<p>Students, parents, and alums:</p>
<p>Could you share anything that comes to mind about what freshmen should know before coming to W&L this fall - from class scheduling, to pre-orientation trips, to the dining hall, to laundry, to getting around Lex, to setting up dorm rooms, to using the gym, to joining campus clubs/orgs, etc? Not just the pc stuff (i.e., don't suicide rush), but the nuts and bolts (i.e., what you to bring and not bring). Thanks!</p>
<p>Things I wish I knew fall term freshman year:
- The chairs the school provides in the dorm aren't comfortable to lounge around on - you might want to bring your own
- Pre-orientation is an amazingly good bonding experience
- The best PO boxes are the ones in the basement of the post office
- You need to balance going out and studying - but if you're a guy, make sure you go out whenever you can and to a diversity of places, or you'll be really short on choices when it comes to formal rush
- IM sports are amazing - join an independent team like SAO or create your own in the fall
- Silverware comes in really handy
- The microfridge is a ripoff
- The linen thing they send you is an even bigger ripoff
- Wrinkle-resistant clothing comes in really handy once you realize you don't have time to iron
- The freshman parking lot is so far away, it is easier to walk anywhere in town than to walk to your car
- Anyone can join club teams - if you love a sport, don't worry about not being good enough
- Ratemyprofessor.com can come in really handy during registration
- If you're in a double - bunk the beds
- If you're in a bunked double, get there first and claim the bottom bunk so when you're exhausted from a night of studying or partying, you don't have to climb up to the top
- You get money on food debit as well as credit for printing/copying stuff at the beginning of each term - use it or lose it
- The swimming pool has the worst hours ever
- Look over registrar.wlu.edu way ahead of registration and figure out what you want to do
- Don't just pick classes based on their names, look at professors and times as well
- Hunan's is the only Chinese place in town that delivers - but they don't do so well on health inspections.</p>
<p>I'll add more if I think of it</p>
<p>Do people put the bedlegs on double cinderblocks or "flip" the headboard and footboard to create more space underneath?</p>
<p>I agree with everything Dima said.</p>
<p>For anyone considering a Greek house, the most important thing is to BE YOURSELF. If you don't drink, don't be pressured into doing so--there are definitely houses that respect peoples' decision not to drink. The kids who drink to be cool stick out like a sore thumb (and there's a pretty large amount of them). Be original, creative, etc. -- don't just follow the pack on everything.</p>
<p>Also, do not join a Greek house just because some of your freshmen friends are going there. Find a house that best represents your values, and go there. You can still remain good friends with your buddies in other Greek houses (the houses are mostly all right next to each other, which helps).</p>
<p>Most importantly, I encourage all freshmen to not be afraid to carry on discussions about whatever you wish, wherever you want, no matter how "cool" or "uncool" the subject may appear to your peers. Frankly, the standard "how wasted were you last night" talks at brunch get pretty damn annoying. Go out, drink, have fun, just don't make it the center of your universe. Talk about stuff that MATTERS.</p>
<p>Attend as many events (speakers, bands, comedians, etc.) as you can. I firmly believe you can learn as much outside the classroom as you can inside, and all these events are FUN and INTERESTING. No one should have any reason to say "there's nothing to do here besides the Greek scene." There's no reason for school-sponsored activities to be inherently "anti-Greek;" that mentality is stupid and detrimental to the school's atmosphere. It's easy to get sucked away from all the school has to offer by overindulging yourself in partying. "Everything in moderation" is an excellent motto to live by. Join GAB if you like bands and comedians (I'm on it; feel free to ask any questions), and Contact if you like more serious and important speakers.</p>
<p>I'll probably think of more stuff too...</p>
<p>Before you leave home for your journey to Lexington - try hard to have all your 'stuff' very organized - not loose in the car/truck/van - just in case it rains - or you have a hurricane like we did LOL - on move in day - makes life alot easier.</p>
<p>These are GREAT for moving/storage - they fold very flat or curl up when not in use (take up very little space) - and make great move in/out helpers - (Plastic bins or boxes either have to be stored or disposed of.) and they pack alot easier in a vehicle than a bin/box too.</p>
<p>how very helpful this is -- like who would have ever thought of those great pop up storage boxes? keep it all coming!</p>
<p>I agree with Esquette! Keep 'em coming guys. The unsatisfactory health inspections of the Chinese restaurant scare me. I love Chinese food. :-(</p>
<p>Haha I have never eaten at Hunan's but the general rule is to go there to drink, not to eat (yes, they serve underage).</p>
<p>There is another Chinese restaurant around, its north of town I believe but I don't think they deliver. Hunan's is an interesting place though. Pi Phi is having a DJ party there this weekend.</p>
<p>HAHA I have a GREAT memory of Hunan's LOL - being the designated driver - mom with a van LOL - and 10 frat brothers - it was fun fun fun - and they paid too LOL</p>
<p>O - and those pop up bag things!! I have another kiddo in college now and we have used those for 3 years running - they are the best thing since chocolate cake - it is amazing what we can fit in a jeep wrrangler using those............................. and - they have a handle - so very easy to manage too - good for underbed/closet storage - keeps stuff neat and clean.</p>
<p>Another move in/out tip - space bags - especially for things like linens - blankets - coats - big stuff - just fill them up - suck the air out with a vac and they take up alot less space - again easy to store when not being used (good also for change of season clothes storage).</p>
<p>Can ya tell I'm a move in/out mom LOL - small vehicle but moves alot of stuff.</p>
<p>Being WLUR is also sweet if you like music. I have a show with my friend Thursday night from 12-2AM called "Aural Pleasure" with your hosts Morgasm (me) and Mack Daddy (my friend with the last name "McElroy"). It's pretty fun and you get to expose people to new awesome music, and you get to discover a lot of cool new music yourself, too.</p>
<p>I encourage you to listen in on the internet at wlur.wlu.edu (click "listen" and click the link to DL realplayer if you don't already have it. If you have problems getting this to work, let me know). Most DJs play indie rock, but there's some good jazz, classical, funk, etc.-- you can see the schedule and show types at wlur.wlu.edu.</p>
<p>Here's what I WISH i knew....</p>
<p>-If you're a girl, bring as many formal and semi-formal outfits as you can! I definately wasn't prepared enough in that respect, and it can be tough trying to buy sundresses over x-mas vacation, lol.
