<p>Hello everyone!</p>
<p>I am going to attend ND this fall. </p>
<p>I was wondering if you get to choose your dorm hall or if they are assigned to you. </p>
<p>Does anyone know the process of rooming? </p>
<p>And is it true that there is a freshman swimming test at the end of the year?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>The housing is random.</p>
<p>I don’t know about a test at the end of the year. I think there is one at the beginning of the year, and if you fail then you must take swimming as one of your p.e. classes.</p>
<p>okay well i don’t know how to swim…or doggy paddle…or float…
thank you for the info</p>
<p>hahah yes you have to take the swimming class. </p>
<p>my brother is a current notre dame student and he had to take the swimming class during his freshman year</p>
<p>If you have time, take swimming lessons over the summer. The swim test is pretty basic. It’s not much fun to walk across campus wet when it’s 18 degrees out. Having swim class in the middle of the day is not much fun.</p>
<p>I am just wondering if this rumor is true. I have heard it several times over the years and find it rather funny.
A few years ago, one of the ND 300 pound linemen was about to graduate in the spring and had never taken the swimming test. He was exempt from PE at the time because of his position as a varsity athlete. In the weeks prior to graduation his advisor reminded him about the fact that being able to pass the swimming test was a requirement for graduation, to this, the lineman responded with, “I have never even been in a pool.” The counselor then found a varsity swimmer to teach the football player how to swim. The swimmer, who never had a problem learning the sport, simply had the man jump in the pool and attempt to swim. The student then proceeded to flail wildly about and the swimmer had to drag the very large individual out of the pool. The swimmer then realized it would be a long process and slowly worked the student up to the point he could complete the requirement. The student then had to take the test in the remaining few days before graduation where he barely passed and was allowed to graduate.</p>
<p>I would second those that recommend taking it this summer. Even if you have to repeat it in PE, you will be glad to already have some exposure. My roommate had to take the second part of swimming - in January. Her next class was across campus, and it was impossible to get her hair dry in time to walk across campus. Many a day she had frozen hair! Its an incentive I used on all my kids to convince them to learn to swim!!
PS. I think the requirement dates back to WWII when the navy had a program at ND. But everyone should learn to swim. It is important.</p>
<p>I was told that the requirement stems from the fact that we have two gorgeous lakes on campus.</p>
<p>I have a similar football/swimming story. My freshman year, I had to take swimming (ugh!) and there was a football player in the class. The poor guy had the hardest time learning to float–he was all muscle and would start sinking as soon as he lay out on the water. The, um, less dense of us had no trouble at all. Kind of amusing to see an athlete unable to get the hang of a simple skill. He seemed pretty embarrassed.</p>
<p>It was really crummy having swimming four days a week right in the middle of the day. I’m trying to convince my son that he REALLY needs to take a brush-up class this summer, since he was probably 12 the last time he was in a pool!</p>
<p>Is there any time requirement for swimming the 4 laps? Or just be able to do it? How strong, good swimmer do you need to be to pass? Thanks</p>
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Or maybe because “Lake” is in the name, haha? Would be a pity if people there couldn’t swim.</p>
<p>S took it 4 years ago and said he didn’t have a time requirement, pretty much just be able to stay up, not drown, and work one’s way across the pool. He had learned in our 24’ above ground pool at home.</p>
<p>It’s 2 lengths of any stroke on the front and then 2 lengths of any stroke on the back. I knew I wouldn’t pass it and just opted to take the class without even taking the test. Reading some of these posts on here I feel like some of the aspects of the swimming class have changed. If you have to take the class it’s only 2 times a week for 50 minutes and they make you take it for the first two “units” of your PE requirement unless there’s some extreme circumstance (Aug-mid Oct). While it was a hassle to go there twice a week the class wasn’t awful, they just want to make sure they at least teach you some of the skills necessary to be safe in the water.</p>