<p>Since dorm info has just become available, our daughter is considering a FIG as a freshman student fall 2010. She has noted that for a FIG, your class schedule, at least in part, seems to be dictated by which FIG chosen. She is wondering if choosing a FIG has distinct benefits or perhaps not choosing a FIG will allow more flexibility to choose a dorm and class schedule. FIG or no FIG? Feedback please.</p>
<p>She is OOS student.
Thank you!</p>
<p>My son liked his FIG: good dorms, good courses, good friends, good FIG advisor, etc. He said the advisor made a big difference, and he was lucky to have a group of compatible students. He took two of the three courses because his AP credits allowed him to skip over the third course. He probably would have chosen those courses anyway, so he liked them. As with everything else about dorm selection, it’s hard to predict how it will turn out. From a parent’s perspective, I could tell that he liked having a ready-made group of people to hang out with and walk to class with early in his freshman year. He’s still friends with some of them.</p>
<p>We are struggling with what to do too. My Daughter is going into Journalism but is also going to double Major in either History or Polictical Science. We were looking at Journalism FIGs. She is definate about wanting one of the new dorms that are Suite style. Lately, since we have learned that through my husbands Post 911 GI Bill with the Military and Yellow Ribbon Program, that pretty much most of her schooling will be paid for, we have been talking about her going for a suite with a living room (only $400 more per year). </p>
<p>The suites with the living room have more room, your basically more roommates with 4 girls instead of just two and she really likes the idea of the bathrooms in the living room suites being seperate (split bathroom as in shower and toliet areas are completely seperate and have sink area in each). She really does not like the idea of South even though they have a Journalism Fig she is interested in. It’s too far away for her. The others with the suites are all at College Ave (College Ave does not have living rooms).<br>
Since she is now really thinking she wants a living room she is thinking she may try for to get into one of the Service and Leadership Figs over in Excellence. </p>
<p>I really can’t say I’d blame her - There are many reasons I agree with her on the dorm choices. She is very outgoing and I’m definate not worried about her meeting or making friends being in a suite style vs. a community style dorm. </p>
<p>It’s very hard to balance getting into the FIG of choice, Classes in each FIg, dorm of choice, type of room of choice. You really have to weigh all the benefits of each. </p>
<p>One question I do have is if you pick a FIG, do they block exact rooms for it? So if you want a fig but want a double suite with living room - will you not be able to get the living room if it’s not blocked into the FIG blocked rooms? If this is the case, she is going to seriously have to decide quickly whether she goes for FIG or Living room. I’d really like her to be in a FIG though, but I’m sure in the end she would do well either way.</p>
<p>^^^ I think guys are just different! My son did not want to deal with having the bathrooms cleaned less frequently. He didn’t spend that much time thinking about anything except that he found a FIG that looked good, and it was in a newly remodeled dorm, which he liked, so he just clicked on a room. He’s an adaptable kid who makes friends easily, too. Even the roommate thing worked out, and they still live together.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether they block out rooms specifically for FIGs or not. I don’t believe they do, because not all of his FIG members were on the same floor.</p>
<p>From my point of view, all those dorm rooms are cramped, whether you’re in a suite or not. I’d say your daughter should just go with what feels best to her at the moment.</p>
<p>One thing I wonder is if she would miss out being in a Journalism Fig and miss out being bonded with kids that are in Journalism. </p>
<p>I definately think girls are different, although not all because tons of girls on the social site they give the kids are wanting community style. My daughter is really wanting the best of both worlds. She doesn’t mind that they clean the suite bathrooms every two weeks, she is willing to deal with that for a few moments of bathroom privacy.</p>
<p>Not really. My S bonded with students outside his FIG, too. I sent you a PM.</p>
<p>Good feedback & discussion. Thank you. I think she will go for the FIG. </p>
<p>Question: does anyone know if the dorms with the community bathrooms (at the end of a hall) are cleaned daily?</p>
<p>I have a question about the journalism FIGs…
It seems like all the halls with journalism FIGs are closed over break. I’m OOS, so I want to stay on campus over some of the shorter breaks. What do students do if their dorm is closed over the breaks?</p>
<p>Usually all OOS students go either home or to visit some friends for Fall and Spring breaks. Our D. hopefully will come home tomorrow morning, but tonight she is alone in the entire MT dorm ( or I hope it’s her exaggeration 
. At least they allow students to stay overnight even though officially the hall closed at 8pm tonight.
In any case advise your parents to buy air tickets in advance;I bought all her tickets ( for Fall, Winter, Spring and even Summer breaks) in July once I knew her schedule. They were much cheaper than in any time after the school year started.</p>
<p>Small Fry there are 1 or 2 Journalism Figs over in South and it’s open over breaks.</p>
<p>Tori_mom, glad to her they can stay overnight if you can’t get them out that day. </p>
<p>For us, we are going to book Southwest airlines once each of the schedules come out (it’s rolling. They just opened up the schedules till the end of October, so the next one will hopefully include Thanksgiving and Christmas.</p>