Current Brown students taking questions!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
541

<p>@ elainen8:
Hope is a great dorm! Used to be a prime dorm for upper class until turned into frosh. (singles still upper class in middle of halls). The rooms are big (has the biggest few freshman rooms on campus) and location can’t be beat. If you live on top floor, you will get a lot of exercise! (no elevator for move in etc.) Recommend curtains, (all dorms have roller shades, but curtains are nice) (deep window sills due to being old building, the inside was gutted, and utilitarian cinderblock walls. 4th floor has low ceilings) Freshman units here tend to be close knit. closets are a bit small.</p>

<p>@TeacherT:
Emery and Wooley tend to have small rooms, but made up for by the shared (semiprivate) baths. (often co-ed shared with rooms next door, and there is an informal arrangement of using “available” ones with the upperclass singles around you, so you don’t “own” it. Interestingly, (I think maybe on purpose due to the bathroom “luxury”) there seem to be a high number of foreign students in these dorms. Have had some problems with rooms being too warm or too cold. hopefully they’ve fixed that. closets are the small “freestanding furniture type” (ok for guys, too small for most girls) If your son has a lot of stuff (not most guys) would strongly recommend bed risers for storing stuff under. oh, and EW also has a shared storage closet for every 2-3 rooms!</p>

<p>@ Zulatooka:<br>
All of Keeney is essentially one big dorm. Long ago they used to paint the different “dorm” section halls different colors, but you really can’t easily tell where one stops and next starts, so lounges, kitchens , laundry, etc are really just what ever one is most available for what you want. (this is true for all connected dorms at Brown as far as I’ve seen. )</p>

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<p>Thanks Brownalumparent! I appreciate the input. I thought that the closets were free standing. Do you know if there are shelves in them as well as room to hang clothes?</p>

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<p>@TeacherT: I lived in Champlin last year, and all of MoChamEmWool have the same setup. The closets are freestanding and about 6 feet tall. The top foot is a shelf (mine was half taken up by a safe, but that depends on your room), and the rest has a closet rod. Theres enough room in the bottom to store shoes or something like that as well. Besides your closet, you’ll have a three-drawer dresser to store more clothes.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much BrownAlumParent! I will definitely look into getting some curtains.</p>

545

<p>Thanks bruno14. I think that he will have enough room. Should we get bed risers? Do most people do that for extra storage?</p>

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<ol>
<li><p>Do most professors stop the class at the appointed time so that you can make it to your next class on time?</p></li>
<li><p>Would it be difficult to get from the Bio-Medical Center to Rockefellar Library in 10 minutes?</p></li>
<li><p>For aleph0: you have given me advice before on philosophy classes. thanks. i have never taken a formal philosophy class before, just read on my own out of interest. think i might want to complete one of my concentrations in philosophy. i have other interests, though, and will likely get turned off with a disappointing experience. reading and writing papers is not “work” for me; memorizing lists for regurgitation is. that said, would you recommend ancient v. early modern for a first course to have a positive experience in. i will likely take it s/nc. thanks in advance for your opinion.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>1) Most, but not all do. Generally (but not always), those that go over are not offended if you have to run off before they finish to make your next class.</p>

<p>2) Definitely. There are very few walks between classes that take more than 10 minutes if you walk quickly. Only the very extremes of campus (Smitty B, Classics department, Philosophy department, German department, applied math department) should pose problems. I’d guess that walk you’ve mentioned could be done in about 7 minutes without much trouble.</p>

548

<p>Hey freekick1,</p>

<p>Great to hear about your interest in philosophy! You would be glad to know that philosophy classes at Brown in general require a fair amount of writing, and less emphasis on straight out memorization. I think either course is great to start you off on the right foot in the department. Some things you might want to consider:</p>

<p>Ancient has a relatively light workload: 3 5-page papers and weekly online discussion postings. Since there are no exams, there is literally no component of the class where you have to study for anything. So if you enjoy writing papers this should be good for you. Ancient was also my first philosophy class with a substantial writing component (I started off with Logic). I was initially worried that the material would be inaccessible and somewhat removed from “conventional” philosophy as I knew it. However, the professor turned out to be great and I ended up enjoying the class more than I thought I would.</p>

<p>I didn’t do Early Modern with Larmore, so I can’t comment on him specifically. I have heard good things from my friends who have taken the class with him though. I also do know that the class has exams (probably in addition to papers as well), which you may or may not get the questions for beforehand. That said, Early Modern is the quintessential class for many philosophy concentrators, as it exposes you to the origins of the ideas that would recur very frequently in your study of philosophy. So if you don’t take this class now, you would probably want to do so later on if you are concentrating in philosophy (though the same could be said for Ancient, which is also a concentration requirement).</p>

<p>I hope that was somewhat helpful. You should also consider shopping both classes to see if to take to either better. You would have plenty of time to take the one you passed up on somewhere down the line, if you do decide to concentrate.</p>

549

<p>@TeacherT: I had no trouble storing everything without bed risers, and I’m a girl with probably too many clothes.</p>

