Impressions at open house

Colleges and Universities A-Z Virginia Tech
1

<p>Yesterday was the open house for admitted students.</p>

<p>These are things that made me chuckle
1. The dorm had built in storage cabinets above the closets. Our DD is 5'1, and I giggled thinking there is no way in Hades even standing on a chair that she would ever reach the cabinet.
2. The Hokie figurines on University Blvd (think Panda in DC, Bulls in NYC, Cows in KC) really were great. DD has now changed her pic id on my phone to her next to the one by Volume 2 bookstore.
3. They have a grass commons area with a blacktop sidewalk, if you looked close enough you could see chalk Hokie feet. That is school spirit!</p>

<p>Things that made me feel OH YEAH, this is a great school
1. The camaraderie and school spirit is there. I was really impressed about the students volunteer day to help clean the town. </p>

<p>---It was mentioned early on in the tour, but I thought YADDA YADDA YADDA...SELL SELL SELL!</p>

<p>After the tour including the dorm tour, I started to think why are there no students around it's 1 in the afternoon! LIGHTBULB MOMENT...because the students actually all participating in the clean up and it wasn't a selling point.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Loved that the dorms were really right next to each other. It felt like that if your child is in one dorm, but their bff was in another it would take them 45 seconds to run across to get into them.</p></li>
<li><p>Loved the fact that their Hokie pass is like a credit card and can go downtown out to eat and it works there also....CAVEAT this will be on my neg list too.</p></li>
<li><p>It was a short tour, but we all thought that the building that is built like a submarine was way cool.</p></li>
<li><p>Loved the chapel. Not saying DD will attend services, but it is a cool thing.</p></li>
<li><p>You must agree Burress Hall looks like Hogwarts. You see it from afar, and invision snow falling down and the next thing is you are expecting Harry Potter coming out...OBTW Isn't Griffindor's colors the same as Hokie colors?</p></li>
<li><p>I liked how many emergency stations they had. Hate to say it, but security is an issue if you have a child, especially a DD that is tiny.</p></li>
<li><p>Bikes are sheltered. At other universities they are outside of the building un-sheltered, but at least here they are covered...won't help when the snow comes, but our intentions would be to take up in fall, bring home for T-DAY and bring back after spring break.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Things I, as a parent had issues with:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Security within the dorms. This was the 1st college that only had to swipe to get in. Most colleges you have to swipe to get in the building and then swipe again to ride the elevator. I don't like the thought that there is not that additional swipe.</p></li>
<li><p>I don't like the food plan as described by them (ambassadors) CAVEAT I have not researched the dining plan, just going on the ambassadors description.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>---Most schools have the 19 meal plan, the X amt of dollars, or the meal plan plus in this case Hokie Bucks.</p>

<p>From what I understand it is they get X amt of dollars and can use it on campus and in some places off campus. The problem I have is as a parent kids can easily blow through the money and call up the folks. As a parent I too have a budget and this means that I may have to dig in deeper to feed my child.</p>

<ol>
<li>Dorms are not WIFI, that means they are locked to their desk because they need to use a cable. </li>
</ol>

<p>Things that I placed in my mind for reminder notes
1. Beds come bunkbed in general, so you need to order lofts
2. BB&T is the bank that I saw there.<br>
3. Make a desk hutch
4. If your child is short, bring a step stool.</p>

<p>I also asked about move in because you can easily see that there is no parking by the dorms. They said that basically you dropped your stuff off at the curb and shuttle it to the dorm. Let's hope it doesn't rain :(</p>

<p>I hope that for anybody who didn't go to it this helps. I hope that students at Tech also add onto this list. And any parent with more info also adds on from what they learned yesterday.</p>

<p>The best part of the day...HER SMILE! The minute we drove up Duck Pond Rd, we all felt like this was home for her. We felt at ease and excited for August to come because it just was warm and welcoming. She has now stopped counting days until graduation and started counting days to moving in. Never got that Hokie spirit until yesterday, but I am now a true Hokie fan...at least until they play UMD!</p>

