Ask me questions about Northwestern!

<p>A Medill-to-Weinberg transfer is extremely easy. The paperwork is mostly just a technicality. I did that in Spring '08.</p>

<p>As for coursework, I'm not sure what you meant exactly. Usually you only take one journalism course per quarter for the first two years. The work for those courses can vary from textbook readings to projects to weekly article assignments, current events and grammar quizzes. It's usually no more work than you would have for your other courses. </p>

<p>Hope that answers your questions. Feel free to ask me more if they come up or to clarify something if it's unclear.</p>

<p>Now that we got the TV question answered -- is there a place on campus to rent or buy refrigerators?</p>

<p>@ Alliesmom</p>

<p>I would recommend you get a small fridge at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Linens N Things or Sears/Walmart. There is a huge regional mall in Skokie (Old Orchard Mall) where most of those stores are located (near I-94/Emerson/Golf Rd). You may have to drive further out west to see more stores.</p>

<p>We were thinking of renting the double door refrigerator/freezer from northwesternfridges.com. It's 3.2 cu ft. Is that bigger than most dorm residents need? Would it be better to get a fridge-only unit? And would you recommend that company? Are they good to deal with? Thanks.</p>

<p>Well, what I meant was how different are the Medill classes/requirements from the Weinberg ones?</p>

<p>Thanks again :) (really appreciate it)</p>

<p>There's also a local Sam's Club (as well as most other major retailers) and big box stores--I know that quite a few freshmen rent refrigerators, but it's really sometimes more trouble than they're worth. They are <em>used</em> fridges, albeit cleaned, and sometimes receiving the delivery/signing up for a delivery time can be more trouble than it looks through these rental companies. I know that last year one of the rental companies ended up having an entire shipment of those fridges delivered at the wrong time--many students had to jump through several hoops to get their rented fridges, often at times that conflicted with their orientation activities.</p>

<p>I would really suggest purchasing a fridge. It's actually the SAME cost (sometimes even CHEAPER) than renting a fridge--I bought my 3.4 cu ft fridge from Sam's Club for $110, and I'm still using it my senior year--and I can sell it for at least $40 I'm sure.</p>

<p>Northwestern rules state that 3.0 cu ft is the largest fridge allowed--it's not really enforced, but I definitely wouldn't go over 4 cu ft. You really don't need a huge fridge--most students use their fridges for food they "steal" from the dining halls, beverages, and sometimes a few fruits. A 2 1/2 or 3 cu. ft fridge is easy for two roommates to share... 99% of the time there's plenty of room for both roommates' perishables.</p>

<p>As far as fridge-freezers, I personally opted for just a refrigerator. Freezers are sometimes useful, but most students only use them for ice cream... which is unlimited in dining halls, so it's not really a necessity. Plus, the freezer compartments on most mini combo units are either too small or they take up too much space that would better be used for refrigerator. If you really need a freezer, put your food in a plastic bag with your name on it, and put it in the common kitchen's freezer.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info about refrigerators. Sounds like it definitely makes sense to buy. Next question is about microwaves. I know the rules say you can't have one in your room but I've heard that lots of people do. Can someone who has lived in Willard tell me if it's okay to bring one? If not, are there microwaves on each floor?</p>

<p>Microwave rules get enforced much more often than refrigerator rules. Last year, we had a pretty strict policy in Willard about microwaves. Nearly every building will have at least a microwave in every kitchen; Willard had microwaves in nearly every floor lounge, so they were always accessible. Since Evanston actually has a law against heating appliances in "sleeping rooms" (which means you or your building could be cited and fined for breaking that code at the often-unannounced city fire inspections), and because of the sheer numbers of problems that are caused by students, say, leaving their popcorn in their microwaves for 5:00 instead of 50 seconds then starting a fire.... usually the microwave policy is pretty strict. Granted, sometimes it's not enforced quite so strictly... but I know those in charge in Willard, and I'm pretty positive it's going to stay pretty similar to last year--better just not to bring a microwave.</p>

