<p>Class of 2012:</p>
<p>Please post any/all questions here. No question is too small!</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>Hi Justin and welcome back from Italy. When do the incoming freshmen receive their room/dorm assignments? do we pick a meal plan when the first bill arrives?
-Mary</p>
<p>mary s,</p>
<p>From the "FAQs for Incoming Students" portion of the Lafayette Office of Residence Life webpage:</p>
<p>When will I receive my room assignment and roommate information?
The Office of Residence Life makes every effort to mail room assignment information during the first two weeks of July (generally no later than July 15). Please allow adequate time for mail travel before contacting our office to request a duplicate letter.</p>
<p>As for the meal plan -- it turns out that all first-year students will be automatically billed for the 20 meal plan. Changes to either the "Carte Blanche" or "200 Block" (IMO, your best option) plans can only be made IN PERSON at the Student Information Window on the second floor of Markle Hall. The difference in cost will then be charged/credited to your Lafayette account.</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>Justin would you be able to offer some advice for course selection? My son wants to major in Math and Economics. He took Spanish for 4 years in high school (8th -11th). He took the Lafayette Spanish placement test and placed into Intermediate Spanish. However, he claims that he "hates" Spanish. He does not want to take the three course cluster instead of the language and he does not want to study abroad for a semester. He can't decide if he should bite the bullet and take the 2 semesters of Intermediate Spanish or take Latin. If he takes Latin, it would be a committment of 4 semesters if we are reading the guidelines correctly because he would have to take Latin through the intermediate level. What has your experience been with the language courses at Lafayette? Do you have any advice on some good CCS courses to take as a first semester freshman? Also, should we reserve the text books? Thank you very much for your help.</p>
<p>NoVAMom,</p>
<p>Let’s consider the foreign language requirement first, shall we?</p>
<p>Here are his options (as you say):</p>
<ol>
<li> Take SPAN 211 in the Fall and SPAN 212 in the Spring</li>
<li> Complete three courses for the foreign culture cluster</li>
<li> Take LAT 101, 102 his first year and LAT 111, 112 his sophomore year</li>
</ol>
<p>Option one is a distinct possibility. Options two and three both require additional courses, which I see as a waste of time for your son. He could be taking courses toward his interdisciplinary major or toward other CCS requirements.</p>
<p>Did you know that your son could place out of the foreign culture requirement by scoring 600+ on the SAT II Spanish (w/o Listening)? Ever since I’ve been a student at Lafayette, there have been opportunities set up during Orientation to take placement exams; however, with the placement exams now online, that might not be the case anymore. I’d ask the Class of 2012 Dean, Ronald Robbins, if that can still be arranged (<a href="mailto:robbinsr@lafayette.edu">robbinsr@lafayette.edu</a>).</p>
<p>I’ve never taken a language course at Lafayette, so I can’t provide any personal insights on the quality of instruction.</p>
<p>As a Math/Econ major, your son should review this page from the Class of 2012 website: First</a> Year Student Registration - Registrar's Office - Lafayette College. For his first semester, he should be taking...</p>
<ol>
<li> An FYS of his choosing (be sure he picks his top 5).</li>
<li> MATH 161: Calc I or MATH 162: Calc II, depending on his placement test score</li>
<li> A natural science lab course to work toward the CCS requirement (see First</a> Year Student Registration - Registrar's Office - Lafayette College)</li>
<li> A Humanities/Social Science course for the CCS (see First</a> Year Student Registration - Registrar's Office - Lafayette College)</li>
</ol>
<p>FYI, ECON 101 can’t be taken until the Spring.</p>
<p>Your son definitely has some decisions to make for those third and fourth course slots, but I’m sure he’ll be able to identify courses of interest.</p>
<p>If he’s not into science, I’d recommend PSYC 110, GEOL 100/115, or CHEM 102 (aka “Baby Chem”). A few good Humanities/Social Science courses include ART 101, REL 101/102, PHIL 101, A&S 102/103/104, or HIST 105/106.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, you should not worry too much about satisfying the CCS requirements as quickly as possible. Many students fulfill the CCS inadvertently over the course of four years. There’s more than enough time to fulfill both major and CCS requirements, so there’s no need to “bust out” the CCS.</p>
<p>I’ve been telling all incoming students for three years not to reserve textbooks. There’s just no reason to do so. There are enough books for everyone, and it’s nice to browse for that USED (somewhat less expensive) version with the least amount of highlighting. The service is convenient, yes, but totally unnecessary. With that said, I would definitely recommend sending back the form to open up a Bookstore account -- it's quite a useful service.</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>Justin,
On the Registration worksheet there is an area asking for alternate courses...2 of the courses that my son will be taking are for his major,(ie; he is a bio./pre-med major...he chose a science and a math course) ... the other course (excluding the first year seminar)one is an elective...am I correct that the only one that he can/should choose an alternate for is the elective? How does the registrar know that the alternate that he chooses corresponds with the elective and not the courses for his intended major?
