You rich students had electric typewriters. I hate to write, placed into the Honors English Lit class- most freshmen took their “sophomore lit” courses as they placed out of “freshman composition”. Was usually late to the small class the day the paper was due- typing on my manual typewriter with whiteout. Used that for my senior honors thesis in Chemistry- on expensive bond paper (no whiteout allowed- had to redo a page) including pesky tables. Calculus without a scientific calculator… Still have a slide rule which we showed to a current grad student in science- he had no idea what it was.
AP courses were regional once upon a time in the early 1970’s. But- the east coast didn’t have it all. Big Ten U’s had whole computer science buildings while some on the east coast didn’t even have the CS major (source-meeting someone). NO INTERNET. period.
The top ten chemistry department had one Wang calculator in a lab. We did the around ten digit lab data punch card for only one P-chem lab- and one mistake meant going to get another single card. I sure hope they still have the P-chem glass blowing lab day- rumor had it the TA’s had fun laughing at our attempts.
Class registration was in person, getting paperwork at one end of campus, walking to all of the buildings to get approval from the departments and winding at the opposite end of a large, hilly campus to turn it in. At least you could get into a full section with your sob story sometimes (in my major, can’t…) talking to a TA. Cold in January. That precious paper Timetable was all important. Upper class standing is good for getting into classes and earlier registration, not necessarily meaningful in time to graduate.
When I was in school (all gazillion years) backpacks were not that common- they are so much more practical than book bags.
UW has the same dorm food service system, but we had cardboard cards worth $10 the cashier printed out remaining amount on we bought for one of three meal plan amounts. Now they have a plastic card to refill as needed- and no minimum required.