<ul>
<li>As to "required:" There won't be a test on it or anything, so I guess it's not technically required. You might end up forced into some discussion section or something on it during OWeek, for which it might be nice to have read it. (By the way, Dean Forman's letter to the advisers "encourages your participation in" the common reading.) And it really isn't that bad a read ... it takes all of 2 or 3 hours.</li>
</ul>
<p>Entertainment budgets can vary wildly depending on the tastes and resources of the individual. If you really like going to big-name concerts, nice restaurants, nice clubs, etc., I can see how you could end up spend several hundred a week - however, I don't know many people at Rice who do that. At the other end of the spectrum, there is enough free stuff going on on campus most of the time to keep you occupied without spending any money at all.
I'd agree with Torres though that about $20 a week seems reasonable for most people though.</p>
<p>Verizon Wireless has a plan starting at $40 a month, with 450 minutes ... I'd check verizonwireless.com, cingular.com, or some other sites to compare.</p>
<p>Campus jobs aren't that hard to get. If you don't qualify for financial-aid based work study, your options aren't quite as extensive, but you should still be able to find something without too much trouble.</p>
<p>Rice's grad schools vary a lot in quality. Some of the program are really good, some not as good - it varies by department. I don't know the statistics, but it seems like most Rice students go elsewhere for grad school - but Rice does have an excellent record of placing people in top ranked graduate programs.</p>