-you can never be too preppy here, don't feel awkward wearing pearls to class, lol, EVERYONE DOES :)
-Make friends with upperclassman girls, accept EVERY invitation you can to get to know them.
-Join sports teams, IM teams, clubs, organizations, ANYTHING that slightly interests you, it will make getting to know people so much easier.
-Even if you don't think you're the frat party type, go to a bunch in the beginning of the year anyway. You'll probably have a great time and meet a lot of fun people. Plus, you eed to get your hilarious freshman-year stories from somewhere, right?
-Use ratemyprofessor.com !!!! Don't pick classes with profs that get bad reviews ~ it's SUICIDE !!!! lol
-DO YOUR WORK FALL TERM (it's not called, "get to know college life!"-Term) you still have to work.</p>
<p>FYI - Hong Kong Chinese restaurant delivers. I don't know if they deliver to W&L but they deliver in general.</p>
<p>They do deliver - we got some at the Lodge the other day, which is right next door to the dorms so I assume they could deliver to the dorms as well.</p>
<p>Do the freshmen dorm rooms have outlets for cable TV?</p>
<p>Yep, but it costs around $200 for the year.</p>
<p>Received the Class of 2010 new student handbook yesterday. So, current students, alums, and parents, what do you think of the laundry service? For $350 a year, it seems almost too good to be true (esp for laundry-challenged kids like my son)! Can you send everything -- if not, what is excluded? How does pickup and delivery work? How long does laundry take to get back? How often are things ruined/lost?</p>
<p>My D didn't get the handbook yet and we live in VA. I might have to call tomorrow if it's not in today's mail.</p>
<p>We have no idea how W&L laundry service is but my husband does know how West Point's was: okay at best. Broken or dented buttons, greyish athletic socks, tshirts and undergarments. Lost or delayed uniforms.</p>
<p>I know teaching my child to do laundry will be a priority this summer. She knows the basics but there is probably more to teach her. In terms of DOING laundry, I can't imagine it taking that much time out of the week. And with the Honor Code in place, you don't have to babysit your clothes,</p>
<p>Laundry is so easy to do that I still can't believe people risk the loss of their clothes by using the geniuses at University Cleaners. Sure it's nice to have your laundry picked up and dropped off outside your room but is it really worth it to have a guy put up a campus notice saying "found extra small pink thong in my laundry, come to room whatever to get it" and know its yours? Is that worth paying an extra $200 for when all you have to do is go downstairs to do laundry whenever its convenient for you? Sorting lights and darks, putting in detergent and clothes and turning on the machine takes maybe 5 minutes, coming back half an hour after that and moving your clothes to the drier takes another two, then come back in another hour and picking them up takes another three. Not much work. I had never done laundry in my life until I got to W&L and all it took was my roommate's mom taking 2 minutes to show us what to do and we were good. I even figured out the whole pre-treating thing when I needed to get grass stains out.</p>
<p>Besides, you (or your children) will probably not be living in dorms more than one year so you have to learn to do it sooner or later. Last year at this time I wanted to use University Cleaners but my parents refused to pay for it telling me that if I was too lazy to do laundry, I would have to pay the penalty. Personally, I'm glad I didn't waste all that money.</p>
<p>I saw the laundry service notice - and laughed. As if.</p>
<p>Part of going away to school is learning to become self-sufficient. That includes clean clothes. My daughter will do fine, just as long as she remembers to separate lights from darks.</p>
<p>Interestingly, with all the hockey my son plays (lots of smelly stuff), he has become much better than his older sister at doing laundry. He thinks nothing of starting a load in the washer, whereas she needs to be coerced into getting her stuff together.</p>