<p>I'm applying to Caltech EA, but my mom is very much against me moving to California from New York should I get accepted. Meanwhile, my dad, the earthquake engineer, warns of an impending big earthquake in California. I think they're both being silly :rolleyes:, but can I have some first hand accounts of what travel is like between the two coasts? That's the issue at hand right now, since they want me home very often (me = :mad: ). Thanks!!!</p>
<p>So I'm not really going to Caltech yet, but I've visited four times now, travelling alone three times. (My sister went there as well... I'm not just a college stalker.) Travel generally means two flights (one connection) and something on the order of $300 round-trip if you spend a bit of time looking for airfare, depending on timing and such. It means basically losing a day to travel when you go east, but it's not too much of a hassle. (The Denver airport is a nice place to spend the night, really. ;) )</p>
<p>I think east coasters tend to go home (or someplace non-Caltech anyway) for winter break but not, say, Thanksgiving, although exams factor in with the latter. Basically if your parents' idea of "home very often" is 5 weekend visits plus major breaks... well, no, that's not practical. </p>
<p>The simpler solution, depending on your parents, is to figure out why they want you home so often and try to reassure them that you will eat your vegetables/write to Aunt Bertha/live roughly as they taught you/stay somewhat under their influence. And if you have to be in California for an earthquake, Caltech's probably the place to be.</p>
<p>What you need to do is set precedent right off the bat. No more than one phone call per week, only come home during the breaks, no exceptions. Don't start out calling home every day expecting it to ease off to once a week after a couple months. I'm lucky that my brother doesn't call home from college more than once per month, so I'll be a shining beacon of light if I can make one call per week :)</p>
<p>College stalker college stalker! <em>points</em></p>
<p>Being home very often so far has been winter break and spring break, and a part of summer pretty much, which is I think what most east coaster people do. The cheapest flights are about $220 if you book really early with Southwest or other budget airlines, but during summer and other high demand times airfare will be closer to $300 usually (as flierdeke said) with a stop somewhere.</p>
<p>Travel from the airport to Caltech isn't a problem either, with the super shuttle taking you from door to door for $19 and if you're more adventurous taking either a MTA thruway bus that takes you to union station and then you can take the metro to the station 1.3 miles off campus for about $5, or you can just take the metro plus the walk back from the station (my estimate a 2 hours or so trip one way when it's 40 minutes by car about) for $3. Pretty much the metro is only useful if you don't have much luggage.</p>
<p>Yeah, essentially it means that going home requires a $300 roundtrip ticket and about 5 to 7 hours travel each way depending on whether you have to connect. To me, the biggest hindrance to going home is the price of the ticket. So far, I've gone home once after every term and I'll be going home again before school starts.</p>
<p>The metro really isn't any worse with luggage than the airport, really; as long as you haven't packed more than you can carry you're fine. The bus that goes between the airport and Union Station is realllly nice ($3 one way), and the metro stations have elevators so you don't have to carry stuff up & down stairs. The walk between Caltech and the nearest station isn't bad either. Altogether that takes about 2 hours, as korinfox said.</p>
<p>From the New Student Information Guide:</p>
<p>
[quote]
California is known for its earthquakes. Most earthquakes are relatively small and do not cause any damage. Should you feel a minor earthquake while on campus do not become alarmed. Should a major earthquake occur, the Caltech emergency preparedness plan will go into effect. You should follow the directions of the Resident Associates as you evacuate your housing facility.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>:) I was amused at this paragraph's existence in the booklet. </p>
<p>Your parents might just be jealous of Caltech's far awesomer weather.</p>
<p>How accomodating is the airline with lots o' luggage? Has any of you experienced problems in this area? I think my parents are picturing the hassle involved in trying to shuttle my stuff back and forth, not that I have a lot, but....</p>
<p>Actually, they pulled the weather card on me recently, on how everybody is dying from the heat wave. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Did any of you face problems from overprotective parents when you were making the decision to go to Caltech? Thanks for the advice so far!!</p>
<p>Hrm, how about the fact that the second term starts on Jan 2nd... which means either flying on New Year's Day or missing the first day of class... (unless you're lucky enough not to have classes then?)
