<p>Hello! I have two questions:</p>
<li><p>I haven’t recieved my packet yet ( the mail system in my town is terrible) and so I’m sorry if it is mentioned in the packet, but I was wondering how roomates are assigned. Is it randomly, or do they try to match personalities? </p></li>
<li><p>Have any of you participated in a summer course at Rice? </p></li>
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<p>Thanks so much for all the information you all have posted. It has helped me quite a bit!</p>
<p>First you will receive your residential college assignment, then a questionaire, then finally your roommate info. They are top notch in matching roommates. My son is going to be living with his for the 3rd time next year. The questionaire will ask about sleeping, partying, hours, habits, need for quiet, music, views on life and more. Be honest and you should get a very good match. Once you get a roommate you'll want to contact them to see what they are bringing versus what you should bring. TV, DVD, a refridgerator, microwave and chairs/couches are some things you'll want to discuss.
Some residential colleges can be slower than others to send their info, but don't worry, by the end of O-week you'll be very happy with whichever college you get.<br>
I don't know anything about summer courses...</p>
<p>lauras50 is right -- be honest on your forms and you'll get a good match. It's also worth mentioning that the people who give the room assignments are O-Week Coordinators (3 students from each College who go through lots of interviews and applications to get the summer-long job). These people know the importance of having good, well-matched roommates, so they'll do everything they can to help out the incoming students. It's not just somebody in an office reading these forms and poking people together. It's students helping students.</p>
<p>Rice doesn't offer summer courses. Rice will, of course accept a course you might take during the summer at another university as transfer credit, but there are no classes taught on campus or through the University between May finals and O-Week.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
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<li> Like lauras mentioned, the roommate questionnaires are pretty extensive, and you are matched by actual Rice students - the O-Week coordinators who are in charge of your O-Week. There are several questionnaires - one that your future roommate will get mailed, and some that are confidential and that only the coordinators will see. The confidential forms contain info like "do you smoke? would you mind if your roommate smoked? would you mind if your roommmate only smoked outside the room?," etc., so don't be afraid to be honest.<br></li>
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<p>I did not have a good roommate freshman year - I think we were a good match from the roommate forms, but the problem was that she came off a lot differently in person that she did on her form. So that's why you should be honest (and not blow off) the roommate forms ;). Also, if I may offer you a bit of advice, you shouldn't be too exclusionary when filling out your forms about qualities you'd like your roommate to have. For example, if you are a studious person who doesn't plan to drink/party a lot/at all when coming to Rice, you shouldn't necessary say that you want your roommate to be the same way. This year, I had a great experience rooming with someone who was a lot different than me. It worked because we were both understanding of each other and communicated well (and even became friends).</p>
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<li> Yes, I've done summer school at Rice (through the office of continuing studies) for the past two years. The worst thing about Rice summer school is that the class selection is small, and virtually no science and engineering classes are offered whatsoever. If you can get past that, it's actually pretty cool. Rice offers two summer sessions: early and general. The early session runs from mid-May to the beginning of June, for about 13 class days. Those classes meet for 3-4 hours per day, Monday-Friday (except for holidays - we have Memorial Day off next Monday). The general session runs from the beginning of June to the end of July. Classes will meet 6-8 hours per week, whether that's 2 hours a day for 3 days/week or 2 hours a day, 4 days/week. The work required varies, and often times you will have grad students instead of the regular profs teaching.</li>
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<p>Sorry about my incorrect statement about summer school! I had no idea Rice offered any summer courses at all. I suppose it's because I've never been in Houston for the summer and never heard anything about the program from the Office of the Registrar. But obviously that doesn't mean it doesn't exist!</p>
<p>Just to echo what those above me have said - be completely honest on your roommate forms. The ones that say they are confidential are entirely so - only 3 people will see them and, don't worry, they won't spread rumors about you to everyone in the college. Don't try to present some ideal version of yourself - if you wish you were the type of person who managed to get up at 8 on the weekend and get an early start on your day but never manage to get up by noon, put that you sleep till noon. If the form asks if you drink or do drugs and you do either, put it down. Regardless of the legality of it, they're not going to report it to anyone, and you'll end up with a roommate much more suited to you than you would otherwise.</p>