<p>Shoes/boots. I've heard a lot of different opinions on what's the best kind of boots to go through the snow- are Uggs effective? Do they suck? What is your experience with winter footwear? I've lived in Illinois nearly my entire life and in Chicagoland for the past three years, but I've never owned a pair of boots because I never needed them- the bus was always close by and even walking home, there were sidewalks- all I wore was my sneakers.</p>

<p>So I'm curious. Got any tips?</p>

<p>Uggs are only good if you waterproof them... otherwise they are like sponges. Even if you do waterproof them, I'm not quite sure how good they are; I have yet to waterproof mine. Personally I just use these waterproof snow boots that I got from Kohls--nothing fancy, but they work. I wouldn't necessarily worry about constantly trudging through snow though. I mean, they have to shovel the sidewalks sometime, right?</p>

<p>What are the policies on dorm occupancy during breaks? (Winter, Thanksgiving?, Spring). Do you have to move everything out? And if so, how would an out of stater handle this situation?</p>

<p>Move everything out??? My god, no. You can leave whatever you want when you go home (though I imagine you'd want clothes and stuff). Thanksgiving is optional, but you must go home for winter and spring breaks.</p>

<p>PS: A few years down the road once you move into your frat house (and I think sororities) if you end up rushing, the occupancy rules are much more lenient and you can basically do whatever you want, which is nice.</p>

<p>I do suggest you do something with friends over thanksgiving if you're not going home, because campus goes DEAD those few days. My dorm had maybe 15 people (of 150) and the dining halls close and everything.</p>

<p>Those who stay can go to Chinatown for food; the place is busy during Thanksgiving. Many Chinese don't really like turkeys that much and eat out in Chinatown that day.</p>

<p>Wow, only 10% of the people stayed? I'm going to have a very interesting Thanksgiving then!</p>

<p>I didn't order those guaranteed-to-fit sheets... If I buy twin XL sheets from Target or another store, will they still fit nicely on the beds?</p>

<p>& it kind of sucks that we have to leave for spring break, 'cause I really don't want to buy another $300 plane ticket home. Hmm, I suppose there's always couchsurfing, lol.</p>

<p>Couchsurfing is one way to go- if you've joined a fraternity, you can crash there. Road trips are also popular. Good time to visit the homes of those friends you just made!</p>

<p>And any extra long twin sheets will fit, since that's the size of the bed. Those ads are a scam.</p>

<p>Are hook-ups basically just one-night stands?</p>

<p>That is a weird question...</p>

<p>I have a son at NU and I thought I would pass on some more info that parents love to know. It may help with moving in. There is a Lowe's south of Evanston, about a 10-15 minute drive from campus, off of McCormick Rd. I ordered my sons fridge from there. Got a 2.5 cu foot size one and it worked out great. I think I paid about $119 for it and when I ordered it on-line I was able to "reserve" a date to pick it up. It was very convenient. A block before you get to Lowes you will find a Target and Jewel (big grocery chain there) and an Office Max. I will be honest- Target merchandise can be picked over that first week of school. If you need shampoo, laundry stuff, etc you can find that, but school supplies/dorm accessories are more limited. The Walmart is far away and I have yet to find it. BB&B is about a 20-25 minute drive north of campus and is well worth doing the pre-ordering. It is not near the mall- it is about a 5-10 minute drive north of the mall. The Old Orchard Mall has your standard stores- Macys, Nordstrom, Abercrombie, etc.. You won't find much in the way of school/dorm supplies there. If I remember correctly, there is a Office Depot store close to the mall. Right next to the mall are several hotels - hampton, doubletree, extended stay- to keep in mind for future visits. It takes about 10-15 minutes to get there from campus. </p>

<p>As you can tell, none of these stores are within walking distance of the campus. If you aren't going to have a car then it will be hard to find a lot of the missing items your child just has to have. There is a CVS right off campus and they do sell school supplies and basic dorm supplies but the kids have found it more expensive to shop there than other places. Plus since it is the nearest place, things sell out quickly.
I advise getting a GPS or Mapquesting the stores ahead of time and that will help you locate all these different places.<br>
Good Luck to everyone moving in!</p>