550

<p>I get lots of requests, and lots of this info is scattered throughout other posts. I’m not a current student, but (unfortunately) not much has changed about the dorms most freshman live in over the past 30+ years. (I could swear they still have some of the same hall carpeting!) and I’m back in the dorms often with reunions, and my student. So I thought I would try to compile this list. (and I know it’s often the Moms who really want to know). Current students, please copy, paste, edit and add to this as you see fit. (my student has way too much stuff, so take some of this info in that light.) Most items do not need to come from home necessarily, although they are cheaper away from campus.</p>

<p>Freshman dorm/outfitting info list:</p>

<p>Bedding: all beds are extra long twins. the mattresses are so/so, and often “springs” are worse. A bed “topper” is nice: Foam or whatever and a mattress cover. Some may want a bedboard.
2 sets of sheet is fine. If you are quick with laundry, one set might be enough. The ones sold via Brown are just a national service, and NOT great texture (low thread count). Unless you really don’t care, definitely bring/get your own pillow. Depending on the dorm, a comforter, light blanket may be enough. (very few dorms get very cold).
Pillow to prop up in bed if you tend to do that. </p>

<p>Storage: rooms come with smallish 3 drawer dresser, bookcase (good size built in in Keeney) adequate size freestanding in most other dorms. EmWooleyMoChamp have small over desk hutches. You likely do not need an extra bookcase. If you have lots to store: bed risers are very helpful to get bed high enough for suitcases, underbed storage boxes etc. esp in rooms with smaller freestanding closets. (Ikea has the best!)
If you have free standing closet, an extra laundry basket will fit on top of it in most rooms and is a good way to store stuff.
Some kind of small tote thing to carry your toiletries back and forth to shower. (it will get wet).
Over the door hook. Wide bracket (thicker fire doors) preferable to have 3-4 hooks (share with roomie) Doors are not magnet useful. You are not supposed to use any sticky things that cannot come off. (Command hooks do work on more surfaces and some walls.)
Laundry basket. (or drawstring bag, or just pillow case) Likely you will need to lug at least 2 loads of laundry at a time plus detergent and dryer sheets up and down some stairs, and maybe set it down on not the cleanest surface. plan according to your tolerance for this.
Command removable hooks are very useful. </p>

<p>Dorm “decor”:
chair: not necessary for the most part, unless you are super picky re desk chair. (and then what do you do with the Brown one? I think you can put in basement storage in most dorms, but have to make sure you have one at end of year.) Most rooms may not have room for extra furniture (bean bags etc)
Curtains: nice, not necessary. (rooms come with roller shades) unless you need black out around the edges in a east/south facing room. Most rooms you cannot hang curtains except with spring tension rods inside window. Keeney has some rooms that students have put one big rod across both windows. a few of rooms that were lounges have curtain rods.
Study/reading light: room lighting not adequate for this. May or may not be able to have something to clamp to(don’t count on it). Best to have something can move/direct and that might not keep roommate awake. Floor lamps usually don’t fit. Might wait to see how your furniture fits to decide on this. (or be handy, or have a dad who is, lol) Halogen not “legal” due to fire hazard (I think still?)
Fan: most students consider this a must have for about the first and last 2 weeks of the year. Something pretty strong but small. (If parents are coming by van etc, this is really nice extra to bring a big window box one and then take it home, for the heat of move in. (or sometimes there is space to store in room.))
rug: floors are pretty dreary tile. the few that are carpeted I think are worse. There are dealers with trucks selling on campus at move in time. pretty decent prices, but also works to bring and maybe better selection if you can get your room dimensions and work out with roomie. 2 good size throw rugs can work, but room size is nice. If you tend to bring lots of dirt in on your cleats, then maybe you want the tile! Vacuum: going to be hard to find space to store, (unless you have the EWMC storage closets). Would wait and find if someone has one you can share? Ideally there would be one per hall, but Brown does not provide.
Fridge: considered by most to be a necessity. One per room works best space wise. can rent from BSA. About 2 years use =buying on sale at home. (not including storage cost)
Microwave: even cheaper to buy. get a small one, unlikely to need a big one. (kitchens also have them, so not absolutely necessary.) </p>

<p>Extras:
mirror: cheap full length one (esp for gals) Most rooms have no or poor mirrors.
Good big sturdy door stop (the old rubber kind) Nice for being sociable. doors close automatically.
extra dry erase markers for door memo board. (Brown supplies the board).
at least 2 good extension cords (Brown wants you to have the kind with surge suppressor/ fuse. I would get at least one with a flat flush plug end).
printer: you can live without one, using the brown ones etc, but it is nice to have a small one. (again only one per room if you can share).
noise cancelling head phones if noise bothers you for studying etc. (just a suggestion that many students I know end up buying sometime in the first semester. )
All freshman rooms have small safes (supposed to be big enough for a laptop) (usually in the closet) one per student, usually working, (and rarely used except for storage or over holiday times).</p>