<p>Go Hokies beat UVA!</p>

<p>OBTW at the UMD VS TECH football game we will be the ones easiest to recognize. We will have t-shirts that I will have sewn together. The front will be Hokie and the back will be Terp, and the other will be the exact opposite. HOUSE DIVIDED! I am still a parent and must support both sides.</p>

2

<p>Glad you enjoyed the visit. Just a couple comments of the things you said you didn’t like.</p>

<p>I don’t think the food thing works just like you think it does. When you get your hokie passport (the ID card) there are two separate accounts in it. One is kind of like a debit account, and you can use money from that at a lot of local stores and restaurants, and most importantly to do laundry. You can also use money from that to buy food if you do not have a meal plan. There is a second account on the card if you buy a meal plan (which you have to if you live on campus) which can only be used for on campus food. You get a certain amount of money in this account when you buy the meal plan, and you can add money to that account if you run out. Of the 3 years that I had a dining plan I only had to add money to my plan once, and that was because I was buying meals for other people sometimes. I like the fact that they do the plan the way they do, because it allows them some flexibility when it comes to the dining halls. You can’t really do “x meals a week” at an a-la-cart place like West End. Everyone would just get the steak and lobster (yes they have steak and fresh lobster) every day. It’s a huge part of why we once again won the award for best on campus food in the country.</p>

<p>As for wi-fi, yeah, they should seriously get on that. You can bring your own router though. I’ve never felt unsafe in the dorms but then again I am a guy, but I think a swipe on the elevator would be a little pointless. It’s a generally safe campus, and the room doors do lock.</p>

3

<p>Can you clarify a little but more for me</p>

<ol>
<li> Food, we pay whatever the food $$$ are for TECH bill, but then we can buy Hokie bucks?</li>
</ol>

<p>I know many colleges that do that…you have X ant that goes food and if you want you can have X amt to go into a Hokie acct, but it is more like a bank acct. You have a Checking and Savings…your dining plan would be checking, but the off campus/laundry would be savings? In other words, the student can’t go every Friday night to Magoos and be broke by Nov 1? </p>

<p>For the wifi at the dorm orientation, they said something about if you do, then a VATECH IT person comes to make sure the firewalls can’t be by passed. To me the ambassadors even were opining that it was a LAME excuse…something about downloading. I do agree that is a BS reason. I feel that they are using it because it is currently not cost effective.</p>

<p>FYI: Should we buy a large connection cord, or do you all live by the desk? Our kids watch hulu which we were told that was okay and allowable, but then she would have to set the room up to be close to the outlet so she can watch it. I am just envisioning 2 long cables that they will trip over because you don’t have wifi.</p>

<p>I did not ask do the dorms come with basic cable for tv?</p>

<p>I hate to say it, but Tech is a TECH school and that hurts them regarding students when every other college is WIFI in dorms. They should just say the dorms over 125 yrs and historical landmarks, due to that fact we can’t structurally change them and pulling wires for WI-FI would do that. EVERYONE would say OH YEAH I GET IT, and brag that the school is on historic landmarks!</p>

<p>Bullet and I are will be their in August moving in our DD. As I stated she is tiny (5’2—110 lbs), but I will say 100% WITHOUT A DOUBT WE BELIEVE SHE IS SAFE! We believe that Tech is going to keep her safe. The number reason why: The Hokie feeling.</p>

<p>It is insane to say that, but it is true. We live 4 hrs away, but you see VT stickers on every car. Hokies have a strong bond, and I believe that if 1 Hokie was ever hurt by anyone, NOT only would the school step up behind them, but the town and every alumni. You just can’t grasp that feeling until you step foot in the town. The minute you drive in every hotel, restaurant, gas station, etc, has a sign for VT. I have never seen a town like this. Charlottesville where UVA is located is a town which UVA is located in. Blacksburg is all about TECH. They want TECH! They love TECH! </p>

<p>Tech has negs, but in the end of the day I have to go and say UVA or TECH…TECH all the way!</p>

