<p>Dude, a girl was killed AT MY SCHOOL last year (Lauren Burk), I know about parents being wacky over safety. But you just have to let them know that you are a capable adult, you are not dumb (you would never run by yourself at night wearing headphones right?), etc. Let them know about the safety features on your campus, like if there is a security shuttle at night or a self-defense class offered (both things offered on my campus before the incident).</p>
<p>mafool: yes, my parents are in the U.S. My mom has a cell phone from V too, but I can't possibly call my dad through it since she takes it to work w/her (she works from 3 pm - midnight).
okgirl: i heard something about a calling card before. Can I just buy it anywhere or do I have to buy in the town where I'm staying or do I have to buy it with V?
AUlostchick: I've reassured them many times and when we were at orientation, I've also talked to them about the many securities offered at my school. It's also kind of the fact that I'm the first child (even though I'm the youngest) to go to college, so they're trying to get used to it. </p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, though! :)</p>
<p>Do you know about your calling plan with Verizon? Our plan has free long distance, but the minutes count against our allotment unless we call another verizon customer. You can call verizon to get details on your plan.</p>
<p>Skype yeah!</p>
<p>Definitely understand, tnguyen, I'm my mom's only child (I'm barely a teenager anymore, be 20 in a month, and she still has moments where she acts like I'm 14).
Do both your parents not have cell phones then, just your mom? Could you call before she goes to work, like during lunch or something? I'm not sure how Verizon works, but I know with T-mobile if you call someone on the same network it doesn't use minutes. I assume Verizon is similar.
For calling cards, you can buy them at your local wal-mart as well as gas stations, etc. They sell them in the check out lines/at the counter. They're pretty cheap as far as that is concerned, but I would say just use a cell.</p>
<p>ETA: I just saw kevster's post and I agree that Skype is also a really excellent way to keep in touch and it's free. I used this to keep in touch with my mom (in addition to cell phone) while I was in Paris.</p>
<p>Wait what? Skype isn't free is it? My new laptop came with a 30 day trial or something...</p>
<p>Skype is free if you are calling another Skype user. If you are dialing a regular phone number, then fee charges apply. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong</p>
<p>your correct.</p>
<p>Do you have time to watch TV in college.... say you have a favorite show you watch once a week (Monday at 10 p.m. for example). How about sporting events? Also, who decides what to watch? Is it first come first serve? lol...i know this is not that important, but just wondering. : )</p>
<p>Also, does sharing a common restroom with your dorm-mates take time getting used to?</p>
<p>Skype is a great idea although I don't think it will work for me since my parents are completely clueless about the computer. They're pretty technologically-challenged lol.</p>
<p>Anyways, my parents share the same phone since they really don't need to call anyone that doesn't have a line phone. My mom works from 2-12 pm and my father works from 5am-3pm so it'd be hard to call them on weekdays. I think I'm going to stick with using a calling card and calling them on weekends. Thanks guys for all the advice.</p>
<p>Azhir: I'm pretty sure you'll have time to watch t.v. in college -it's all about time management (lol I'm not even in college yet, but I already know the utmost importance of this particular skill). Same thing with sporting events -just clear your schedule out for things you really wanna do or watch. </p>
<p>If you're talking about the t.v. in the lounge for all the hall residents to use, I would think it's first come first serve. There maybe a sign-up sheet for specific times you want to watch -I would recommend you ask your R.A. If all else fails, you can ask the person who is currently using it if you can watch something else or you can buy a small t.v. for your own dorm room. I can't answer the last one for sure, but I think it depends on your own experiences. I was in a drill team at my school so I used the locker room w/ 40+ girls at the same time. For me, the only thing I'll need to get used to is the occasional guy that needs to use my (all female) hall's restroom.</p>
<p>Wow that's a lot of advice from someone who self admittedly doesn't go to college.</p>
<p>I watched tv maybe five times total last year. If you consciously make time to watch, then you can. </p>
<p>And it does get some getting used to for the community bathrooms, but it's not too bad. My hall was set up so their weren't too many girls sharing a single bathroom. Only one time did I have to wait for a shower and I never had to wait for a sink or toilet. So, it worked out well.
The way I think of it...The ratio of girls to bathroom amenities was the same as a suite (4 people for 1 bathroom). Plus, I don't have to wait for someone to finish showering to use the restroom, there's no scheduling of shower time, and it gets cleaned every weekday. Pretty sweet!</p>
<p>hotelmoscow: i was just trying to help...</p>
<p>making speculations about what you think college might be like doesn't help anyone...</p>
<p>I wasn't trying to be stand-offish by implying that calling parents weekly is stupid; I understand that most parents act the way they do because they care for their children and usually won't act in a way detrimental (multiple phone calls shows how much a parent worries, for example) to them. I was just curious about the amount of contact between students and parents during the school year.
Skype is such a useful program that it still surprises me that not many people in school know about it. </p>
<p>On a lighter note, have you ever caught someone watching Pokemon or a really kiddy show? Did you join in and watch?</p>
<p>i might not be able to give specific advice, but i can make suggestions that can be deemed helpful by the asker. he/she doesn't have to take my advice.</p>
<p>
[quote]
On a lighter note, have you ever caught someone watching Pokemon or a really kiddy show? Did you join in and watch?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>what's wrong with pokemon..?</p>
<p>the new series sucks.</p>
<p>Actually the question asked was what you wish you had known before college, not what you think you know before college. </p>
<p>If you're going to attempt to defend yourself at least try to have a legitimate point.</p>
<p>@hotelmoscow, please stop being a d ouche. i think we'd all appreciate less d oucheyness from you. she was just trying to help (unlike you with your useless b itching). k thanks.</p>