Anyone with experience care to reply? I have to book my flight before the rates go up... oh wait, too late =P</p>
<p>
You can bring one piece of luggage and a small item for carry-on. And for checked baggage it depends on your airline and travel class; usually two or three pieces for free and you pay extra for more luggage.</p>
<p>Wait, I thought it was: 1) suitcase, 2) little carry on suitcase, 3) backpack. </p>
<p>Or am I wrong? :(</p>
<p>zoogies, I've always known it to be a small bag/backpack/purse and a small suitcase for carry on. I could be wrong, though.</p>
<p>Pandora, also, you don't necessarily have to worry about travelling with all the stuff you'll need at Caltech. I'm planning on shipping some of my stuff it out there so I have a relative minimum required through the airports. (Note: I've never actually been out there, so my advice is purely hypothetical.)</p>
<p>Your parents are idiots, air travel is easy, and the best way to bring large amounts of stuff over is to mail it. If you find yourself bringing more than one piece of checked luggage initially, you're probably bringing too much stuff, because you won't know what House you're living in until two-ish weeks after you get to Caltech: you'll be in a temporary room meanwhile, and there's no point in bringing all your stuff over if you're just going to have to move it again.</p>
<p>Earthquakes so far haven't been a worry (knock on wood). It seems like it's far more likely that you'll be disturbed in your sleep by a fire alarm set off by either rain (messing with the alarm system) or someone burning breakfast in the kitchen.</p>
<p>
[quote]
zoogies, I've always known it to be a small bag/backpack/purse and a small suitcase for carry on. I could be wrong, though.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Oh, for carry-on, yeah. I thought spoon! meant that was it for luggage altogether.</p>
<p>I was born in Newyork and lived on long island until i was 9. I am now 15 and have lived in thousand oaks california (about 45min from of caltech) for the past 6 years. I have been through 3 earthquakes, all small. The worst damage was a picture fell off our table in one, and we had to tape the back of the frame a little. Thats it. In socal we have a very extensive study into earthquakes in our science classes. From what ive learned over the years, there are patterns to actually predict an earthquake, but never to an exact date. It seems, that your dad is right but also wrong. We ARE overdue for a major earthquake (6.0-9.0 richter) BUT with so much tectonic action taking place on the pacific plate over the years its possible that we may not have an earthquake for many many years. While some say the 94 quake was our big one (6.2 i belive) it may have been minor as it was on a subsidary of the san andreas fault and the earth quake was a blind thrust fault. So my theory and what many seem to say is most likely the case : we will have a large earth quake in the next 20 years but chances are it will be based closer to san fransico than socal.
Dont worry about earth quakes just do 3 things.</p>
<p>1) Keep plenty of provisions in your dorm/house at ALL times. Espically water bottles. </p>
<p>2) If you live off campus buy a house LESS than 15 (5 if you can) years old. These houses have fireproof rooves and in many cases walls, because in california we have a fire season (fall) and earthquakes can cause fires.</p>
<p>3) DONT leave anything heavy near where you sleep, on a unsturdy object, or on small tables (or other type of overhang) unless you want to hurt yourself or your item.</p>
<p>I also recomend you give your room plenty of space INCASE of a major earthquake because most furniture will fall over and youll need a way to escape AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE.</p>
<p>*** In NY they dont teach drills like this obviously but in california in case of earthquake you
1) Detect earthquake via alarm (in some buildings) or if no alarm youll feel it.
2) Get under a sturdy object (if in class get under desk) and hold the leg to it down and close to your body.
3) When the earthquakes STOPS leave the building and wait for possible aftershocks (as short as five minutes to about 1 month (usually less than a day)
4) The rest of the ordeal will be controlled by local authorites.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also as to questions about travel, plane rides between jfk and lax are horrible. To many delays. If possible take your LOCAL airport on a good airline (recomend jetblue) to burbank. Burbank is small, easy to navigate, and there is little traffic there. Plane rides get boaring but are a good time to study or relax.</p>
<p>I second the Burbank recommendation.
And don't worry much about earthquakes. They're actually kind of cool if you've never experienced one before (although I've admittedly only experienced small ones).</p>
<p>I often find cheap flights out of Long Beach as well.</p>