551

<p>Does anyone have any insight into Philosophy of Law (PHIL 1600) with David Estlund? If so, is it fit for freshmen?</p>

552

<p>Would you say that everyone (or most people) end up liking the dorm they’re in?</p>

<p>It seems that all the current students say that their dorm was the best :P</p>

553

<p>not always the dorm, (my student had a freezing cold room, very small, and roommate tension) but most have strong “unit” loyalty, and think theirs is the best.(During senior week before graduation there are games teaming up with your old freshman unit against other units). And every dorm has pluses and minuses.</p>

554

<p>@silverturtle: It depends. Do you have experience writing college-level papers? More importantly, do you have a general idea of how philosophical arguments are made/structured? If you do, then I would say go for it. Otherwise, it might be better to start of in a course that provides a little more guidance with the process of writing philosophically.</p>

555

<p>Questions for musicians/music concentrators:</p>

<p>My son will be a freshman and intends to take music courses, to build on his AP music theory experience this past year. He may or may not be a music concentrator. He plays the piano and guitar a lot just to unwind and create.</p>

<p>1) How many practice rooms (with pianos) are there on campus, where are they located, and how easy is it to get time in them?</p>

<p>2) Would you instead advise that he bring a keyboard of his own, and in that case, what would you advise regarding size and controller versus synthesizer?</p>

<p>Many thanks.</p>

556

<p>

</p>

<p>I don’t know that the BDH ever asked this survey question, so it’s hard to answer this one definitively. Most students, if they get along with their roommate and don’t overthink things, are happy in their dorm. I’ve known people to absolutely hate Perkins, and others who love it. Most people adore Keeney, but I’ve known a few who don’t. I know kids who loved living on Pembroke freshmen year, until the next year they lived on Wriston and realized what they were missing out on. </p>

<p>The best approach is to be as optimistic as possible and go in determined to love where you are!</p>

<p>elaine: don’t buy curtains until you see your room!! In fact, don’t buy much of anything until you’ve seen the room and discussed things with your roommate.</p>

557

<p>@Bedford:
Music ppl will be able to give you more details, but I can tell you that most of the practice rooms are in a building on “East Campus” which is kind of out on one corner of campus. The closest freshman dorm is Keeney, (I understand that this year they stopped putting freshman out in the boonies of Perkins) and it is a short enough walk to make it very doable, but long enough that in bad weather it could be an excuse not to get there. It’s a bit of a hike from Pembroke dorms. There are also some pianos scattered around campus. I think it is still true that students taking a class that involves the instrument get first dibs on practice slots. That said, the majority of musicians (there are lots) at Brown are not music majors, and they can have practice room time, (and lessons etc). My student knew 2 serious ones frosh year in her dorm. (both bio majors). One of “concert level” had reserved regular practice time at the grand piano in Andrews hall. If he brings a keyboard (likely good idea) make sure he has headphones so no one else has to hear it!</p>

558

<p>@Bedford</p>

<p>I’m a music concentrator, so I can answer your questions.</p>

<p>The Steinart practice rooms are at the corner of Hope and Power streets, right near the music building (Orwig). They’ve got about 15 decent pianos, some upright and some grands and baby grands. There are also pianos available in other parts of campus, but those need to be reserved. Steinart is first come, first served.</p>

<p>I’d suggest he tries to go his first semester without a synthesizer, and then re-evaluates. I know I considered buying one because I was taking music classes and lived in Pembroke my first year, but now I’m living much closer and I don’t want to spend the money to buy and store the synthesizer.</p>

<p>Also, I’d suggest that he takes advantage of the Applied Music Program, which will let him take lessons for half a credit per semester. You need to audition in - you’ll get more information during orientation.</p>

<p>Hpe this helps!</p>

559

<p>Someone asked about socializing in nearby dorms. I lived on Pembroke freshman year and hung out largely with other Pembrokers, but most weren’t in my dorm. I also had friends in Keeney, Hope, Wayland, and Perkins. In general, I met people in classes or extracurriculars and dining halls (which was somewhat segregated by side of campus, but not always). I also met people when I was standing outside doing nothing or through other friends. So I never felt confined to my dorm.</p>

<p>Also, there is regional card access. I wrote about housing and card access here (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/brown-university/962275-food-housing-2.html?highlight=dorms[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/brown-university/962275-food-housing-2.html?highlight=dorms&lt;/a&gt;). I don’t want to go into who has card access to what, but as a general rule, you will be able to get into freshman dorms nearby. The system extends to upperclassmen, too, but it’s a lot more complicated.</p>

<p>Point being, you are not only free to go hang out with those who do not live with you, but it’s also encouraged.</p>

560

<p>Hi current Brown students- D just came home from the 7 week program and she left in the “storage area” of Chapin a “new”(7 week used) fan, desk lamp, fleece blanket (hot pink), two sets of sheets (hot pink and purple), small storage containers w/ heart design, mattress pad, foam topper, good pillow, Tide, etc. Help yourself!</p>