4

<p>Here’s how the card works. If you live on campus you have to buy a meal plan for either $1,262 or $1,362 per semester. You get either $455 or $555 in your meal plan account, and the food that you buy will be half off at the a-la-carte places and more than half off (about a third the regular price) at the all you can eat places. This money can be used at any on campus dining hall, but not at the on campus subway and not anywhere off campus. It is just meal plan money. You can easily add more online or at a machine if you need to, and they project that you can eat about 12 meals a week with the plan.</p>

<p>Your hokie passport money is completely separate. When you get your card set up and everything you can put as little or as much money as you want on it, and a lot of local businesses accept it just like a debit card. I only ever used mine to do laundry since I already have a debit card.</p>

<p>The checking/savings analogy works, but the big difference is where you can use the money in each account and how it initially gets there. You could end up running out of dining money if you go to West End for every meal and/or never cook your own food, but if you budget yourself a little bit you’ll be fine.</p>

5

<p>If you really want Wifi, you can buy a wireless router for about $30-$40, a lot of laptops these days come with built-in wireless cards. I’ve never heard anything about needed a Virginia Tech IT person needing to come in and set it up, I would just make sure you put a password on it.</p>

<p>You do get basic cable with the room, they switch out the channels depending on what people demand. Here is the current list of channels:
[Communications</a> Network Services](<a href=“http://www.cns.vt.edu/cable_dormsChannel.html]Communications”>http://www.cns.vt.edu/cable_dormsChannel.html)</p>

6

<p>bulletandpima, Glad you had a great visit. I think you even got a taste of the legendary Blacksburg windy weather that my son talks about. Glad it didn’t rain!</p>

<p>This board will be a Godsend to you as move in day approaches. Ask anything…there isn’t a dumb question. There are so many good people on here that help the newest Hokies and their folks with advice and suggestions. </p>

<p>I will add one that is kind of common sensical but you may want to start asking friends now. Borrow as many hand trucks as you can for the day you move in. They really help. You do dump your stuff on the sidewalk, (you will have 30 minutes to park), but with the hand truck(s), it goes really fast to the dorm. And this is up to your distance driving and your budget, but you will be absolutely exhausted the day of move in. You may want to stay the night of your move in day in a local hotel should the drive back to your home be a bit far. We are about 3.5 hours away and I was so wiped out, driving back that night would not have been a smart move. The hotel rooms fill up quickly around that time, so if you want to stay that night, make a ressie now. </p>

<p>I’m glad she is so happy. That is a great start. It really is a special place that you will also grow to love. You may even lose that “Fear the Turtle” attire in favor of head to toe Hokie gear! :)</p>

7

<p>Good to hear you like it. It’s a very fun community to be a part of and you instantly have a connection with anyone associated with the school. My parents have made TONS of friends back home basically just through that common interest and they always throw gamewatching parties and the like. It’s obviously great for your daughter, but YOU are part of that community now too, forever. By the way you have nothing to fear for your daughters safety, in general, the guys are very respectful and protective of their hokie “sisters.” At the same time, tell your daughter to go out in groups. I’m 5’11" 210 male and even I make sure to go out with my roomate or something.</p>

8

<p>GoTechGo,</p>

<p>Bullet (my better half) and I (pima) laughed at the dorm tour guide when she said my grandparents got married here, my parents met here, every aunt and uncle attended here, she was the 1st grandchild to attend and now her cousin and sister are attending. All I wanted to ask her was there a building named after the family since so many attended?</p>

<p>Honestly, it also made me a proud parent to hear that because in the ACC you hear of Hokie pride and it really drove home the point that people attach their hearts along with their heads to the school.</p>

<p>Thanks for the answers. Now one other question I have that kind of bothered me during the tour. They showed the room and mailroom, but not the common area/lounge. They said it had flat screen tvs and sofas, but we never saw how big or where they are located within the dorm. I forgot to ask is it on each floor or just one in the dorm? Do kids use it to hang out in or is just there!</p>

