can answer that better.
2) My classes are decently hard. If you want an A, especially in techie classes, you have to work hard for it (but B’s aren’t so hard to get). But I try to always take advantage of resources available to me (tutoring, office hours, etc) if I’m finding something difficult. I wouldn’t say any major is particularly very “easy” here.
3) Prior to college, I’d never gotten a B in any subject in my life, so freshman year was kinda a wake up call. For me at least, it wasn’t even the difficulty of the work here, but instead it’s the pace that’s killer (arghh quarter system… love it but don’t at the same time). So my first quarter grades were decent (~3.5 gpa) but different from what I was used to. Since then, I’ve figured out what I’m doing, so now things are better.</p>
<p>I took advantage of the Bed Bath & Beyond deal. Is there any special transportation being offered to frosh to get to Mountain View to pick up their stuff? Is there a good cab company or something we can use on the first day to get our belongings?</p>