<p>We have Verizon and had heard and worried about poor verizon coverage. My D did lose reception in certain areas. Often she just called when outside, and as she entered the building she would just say “I’m going inside, I may lose you soon”. Sometimes the call dropped, other times it did not. Overall, she didn’t think it was something worth changing plans. She has data on her phone and it took some prodding from me to get her to keep within the data coverage limits on the plan and turn data off when not needed. She hasn’t gone over in while. She uses free wireless more now instead.</p>
<p>My D’s cost does not include the cost of her cell phone. We keep her on our AT&T family plan and she kept her Hawaii number. She said that her phone worked fine on the main campus but didn’t work as well when the Metro went into the tunnel and when she was inside her dorm on Tenley Campus. But she was always able to answer her phone when I called her so I didn’t notice any problem. AU’s preferred provider is Sprint but says others work well too although I notice Verizon isn’t listed. This is from the AU website:</p>
<p>"The university’s excellent wireless infrastructure provides high-quality cell phone reception throughout the campus, making cell phones as reliable as traditional phones when using one of the university’s participating carriers.</p>
<p>“We encourage you to subscribe to a cellular phone service. Cell phones from any provider may be used; however, Sprint (AU’s preferred provider), AT&T, and T-Mobile USA subscribers will benefit from enhanced in-door reception in the main campus and AU off campus buildings. Information on AU plans may be found under the TECHNOLOGY link when logged in to the my.american.edu portal. For assistance in selecting the best rate plan and phone for your needs, contact our voice applications analyst at x3699.”</p>
<p>I know every time we have been on campus, including when my daughter stayed overnight in the dorm for Eagle Summit, our ATT phones have worked everywhere. At the parent orientation session, they mentioned this issue and explained why some carriers worked better than others. They hope to improve Verizon service in the near future, but admit that it is limited to some degree presently.</p>
<p>They have, however, been hoping to improve Verizon service “in the near future” since my first visit to American, in January of 2010. I’ll believe it when I see it.</p>
<p>As recently as when I was on campus earlier this month, Verizon service was hit or miss. No signal at all on the lower level of SIS or Ward Circle Bldg.</p>
<p>It is kind of ironic, since VZW prides itself on having the best coverage all over the Washington Metro area. They run (or at least used to run) radio ads bragging that you could talk on your Verizon cell phone on the Metro. I told my daughter that instead of AU, she should have considered going to Univ. of the Metro.</p>
<p>I will be a sophomore at AU in the fall and thought I could offer insight on spending money and on-campus dining.</p>
<p>Books: It definitely depends on what classes you take and can vary from semester to semester. The first semester, I had mainly paperback books that I was able to purchase on Amazon pretty cheaply (my math book even only cost $25). I spent less than $150 on books with my most expensive book being $50. That said, the second semester, I spent closer to $200 on books, but that was with a Bio book that I purchased on Amazon for $100. If you want to save money in this department, I highly recommend forgoing the bookstore and having items shipped from Amazon. Used or new, books tend to be cheaper and unless it is a book that is on special order (which tends to be books written by professors that are teaching the class), there is no need to pay twice as much on books. If you are factoring that into spending money, I would add a bit more to August/September. You can buy books using EagleBucks, but you will then go through your entire EagleBucks starting amount, so it’s easier to use a credit card.</p>
<p>Dining: I think it depends entirely on your schedule and your group of friends and whether or not they use TDR or the Tavern as a place to socialize. First semester, I was in a UC and since our class ended at 1, a lot of people would go to TDR right after and eat and talk with each other. Not everyone will use TDR as their hangout spot and you won’t necessarily be eating 3 meals a day, 7 days a week on campus (I don’t eat breakfast in TDR, I pour a bowl of cereal or eat a granola bar). During the second semester, since I had classes right when most people would go to lunch, I found myself grabbing food on the go, not eating a huge meal, and not swiping in to TDR. I had the 150 block plan and had more than enough meals left at the end of the semester (which is why I am taking out the 75 block plan this year). </p>
<p>EagleBucks: I used my EagleBucks for laundry, soda from the vending machine, and any purchases I needed to make at Eagle’s Nest and I would only use about $200 each semester. Both semesters, I had to add 3 dollars to do my final load of laundry, but $200 was fine. That said, I did not use my EagleBucks at a lot of the restaurants and places in Tenleytown, so if you are planning on frequenting and using EagleBucks at a lot of those locations, you have to factor that in to the amount that you budget each semester.</p>
<p>Spending Money: I was pretty frugal despite having a job 2 days a week. My main expense was the Metro. If you want to go to Smithsonians (even though they’re free), it will cost you. Spending money really depends on how much you go out and what you do. If you frequent clubs and go to upscale restaurants, you are going to need more spending money than the person that occasionally goes out to eat and sightsees in DC.</p>
<p>My D hated the food at TDR and none of her friends ever wanted to eat there (I also find the limited number of meal plan dining venues to be the worst thing about AU), so starting junior year we ditched the dining plan completely and I put the equivalent amount in her bank account so she could use the funds to buy meals elsewhere on and off-campus and purchase groceries to use in the dorm. In addition, she has a job, and some of her paycheck goes for dining costs beyond what we’ve allocated. I think when it comes to spending money, the bottom line is that every kid is different and every family has different expectations about what is or isn’t an appropriate lifestyle for their student, so it’s very hard to generalize.</p>
<p>As for cellular service, when D started at AU, Verizon was the only one with service on the Metro, so it made sense for her to stay on our Verizon family plan for that reason alone. I believe that’s no longer the case. She has never had a problem with Verizon service on campus, though she may just spend time in the “right” places.</p>
<p>Must agree with Sikorsky, AU has been talking about improving Verizon service every year. My D will be a Jr and its still the same as it was her Freshman year, sporadic at best, but great on the Metro</p>