So You Got Into Tufts, Ask Us About the Tufts Experience

<p>Other opinions about Richardson????</p>

<p>Practical question: what types of banks are on campus?</p>

<p>Citizens & Bank of America both have ATMs on campus. In Boston, Bank of America is definitely the most convenient.</p>

<p>Another general question--
Do most kids write, or use laptops? Read an article somewhere recently about some professors somewhere not allowing them for some reason...
Are there any preferences among students as to which kinds?</p>

<p>No one writes. I think about 80% of people have laptops; the other 20% have desktops in their dorm rooms.</p>

<p>Wait a sec. Do you mean write as in use notebooks instead of laptops in class? If so, it's the opposite of what lolabelle said. The only classes I've really seen laptops in have been big lecture classes like Psych 1, but even then it might be the majority using regular pen & paper for notes. Paper is a lot easier for some subjects like math which use a lot of symbols.
You will type up all of your papers, though, which is the only reasoning that makes sense for lolabelle's post. You need a computer, but I have never brought my laptop to class, ever, and I've gotten along really well, and I don't feel the least out of place.</p>

<p>Oh, yes, I meant in handing in assignments. :) In class, most people write by hand, but I've done both and I don't know of any classes, personally, that don't let you bring in your laptop if that's what you prefer.</p>

<p>Thanks-- yes, I meant notebooks using pencil/pen.</p>

<p>Generally, how safe is the campus?</p>

<p>How does the advising system work? Does the school assign advisors or do you approach/request for one?</p>

<p>I was thinking of buying an iBook (is everything compatible?), a printer (will I need one?), and a refrigerator (are there any size specifications for this? I could not find anything on the website).</p>

<p>The campus is very safe. The university police (TUPD) is everywhere; but not that they need to, really. It's a pretty standard residential area that surrounds the university.</p>

<p>You are assigned an advisor for your freshman year but as soon as you find another person you're interested in askign to be your advisor -- say, someone who is in the dept you want to major in -- you can switch.</p>

<p>The Tufts campus is about 50/50 PC/MAC so yes, you can get an iBook. You might want a printer when you're rushing to get to class and need to print an assignment before you go. However, you can always use the printers in the library and computer labs; you'll just have to allow yourself more time... and it's 10 cents a page.</p>

<p>A fridge for your room is a good idea; don't rent the ones from Tufts Student Resources -- they're expensive and very old. Buy your own mini-fridge from Target or such.</p>

<p>Get a printer (so much more convenient), buy a fridge (the TSR ones are expensive and definitely not worth the price). Depending on your floor, you probably won't need a microwave. I don't have one; whenever I need to heat something up, I usually just head to the kitchen in our common room or use a friend's.</p>

<p>^ ^ ^ Actually, microwaves are strictly prohibited in dorm rooms due to fire hazards. Every hall must have at least one microwave for common use. You definitely don't need, nor are you allowed, to buy your own.</p>

<p>You're allowed to rent a microfridge from TSR (a microwave & minifridge). There was also a girl in my hall who bought her own microwave (& fridge), and she was told that she could keep it if she got some special adaptor to make it a microfridge (don't ask me what that means because I have no earthly idea).
If you live on a floor with a common microwave, you definitely don't need to rent/get one. If you don't live on a floor with a microwave, maybe you want to consider it, but it's probably still not worth it</p>

<p>im just curious, when there are large parties, do they ever get rolled? and are kids who are caught intoxicated punished?</p>

<p>^ Cops usually sit outside of frats until 2am, and then tend to break them up, as for house parties, these generally go over fine unless it's so loud that a resident complains, but that's fairly rare. If it's a lot of kids and it's in a house/frat, generally students will get off fine, maybe a warning, but if it's in a dorm room, then you will get written up, but if you fill out the drug and alcohol survey during the summer, your first write-up will simply be a warning.</p>

<p>~Ben</p>

<p>
[quote]
but if you fill out the drug and alcohol survey during the summer, your first write-up will simply be a warning.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure the first time is a warning for everybody, even if you didn't do the questionnaire, unless you did something that went beyond what the RD is responsible for.</p>

<p>Housing question - </p>

<p>What is West Hall like? Are the triples/quads terrible?</p>

<p>West is actually pretty nice, triples and quads maybe a little on the small side, but you won't be placed there as a freshman, it's mostly sophomores and juniors.</p>

<p>West Hall is the party dorm. It's also the center of the Naked Quad Run parties ;)</p>

<p>The triples you get as a freshman are "forced" triples -- that means that for a month or so (a little less, usually) you're in a room with 2 other roommates that's actually designed to be a double. It's usually the result of overenrollment, and they will try to move you out as soon as possible. The good thing of all this is that everyone who gets into a forced triple gets the highest lottery number the next year, and therefore gets the pick of the crop!</p>

<p>Triples and quads after you're a freshman are more like suites. For example, the quads in West are one huge common room adjoined by two small doubles. It's for the social kind who don't mind have a tiny room but do like to entertain.</p>