<p>Just some random question I’ve put together:</p>
<ul>
<li>Is it necessary to carry a lot of books at once? Because I just bought a messenger bag, which holds around 2-3 books, and i was wondering how much books people usually had to lug around</li>
<li>Are theft in the dorm rooms common (not bike theft), for example, would it be safe to leave my laptop on the desk?
-What percentage, from the students that applied, are accepted into medical school each year?</li>
<li>Where do people usually study alone? Many people have been saying that studying in your dorm room is not very effective</li>
</ul>
<p>1) Not at all. Last year all I carried around was my notebook and pen. Unless the prof. tells you specifically that he/she requires you to bring your books to class, no. However, sometimes in discussions your expected to bring required books, but they’re usually small paperback books or non-heavy books</p>
<p>2) For me, I didn’t experience any of that. Just remember to lock your doors when you’re not in your room. Besides that, I always kept my laptop on my desk… and I lived in tercero thille B, one of the oldest, crudiest, shadiest dorms of all…literally it feels like your living in a haunted house… plus it was closest to the cows = closest the street. However, you’ll get really attached to your dorm no matter where it is (i loved my dorm by the end of the year, and I will truly miss the cows and the smell of manure haha ;D )</p>
<p>3) Don’t know, sorry</p>
<p>4) Again, my dorm was really bad that the study lounge was just too small and ineffective. I’d say if you’re planning on doing all nighters, go to the 24 hour lounge which is open 24. However beware, make sure your adamant on staying all night if you’re there at night because its pretty creepy biking back from the 24 hour to your dorm at 4 am (experienced this… felt like someone was chasing me in the dark which freaked the living day light out of me!). It’s just unsafe to bike back to your dorm from the middle of campus at such a late hour. Also, there should be main study places per dorm area (tercero, segundo, cuarto). Tercero recently built this beautiful place called wall lounge next to wall dorms that is amazing to study late at night (although it gets loud sometimes). then you can go to other dorm study places in your dorm area bc they have quiet study niches as well :)</p>
<p>pretty much that ^ except it’s never unsafe in davis. creepy/scary does not mean unsafe. the only unsafe thing i could see about biking home at 4am is if you don’t have a light and you end up hitting something. regarding crime, people, etc. davis is extremely safe and it’s not like someone’s going to knock you off your bike or something.
and i’ve studied in my room for the past 2 years at davis, never really understood the appeal of the library/study halls/24 room etc. since my freshman year roommate was quiet and sophomore year i had my own room.</p>
<p>^ agreed with that… davis is safe… but I was getting pretty scary thoughts after getting those text msg warnings about the sexual assault victim next to the arc that one night. maybe i was being paranoid… but it’s never bad to be safe than sorry :)</p>
<p>2 more questions - is it easier to take notes using pen/pencil or typing on the laptop? i’m pretty used to the pencil & paper method, especially since my laptop is pretty heavy and old</p>
<ul>
<li>and do people cram into showers? is there usually a line, etc?</li>
</ul>
<p>Aaand last but not least, is there any advice you can give in how to be successful in classes (ex. sit close to the teacher, etc) or in Davis overall?</p>
<ul>
<li>it depends on you. For me, I find it easier to take notes on the laptop since I can organize them easily that way, and I can click in the middle of the notes and expand on a certain topic if my professor goes back to that topic after talking about another topic. I can’t write quickly at all, especially not when it comes to writing the letter “s” and making my e’s not look like i’s or my a’s look like o’s, so typing is the way to go for me, unless it’s in a math class. Then I take hand-written notes.</li>
</ul>
<p>i top out at around 120-130 wpm but i still take notes with pen and paper. it sticks better and since i’m an econ major there are a lot of diagrams, plus with pen and paper it’s just easier to move around freely on the paper. since most people have worked with pen(cil) and paper throughout their academic careers, i would suggest that most people work with pen and paper. try both and see what works!
people don’t cram into showers, i’ve only had to wait a handful of times, and even then it’s like 15 minutes max. i don’t know about girls though, if you’re asking about girl showers.
regarding classes? get enough sleep, pay attention in class, and ask for help if needed.
regarding davis? network as much as possible, get out there, don’t be shy.</p>
<p>Certain classes lend themselves to different types of note taking. If the lectures don’t contain many diagrams and whatnot, it may be better to take notes on your laptop. But, honestly, I’ve rarely done that since it’s kind of a hassle and I feel that it probably causes you to retain less of the information. Definitely for math/physics/science classes, you’ll want to take notes by hand because there are often diagrams and symbols.</p>
<p>As far as general advice goes, keep up with the work in your classes–the quarter system moves very quickly. Do the assigned readings and get help immediately if you don’t understand something. Get in the habit of studying for exams several days in advance, as they are a significant portion of your grade and are generally significantly harder than anything you’ve seen in high school.</p>
<p>A note about theft: there were several thefts in Cuarto this last year and probably previous years and at other dorm areas. Those people who got their belongings stolen had left their main door, the one that opens to the common room at night. Basically, you and your roommates should remember to lock the door and windows when entering and exiting the dorm.</p>