-mary</p>
<p>Mary,</p>
<p>Courses toward one’s intended major will take precedence when the Registrar determines appropriate course schedules. It is most common for alternate courses to be assigned in the place of an elective that has reached capacity.</p>
<p>If your son receives his course schedule and finds that he has not enrolled in a course required of his major, he shouldn’t be alarmed. The Registrar works throughout the summer to open additional course sections as necessary so that all students in need of MATH 161, BIO 101, CHEM 121, etc. are able to enroll.</p>
<p>If you would like to know if your son’s chosen electives are nearing capacity, simply provide me with the course listings -- I can provide real-time enrollment numbers. This information should come in handy, as some of the courses listed on the ‘First Year Course List’ have already reached capacity (Lafayette upperclassmen are a greedy bunch!).</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>Justin,</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the great post. All of your comments and information are greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Nancy</p>
<p>does laf have cross registrations with any other colleges??</p>
<p>lafstudent,</p>
<p>From the 'Lafayette College Dean of Studies' webpage:</p>
<p><<< Cross-Registration: A full-time student may register at any of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) member institutions (DeSales, Cedar Crest, Lehigh, Moravian, and Muhlenberg) for courses suitable to Lafayette degree programs. Courses must be ones that cannot be scheduled at Lafayette, are normally limited to no more than two per semester, and may not produce an over-load. Students may not cross-register for January term courses. A student must have the written approval of his/her adviser, the Lafayette Registrar, and appropriate persons at the host institution.</p>
<p>Questions concerning the suitability of particular courses to Lafayette degree programs should be referred to the Office of the Dean of the College. Grades earned under the cross-registration program will be used in computing semester and cumulative averages. It is the student's responsibility to arrange transportation to any cross-registered courses, although the Dean or Registrar may be able to assist in identifying alternative sources of transportation. Because there exists a wide variety of individual course schedules as well as course locations, the College, in most instances, cannot provide transportation. >>></p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>Yay! Class of 2012 has their own discussion forum. Sorry Couldn't help it...I'm really bored right now.</p>
<p>Justin,
Are Intro to Psych or Human Origins full?
-Mary</p>
<p>Mary,</p>
<p>PSYC 110 is far from full -- 106 spaces remain between the two lecture sections. That would make for a fine alternate course selection. FYI, both professors teaching the lecture (Dr. Shaw or Dr. Childs) are well-liked by students.</p>
<p>A&S 104, which is listed with a 35 student capacity, has 9 spaces remaining. If your son thinks the course might be interesting, he should list it as an alternate. The professor, Dr. Niles, has a video on the Class of 2012 Registration Website (see the bottom of First</a> Year Student Registration - Registrar's Office - Lafayette College).</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>Justin,
Thank you! I truly appreciate all of the help/advice that you have given!
-Mary</p>
<p>Hi, Justin. Two questins. First, you mentioned that all freshmen are enrolled in the 20 meal plan and that a change can be made in person at the Student Information window. Can students do that as freshmen, or do they have to wait until their soph year? How soon can a student switch?</p>
<p>The second is about laptop/notebook computers. Should freshmen bring their own or buy one on campus? If a student brings his own, can it be configured for Laf's network/programs? What about support?</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses. You should wear a t-shirt with "I am Justin" emblazoned across the front so we all can recognize you when we come in August.</p>
<p>Following up my last question, I searched this board and found information from one of your posts last year (post 69). Is that info still good? Will we be receiving a mailing from the ITS folks? Heck, we've already got one for sheets.</p>
<p>Minky,</p>
<p>Yes, first-year students are allowed to choose one of three meal plans (20 Meal, 200 Block, Carte Blance). As I stated previously, changes from the default 20 Meal plan must be made once you get to campus -- the sooner, the better. FYI, meal plan options open up even more for upperclassmen (see Welcome</a> to Lafayette Dining Services for more information).</p>
<p>Students are not given the opportunity to purchase computers once they arrive on campus. You should buy a laptop during the summer and make sure it is up and running prior to your arrival. The information I provided back in post #69 still holds true (well, except for our affiliation with Gateway -- we now only offer student discounts on Dells and Apples. See Computer</a> & Software Sales | Information Technology Services to access Lafayette’s computer/software sales pages). Any modern computer will work on our campus network, so no worries there. </p>
<p>Dells, Apples, and Gateways can be serviced under warranty at our Hardware Shop in the basement of Pardee Hall. For that very reason, I’d make every attempt to purchase one of those brands. If the sponsored deals don’t impress, feel free to shop elsewhere -- every once in a while, those big electronic stores have decent models on sale.</p>
<p>Be sure to check out the ‘New Student FAQ’ provided by Lafayette’s IT department for some important information about computing on campus (New</a> Student FAQ | Information Technology Services). ITS always sends out a packet for incoming students during the summer to answer the most common technology-related questions and make incoming students aware about our computer/software discount programs, so expect that soon.</p>
<p>Oh, about those sheets -- I’ve heard from friends that they're cheaper than dirt. I strongly recommend getting your own set of twin XL sheets from a BB&B-type retailer.</p>
<p>I’d consider wearing a ‘I am Justin’ shirt, but as an RA, I'm obliged to wear a shirt provided by the Office of Residence Life during move-in. Sorry!</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>Justin,
What do you think about the Gateway program offered at Lafayette? (via career services)</p>
<p>-Mary</p>
<p>Mary,</p>
<p>I hope a previous response of mine suffices!</p>
<p>Post #281 in thread 'I'll Answer Your Lafayette Questions! Part I'</p>
<p><<< I think it is a good idea for all first-year students to sign up for Career Service's Gateway Program. There is little commitment on the part of the student: one must attend two Career Service events a semester to maintain membership.</p>
<p>For first-year students, the program may help in choosing a major and narrowing down career choices. In subsequent years, a student can get help in creating properly-formatted resumes, with mock interviews, in applying for internships/externships, and with filling out applications to graduate/law/medical school. Each student is assigned a specific Gateway advisor, so there is always someone to answer a student's questions and address any concerns if need be.</p>
<p>I am sure you are asking this question now because you have just received the rather silly brochure in the mail (with the feet on it) and student agreement form. If you wish to gain a little more information on the subject, and see what Career Services has to offer students, please visit the Lafayette website at Career</a> Services.</p>
<p>In response to the question you posed, yes, I am a member of the Gateway Program. I attended a few alumni dinner panels, larger group info sessions on specific careers, and advice sessions on graduate school admissions. >>></p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>
<p>I think i made some rash decisions in making the course choices. What should i do?? Am i DOOMED?</p>