<p>I have a few questions:
Are there any grocery stores in the area?
Is it possible to get to IKEA by public transport?
Would the electric kettle with auto shutoff be allowed in the dorm?
Does the kitchen have a fridge?
Thanks,
freshman mom</p>
<p>Yes, several. Rice has a shuttle on the weekend that takes trips to the Supertarget (grocery store/target store) and Fiesta for groceries; also to Rice Village. (Rice Village is only a ten minute walk from the stadium end of campus, but Rice does run a shuttle.) There is also a Whole Foods Market a few minutes away by car.<br>
I'm not sure about Ikea and public transport, but I do know that during o-week a lot of kids make trips to Ikea, and the Oweek group leaders are very generous about helping the freshman get setup and outfitted with stuff they need.
Many kids have fridges in their dormrooms. Any questions about your kid's college (facilities, including fridges) can be emailed to the oweek advisors, whose email addresses are in the Oweek guide for each college. They are happy to help!</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure you can get to IKEA via public transport, but I seem to remember it taking my friends quite a while.</p>
<p>Are there any grocery stores in the area?
Yes. There's a Kroger, Target, and Fiesta--the latter two are accessible by shuttle on the weekend, and you will probably have a friend with a car if you need to get there during the week.</p>
<p>Is it possible to get to IKEA by public transport?
I don't think it's accessible by public transportation, but like I said, your son/daughter will probably have a friend with a car. A lot of O-Week groups go there during O-Week, as well.</p>
<p>Would the electric kettle with auto shutoff be allowed in the dorm?
Short answer: No, nothing with a heating element is allowed.
Real answer: As long as it doesn't start smoking or otherwise set off a fire alarm, your son/daughter won't get in trouble. Technically, microwaves aren't allowed, but everyone has them. Same goes for coffeemakers, hot plates, and halogen lamps.</p>
<p>Does the kitchen have a fridge?
I'm pretty sure all of the college kitchens have fridges, but I wouldn't plan on storing stuff in there, since it's a shared space--things are apt to be stolen. I'd recommend getting a minifridge for the room.</p>