<p>It's a month until the beginning of classes so it's time for me to make another thread where I give increasingly inaccurate advice based on how things were back when I was at VT (a year ago.) </p>
<p>Here's some stuff copied from the old threads. Go ahead and ask whatever you want, and let me know if anything I say is wrong since I'm old now and don't even live on the same half of the country anymore.</p>
<p>What's the Math Emporium?</p>
<p>Basically it's a giant room full of computers about 5 minutes off campus. Some lower level math classes do not have a regular meeting time with a professor, and instead you go to the Math Empo whenever you'd like during the week to take quizzes and tests. There is a professor available if you need additional help and video lectures are usually put up online. It's not a great arrangement but it's really not that bad.</p>
<p>How do the meal plans work?</p>
<p>You pay and then get a certain amount of money on your dining plan. You can use this money at any dining hall on campus, although you cannot use it at the Subway on campus. If you run out of money you can add more. There isn't a good way to estimate how many meals per week you can get because the cost of meals can vary wildly. A salad will be really cheap while lobster (yes we have fresh lobster in a dining hall) will be expensive. There are also all-you-can-eat dining halls, although in my opinion the food there isn't as good as the a-la-carte places. The food in general is fantastic though, and Virginia Tech constantly ranks in the top 3 for on campus dining. West End is generally regarded as the best dining hall, and Shultz as the worst. Try them all out during the first couple weeks and see what you like. Except Shultz.</p>
<p>More info: Student Programs - Virginia Tech - Dining Guide</p>
<p>*How does Hokie Passport money work? *</p>
<p>On your hokie passport (aka ID card) you actually have two accounts; your dining plan account and a second "hokie passport" account. The second account functions as a basic debit account. You can use it for vending machines and laundry on campus, and at several local businesses off campus. I only ever used it for laundry though, since I already had a debit account.</p>
<p>*What are the dorms like? *</p>
<p>They vary wildly in quality, although as a freshman unless you're in the RLC you'll probably be in one of the more basic ones. I can't really answer much about specific dorms anymore because since I lived on campus a lot has changed. If you're going to be in a non-air conditioned room between you and your roommate make sure you have two box fans. Set them up in your window blowing opposite directions and you can keep the room pretty cool. If the option is available (as it usually is in Freshman dorms) I STRONGLY recommend lofting your beds. It gives you much more room than the standard bunk arrangement.</p>
<p>There are some new, nicer dorms that someone else will have to comment on since they weren't around when I was.</p>
<p>What is there to do around Blacksburg?</p>
<p>There's pretty much always some sort of show or performance going on on campus, but you should still take some time to explore off campus. The Lyric is a great one screen community theater right off campus that shows cheap movies. There are a ton of restaurants right off campus that are very good. Sycamore Deli, The Rivermill and Cabo Fish Taco are a few places I'd recommend, but if you just take a walk around downtown you'll see 20 other places that are probably good as well. There's live music downtown; check for flyers, especially right outside Moe's, to find out when and where. There's a fantastic comedy club at Attitudes one night a week, although if you're easily (or otherwise) offended you won't like it.</p>
<p>How do you get around Campus/Blacksburg?</p>
<p>Campus is EASILY walkable, and even when I lived on one corner and had class in the opposite corner my walk time was still only about 15 minutes. There are racks to lock up bikes, although sometimes it can be hard to find an open space. Unless you really like to bike I don't think it's worthwhile to bring one when you live on campus. There is a bus that runs around campus called the Hokie Express, but seriously just walk. Downtown is directly off campus so you don't have to worry about transportation there (or back.) The BT services most of Blacksburg and parts of Christiansburg, runs till around 2 on the weekends, and is free to students. There is also a bus that costs a few dollars that runs to Roanoke, including the airport.</p>
<p>I'm taking Physics I and</p>
<p>GET. CHANG. AS. YOUR. PROFESSOR.</p>
<p>Yeah but it's at 8am and I don't</p>
<p>Tough it out. Take it with Chang.</p>
<p>More FAQ Information</p>
<p>Here's the link to the official VT FAQ. It has a lot of good info. Student</a> Programs - Virginia Tech - Frequently Asked Questions</p>