<p>Hey, so I've been recently accepted to the College of Engineering at Tech.
I have a few questions pertaining to the living environment, etc. The questions were probably answered in earlier threads but I can't seem to find a conclusive answer to some.</p>
<p>1) Do any of the freshmen dorms have wifi?
2) " " same with A/C?
3) What is this business about the meal plan and what do the current students at Tech recommend for freshmen? (There's too much ambiguity in that other thread so I really wanted to clarify).
4) Are dorms first come first serve basis or is it all randomized?</p>
<p>And if any other questions pop into my head, I'll post em here. I highly encourage other incoming-freshmen to do the same so we can all establish a firm ground when we enter Tech.</p>
<p>You probably already checked this one out, but awesome thread by chuy.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/virginia-tech/936791-newest-now-faq-quick-question-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/virginia-tech/936791-newest-now-faq-quick-question-thread.html</a>
Note, all this from a freshman student. May get better answers from the oldies around here.
1.) Technically no, but I believe all the dorms have a study lounge that has wifi. Although a lot of my friends can pick it up throughout the campus. Every dorm does have ethernet access, which you get used to after the second day being here.
2.) Not every dorm has A/C, but all dorms have heating. Like the idea in the thread chuy wrote, I did the box fan in both windows idea and it worked perfectly.
3.) Non-bias description pretty much in thread. With the meal plans, you put a certain amount of money on the account. Some of it goes to a stash you can pay for food with, another goes to the university’s dining program. I did the Major Flex Plan, and it wasn’t really enough for the whole semester. Each meal plan also allows you to add “Flex Dollars,” which just increase the amount of money in the stash you can take out. (worked for me cause I ran out of cash.)
4.) Randomized, only thing that is first come first served is who gets the top or bottom bunk. Unless your like me and offered your roommate to pick, (not the brightest idea). The only way you can select yourself into housing is by joining a themed housing group. I’m currently involved with the Biological Sciences & Learning Community, and it was most likely the best decision I made coming into Virginia Tech. Regardless of what community you’re looking at, they’re all great and I’d highly look into it.</p>
<p>I can’t believe I totally overlooked that thread. It has a lot of information…wow. I don’t know whether to be excited about the new lifestyle or be intimidated. It’s gonna be fun. Thanks for the answers though! They helped me understand dorm life better.</p>
<p>1) Some are close enough to the academic side of campus to pick up a signal, and there’s usually somebody with an unsecured connection (DON’T USE THESE THOUGH) in the dorm. Unless you get a wireless router you’ll be plugging in though.</p>
<p>2) Like albert said, they don’t all have AC. The only one that freshman can really get in to that does is if you’re in the RLC. If you get the two box fans and keep your door open when you’re in the room it’s not that bad though. After the first month or so it cools down and isn’t bad at all. Orientation can be brutal though.</p>
<p>3) Get the minor flex plan. You can add money later if you need to. It and the major are your only options if you live on campus (and yes you have to buy one) and the only difference is the major is more money. Which like I said you can add later.</p>
<p>4) For freshman mostly random. If you’ve got a doctors note for allergies you can get into one of the AC ones, and if you’re in a housing program you get put there. After your freshman year there’s some sort of lottery where you get a housing number, and people (in a roundabout sort of way) get to pick based on that number. Get a good number and you can probably get a good dorm, get a really bad number and you might not get one.</p>
<p>Minor flex ($275 Flex dollars) is only offered to off campus students.
Major flex has $475 Flex and is the smallest on campus meal plan. (The other two are Mega and Premium. Mega has $575, Premium has $675). But he’s right in the fact you can add on later, so major is your best bet unless you know for sure you’ll be eating alot.</p>