9

<p>I know it may be perceived differently from the outside, but I have never met a VT student who doesnt feel “safe” here. Ive visited friends at other schools, in urban areas like DC and Miami, that sort of have you watching over your shoulder. The campus here is in a close community of good people. The unfortunate events that have occurred here truly have nothing to do with the school itself and could happen anywhere. In two years here, Ive never been mugged, assaulted, robbed, or anything even close. That said…people should always exercise common sense (dont go around drunk and alone at night etc.)</p>

<p>Also, on another note, I havent seen anyone in this thread mention cell service. If your daughter is going here I really suggest you get Verizon. It works the best, while AT&T is absolutely useless. I found that out quick and it really caused a big inconvenience.</p>

10

<p>Thanks NICK we have AT&T! However, I will say I recall that in the dorm during the tour I couldn’t get a signal, but once I got near the door I was clear to go. Could it be that cells are stronger now and you may have had a weaker signal?</p>

11

<p>b&p, my son has AT&T and his cell phone works in his dorm - don’t give it up yet, just check it out when your D gets into her actual dorm room, if you’re comfortable waiting that long. I think reception may have gotten better in the last few years.</p>

<p>nick4060, I don’t mean to contradict you, because obviously you have tons more experience than I do with the cell service! I know my D couldn’t get service with her AT&T phone in her dorm 2003-2004, but my S can this year (different dorm, different phone).</p>

12

<p>That was the basis of my reply, phones and technology changes, so what was a dead zone 2 yrs ago is no longer that way. AT & T combined with Cingular last yr so now they have more towers.</p>

<p>As a 2nd time Mom of a college student I also get it, because DS gets service with AT&T on campus at his school while his friends get squat. He gets squat while his friends get coverage. It can be a hit or miss. I have no intention of changing unless she gets no coverage at all!</p>

13

<p>I have ATT and don’t get service in buildings, while Verizon people get it just fine.</p>

14

<p>The cell service might have gotten better. I guess thats possible. But its something to keep in mind. Probably best to wait a few weeks into the semester before making a change. Good luck</p>

15

<p>We were at Hokie Focus this past weekend, and my daughter stayed with a friend in the RLC dorm (P-Y) on Saturday night. NO AT&T signal in the dorm whatsoever! She had to use another girl’s Verizon phone in order to phone for us to pick her up.</p>

16

<p>AT&T is notoriously bad on campus. Like anywhere else in the country you’ll have better spots than others, but there’s no ignoring the fact that Verizon’s coverage is stronger in Blacksburg.</p>

<p>I have friends with iPhones who got rid of them because it just wasn’t worth it.</p>

<p>As for the lounges, it varies by dorms and even by floor/wing. The suite style and nicer dorms (new res buildings, payne, PY) have really nice lounges while other buildings aren’t so fortunate. Most buildings have a ‘big’ lounge with a pool table and a bigger tv while each floor will typically have a few lounges with furniture and a smaller tv. </p>

<p>I’m pretty sure you won’t see a great TV set or HD cable in any of the dorms, if that’s what you mean.</p>

17

<p>Crap, I guess that means I need to put get Verizon on my to do list on top of everything else.</p>

<p>What’s worse is where we live Verizon is the worst server, so basically we are Boffed one way or the other.</p>

18

<p>If you want someone to have phone access in some of the dorms on campus it’s basically necessary though. When I lived in AJ I had to sit on my windowseal (below my roommates bed) if I wanted to get any service, and I was one of the lucky ones because that was even an option.</p>

19

<p>I am SO GLAD I read this about the phone service. We have had AT&T for years. Our plan expires in August, and the kids have wanted to switch to Verizon. This gives us good reason. </p>

<p>Thanks for posting about your visit, Bulletandpima. Our son’s (as well as our) excitement is building by the day looking forward Tech this summer/fall. I went on line last week and ordered VT Mom and VT Dad car magnets, so now it’s truly official. :slight_smile: My son tells me I need to learn to wear orange and moroon, but I’ll leave that to our son and Dad for now – orange just isn’t my color – haha.</p>

<p>Open house is only 3 months away!</p>

20

<p>Any feedback on Sprint service? We did check it once while we visited and it was ok, but we could have just been in the one lonely spot???</p>